Ask me about Stamping Techniques!

Hi all, My name is Heidi and I am a "retired" rubber stamping instructor. I taught rubber stamping for 5 1/2 years and have recently converted to scrapbooking. I have found that more and more many of the stamping techniques are now being used on the scrapbook pages. So, if anyone out there needs any information about stamping techniques, I would love to share what I know. From cleaning your stamps, to stamping on metal, ink primers etc. Ask away!!!! I would love to get to know more of you and spread some stamping love!

What a great post and resource! Thansk for joining the neighborhood. I'm sure you'll get many takers.

That's awesome! Specially because I just bought my first few rubber stamps and I'm afraid to use them. So would you give me a little 101 on stamping? What kind of ink to buy and a few basics? Thanks!

One of my many goals this year is to make atleast one LO per stamp set I have. I haven't started yet, I'm a bit nervous about using stamps and designing a page using them. Any ideas would be GREATLY appreciated!

Sure!!! Glad to. Here is my ink 411. There are basically 4 inks on the market. Dye, permanent, chalk and pigment. While there are different varieties within these types, to keep it simple we will start with these four.

First off, dye inks are generally waterbased inks. They are a great general purpose stamping ink, but are not usually archival. They won't bleed through your paper, but they tend to fade over time and are not waterproof. They dry quickly (think die:dry). i.e. Stampin' Up dye pads, Marvy pads, Ranger Sea Shells and Sea Brights, Clear Snap Vivids etc.

Then there are pigment inks. They are sticky, slow drying (think pigmentslippery pig) inks that are great for embossing because they stay wet longer and your embossing powders will adhere to them longer. I.e. Colorbox pigments in cat eyes and petal points, Metallic Extras,

Then there are the permanent or semi-permanant inks. These are like the dye variety, but they can be permanent, archival quality inks. Some are lightfast and waterproof, but you will have to read the labels to be sure. These are like the Ancient Page pads and the Archival and Adirondak pads. These inks dry fast and are great to use on just about anything.

The chalk inks like Colorbox Fluid chalk pads are a pigment pad that is slow drying ink that dries to a chalky finish. They are great on dark colors and really great on anything. They should be heat set for the best chalky affects/results and to make them more permanent.

There is another variety of ink called Solvent Based inks. The Staz-on inks fall into this category. They dry fast and are permanent on just about any surface. You may need a solvent based cleaner to clean up your stamps with these types of inks because they will stain the rubber. They may bleed through thinner paper.

There are lots of other inks on the market like Brilliance (slow drying pigment pad), Tim Holtz Distressed Inks (my favorite), slower drying dye ink ("water based, fade resistance dye ink"), Colorbox crafters inks (heat set makes them permanent, great for wood projects, fabric etc) And of course there is the Versamark pad which is a clear sticky pigment pad that gives you a tone on tone watermark effect on paper in the medium color ranges. It is great for using with colored embossing inks and when ultra thick embossing powders are used. It is a great general purpose clear pigment ink.

I know there are a bunch more out there so if I have left any out, please let me know. I hope this will get you started. If you have specific questions fire away!!!

WOW!! Thanks for the nice 411 on inks.

I like that "slippery pig" thinking for pigment ink! I do use my cats eye for embossing, but I'm wondering what inks you would NOT recommend for embossing.
Also, when you get a cheap(er) stamp set with that ink pad included...usually small in the center of the stamps...I just use that for distressing edges. When that's "done", what type of refill would you recommend that I can add to that so it's good to use for embossing?
(I think you need to write a tutorial and post in "Each One Teach One"...would be a VERY handy reference tool. Inks confuse me! (But that's not too hard to do!)

Dye inks tend to dry faster than the time it takes to sprinkle embossing powder on and tap it off. This is why they aren't recommended. However, if you are lightning fast, there is nothing that says you can't emboss dye inks, you just have to work fast, very fast. You will find that Brilliance inks are also hard to emboss because they dry so fast. If you emboss and find that after you hit it with the heat gun the edges just aren't nicely raised, your ink probably dried out before you got the embossing powder on, or the powder blew away because the ink was dry. Pigment pads stay nice and juicy, hold the embossing powder and make for a nice raised embossed edge.

It has been my experience that the ink pads that come with the mini sets are usually pigment ink. But, unless you know who the mfg and ink type, I wouldn't recommend re-inking them. For instance, the cat eyes are by Colorbox, they are pigment ink, yes it is worth reinking. I have had mine for years. I have a personal policy that when ever I buy a stamp pad, I buy the reinker with it. Think of it as an investment. Unfortunately, if you don't know the type of ink, you will probably end up with a mess if you try to mix dye and pigment. Cat Eye pads are pretty cheap and worth investing in. Stampin' up makes some good mini pads too, and sell the reinkers. The nice thing about the colorbox products is that the Petal Points, pigment pad and cat eyes all use the same inks. As is true with the crafters and chalk inks (they come in pads, petal points and cat eyes). So, you can buy one reinker to reink three different pad sizes. Same goes for the ancient page pads (which I love). Do I sound like a walking advertisement for Colorbox? No I don't work for them, they just have good stuff. Anyway, if you plan on doing the stamping thing for the long haul, I recommend spending the money on quality product. If you are just dabbling, go cheap. Because I used much of my own supplies when I taught classes, I made the investment in the Colorbox line of products and they have definately stood the test of time. On the other hand though, I own just about every stamp pad on the market. Yes I am compulsive, what can I say. Hope this answers you questions. Again, sorry if I am long winded. Consider me passionate! LOL

Most of the stamping I have done has been on cards, altered books, boxes, etc. To tell you the truth, I haven't done much stamping on my pages. I have so many artsy stamps and they haven't really fit into the layouts I have done so far.

I think you have a pretty good strategy though. One layout per stamp set. Just be sure and use the permanent inks so that the inks won't fade over time. I save all my class samples and class projects and occasionaly I pull them out. The one thing that I notice is that the dye inks have faded over time. The permanent inks like Ancient Page, StazOn and images that were embossed have held up great. Keep in mind that these samples are a maximum of 6 years old, so if they are faded after this short a time, imagine what they would look like in 20 years. This is also true of the VersaMark ink. The watermark affect fades over time.
As far as limits. There aren't any. I think you can do just about anything on your layouts. That is the beauty of the two crafts coming together. I have purchased the stitching stamps to use on layouts and love the affects. I also have a number of stampin' up sets that I plan on using on layouts. Go for it!!!

What's the best ink for stamping on vellum? I have an idea for some page elements but I'm not sure if I can pull it off ...

When you stamp on vellum, you will get the best results with an ink that will dry fast (dye or permanant ink). While vellum is absorbent, it will take longer for pigment inks to dry on vellum and your images may smear. I prefer Ancient Page or StazOn ink on vellum. Tim Holtz Distressed inks work well on vellum too, but allow extra time for drying. Did you know that you can also run vellum through an ink jet printer and the results are great! Just let it dry before you handle it so that you don't smear the print.

Thanks, you're a great help! =)

Hi Heidi! I was just wondering if you have had any experience with the 'Close to My Heart' Acrylic stamps and inks and your thoughts on them. ~Thanks

What an incredible resource!

Unfortunately I have not tried the Close To My Heart stamps or inks. I have not known anyone that sold them. I have always heard great things about them though. Some day I would love to try some.

I feel the need to clarify something. Adirondak makes dye pads, pigment pens and now has a line of bottled Alcohol inks. When I refer to Adirondak pads, I am referring to their dye ink pads. I have yet to discuss the alcohol inks. That is a whole other animal! Just to clear things up. Their alcohol inks are terrific, just not what I was referring to when addressing stamping inks. Sorry if there was any confusion.

Heidimansi,

Have you ever seen a Close to my Heart catalog. I saw you have never used them. I would be happy to send one to you. PM me your address.

Lynne
Close to My Heart
Manager

Thanks Lynn a PM is on the way.

I have a copy of questions, b/c I would like to start adding stamping into my lo's. Would you recommend buying stamps second hand? Is there a cheap way to stamping b/c some stamps are expensive.(where my second hand questions stems from) I really like the March stamp set with stampin up, but think that 35.00 is kinda expensive when I can go to JOanns and get some for cheaper when they are on sale.

I've never tried second hand stamps, but really, once you yourself have used them, aren't they all second hand As long as they're in good condition, I don't see any reason at all not to use them.
As far as them being expensive, some are. You can wait for sales and use Coupon s to help the cost. You can also check sections like kids crafts and office supplies of the larger stores. I've found foam alpha stamps there for less than $5! Dollar stores also carry mounted rubber stamps for $1. The acrylic ones, I've used 40% off Coupon s to buy.

CONGRATULATIONS Kim on being smoke free!

Heidi, I would LOVE some pointers on cleaning stamps, especially the clear acrylic! What do you find works best for them? I always clean my stamps immediately after use but am disappointed that the wood is always stained no matter what I do. Also acrylics are stained after one use. I hate to spend so much money on stamps to have them look like I don't take good care of them. Also do you have any suggestions for getting old ink stains off of the wood bases?
Thanks in advance!
Angela

Reply to above...I buy a ton of stamps on ebay second hand and have always been very pleased with them!

• heidimansi Said:

You can also heat emboss it to avoid long drying times.

Check your local stamp shop, some have a workshop day where you can use all their class stamps to stamp your heart out. You pay for the paper, and the workshop time. If you plan wisely, you can get a lot done.

Try using unmounteds, you get more for your dollar and they sell them in sets. Using the Coupon s in the paper, you can accumulate many. Get some that are multipurposed so you get more use out of them.

Stamps will stain over time, it is natural.

You can try some bleach stamping to get some ink off the rubber.

To remove ink off your wood mounts, just try sanding them.

I am not at all sure about this it is not very clear. I need info on what kind of ink to use for a biginner stamper! I was confused when I realized there are so many different inks!!

Jrbella- This should help you out--I've just cut and pasted Heidi's earlier post--great info: Enjoy your new hobby!!
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Here is my ink 411. There are basically 4 inks on the market. Dye, permanent, chalk and pigment. While there are different varieties within these types, to keep it simple we will start with these four.

First off, dye inks are generally waterbased inks. They are a great general purpose stamping ink, but are not usually archival. They won't bleed through your paper, but they tend to fade over time and are not waterproof. They dry quickly (think die:dry). i.e. Stampin' Up dye pads, Marvy pads, Ranger Sea Shells and Sea Brights, Clear Snap Vivids etc.

Then there are pigment inks. They are sticky, slow drying (think pigmentslippery pig) inks that are great for embossing because they stay wet longer and your embossing powders will adhere to them longer. I.e. Colorbox pigments in cat eyes and petal points, Metallic Extras,

Then there are the permanent or semi-permanant inks. These are like the dye variety, but they can be permanent, archival quality inks. Some are lightfast and waterproof, but you will have to read the labels to be sure. These are like the Ancient Page pads and the Archival and Adirondak pads. These inks dry fast and are great to use on just about anything.

The chalk inks like Colorbox Fluid chalk pads are a pigment pad that is slow drying ink that dries to a chalky finish. They are great on dark colors and really great on anything. They should be heat set for the best chalky affects/results and to make them more permanent.

There is another variety of ink called Solvent Based inks. The Staz-on inks fall into this category. They dry fast and are permanent on just about any surface. You may need a solvent based cleaner to clean up your stamps with these types of inks because they will stain the rubber. They may bleed through thinner paper.

There are lots of other inks on the market like Brilliance (slow drying pigment pad), Tim Holtz Distressed Inks (my favorite), slower drying dye ink ("water based, fade resistance dye ink"), Colorbox crafters inks (heat set makes them permanent, great for wood projects, fabric etc) And of course there is the Versamark pad which is a clear sticky pigment pad that gives you a tone on tone watermark effect on paper in the medium color ranges. It is great for using with colored embossing inks and when ultra thick embossing powders are used. It is a great general purpose clear pigment ink.

When I get the chance I yard sale on Sat. mornings. Once I bought the entire alphabet stamp set from stampin' up and some holiday stampin up stamps all for 3.00. This was a couple of years ago and I use them all the time. Makes it hard for me to pay full price for them. (although I do). So as long as they are in good shape there is no reason not to buy second hand!

Great tips here. I'm a SU ink fan as well as color box. I totally agree with the reinker rule. Especially for your core colors- black, brown, white, red. I have some pads that I've had for over 5 years and just keep reinking them.

I definitely think that cleaning your stamps when you are done extends the life.

This is really odd, but I was just thinking about posting about rubber stamps. I have been wanting to purchase a few.

But, can the price of a rubber stamp really justify the means? I see it as if I purchase a rubber stamp of Santa (for example), I will probably only use it one time for one layout. Does this make sense to anyone? I want some stamps that are very versatle (sp). Any ideas??????

I have had a few rubber stamps, but ended up selling all but one. My wonderful teddy bear, just can't give it up.

Another tip on inking your stamp, when I had my little collection, I would use a zig pen instead of a stamp pad and it works well.

I can't speak for other stamping companies, but I know there are some really versatile sets in the SU catalog. What is nice is that you get a set that you can use for different things. Obviously if you get a Holiday stamp set - you are limited - but that are so many other kinds to buy. The catalog is broken down by themes. I am someone who normally buys stamps set that I can use alot - both for demo and personal uses. I hope you find what you are looking for!

MY TIP...Beginners start right away by making a small or large book catergorizing the stamps you buy. That way youy know what you have after you have bought 40 or more stamps. I have over 1000 mounted and over 1500 unmounted. 1 rule I make is can I think of atleast two projects I can use the stamp for.

I do have a question about cleaning foam stamps. I've heard that I shouldn't clean them in water for fear that the motif (white part) may come off from the foam mount over time... is that true?

I have been cleaning them with mild soap & water...

This is a great resource for us, thanks for your contribution. I love stamping although I have not taken any classes, I do use stamps on my scrapbook pages and cards. I also love the Adirondack dabbers for foam stamps. The dabbers are actually scrapbook safe paints. The paints just seem to work best for me with the foam stamps. I have just been using water or my stamp cleaner to clean them

Thanks to everyone for all the great info! This is an excellent resource.

Ok- I have a question about what's best for coloring stamped images. I have to make some bridal shower invitations and need to figure out the best way to give it a nice tranquil feeling without making a mess out of it. I tried acrylic paint watered down but it was bad. Would water color pens work well? Any suggestions on type/brand to get? I've got some J's Coupons I can use on them in the next few days! Thanks for the help!

I use Prisma Watercolor Pencils and then go over it with a tiny little paintbrush dipped in water. It blends the pencil marks and really makes it look smooth. I would imagine any kind of watercolor pencils would work. Prisma brand is kinda expensive but you can buy them individually or in a set. I got mine at M's, not sure if J's carries them or not.

Thanks! I ended up with the 24 Prismacolor Watercolor pencils! Can't wait to try them out tomorrow! They were $25 (?) and I got to use a 50% off coupon at J's!!!! So, I think I got a STEAL and a half! Now to get some projects done and posted with them!

thanks for this wonderful resource ladies! im new to scrapbook.com and just starting our scrapbooking, and this was a huge help!!

how do you do multiple colors on one stamp?

• 2girls2dogs Said:

you can either color them in after stamping, or you can use brush markers to color directly on the stamp.

Hi- Heidi- thanks for all your great tips and information. I'm a newbie and want to start incorporating stamping into my layouts as soon as I can get supplies. What would you consider the basics to get started- for stamping, masking and distressing? And could you suggest a good book for beginners? Thanks so much! Irene

for 2Girls2Dogs

You can use the water based markers (TomBow, Marvy Matchables, LePlume) or use the little Cat's Eye pigment pads (or the like) of ink.
If using the pigment inks, you can also emboss the image.

You can also use Twinkling H2Os by painting the colors on.

Do not use permanent markers on your stamps.
The permanent marker stains are hard to remove from the rubber.

Hi Ireni --
I have not seen Heidi on the boards for ages. Her last forum post was 12-18-06 and before that 7-12-06. Her last blog entry was in Feb 07. I also saw that she was selling off all her stamps (message Post#1934554 on 7-12-06). I hope she is ok.

Anyways -- a good book for beginnner stampers is
The Rubber Stamper's Bible by Francoise Read.

To get started word stamps, alphabets, and a few images that can be used as backgrounds is a good start.

If you wish to emboss -- buy pigment ink, and a heat tool.
Dye inks are fast drying and a bit more bold in color.

Masking -- for small things I use Post-It-Notes.
For larger masking, I stamp the image on computer paper and cut it out as close to the image edges as possible, then adhere it with temp adhesive over the original image and stamp around it.

Hope that helps.

Thanks- I did'nt even check- I thouhgt this was a new post- following the comment of 7/21. Thanks so much for your suggestions- and I will look for the book. I'm checking out the local stores to see if there is a stamping class offered. Thanks, again. Irene

what is the best ink to use if you want to stamp on ribbon? I bought an Adirondack pad but the ink is rubbing right off.

Stazon ink is the best for any type of non-paper stamping.

• krystle_d Said:

or you can print on it using your printer!!
Try this!

WOW!! Great tips!! Thanks so much for these

Love all these tips.. Sure wished Heidi would come back.. I have learned so much reading this.