Stamps & Ink

When I was introduced to Stampin' Up! 2 years ago I thought all stamps were the same, that they all stamped the same. But I was wrong there are quality and then there are not so quality stamps. All Stampin' Up! quality stamps are designed and made in their Kanab, Utah, USA factory where they have been made for the last 30 years. 
When creating a handmade card, tag or memory page you have to have confidence that the image is going to stamp clearly, this makes the experience so much more enjoyable. Hopefully you find this blog helpful in choosing the right stamps for your project and the right tools to use.

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There are two different types of basic stamps.

·    CLEAR STAMPS:

    Clear stamps or Photo-Polymer allow you to see right through the image for perfect image placement. They are flexible and easy to line up, also great for layering images like 2 Step Stamping (Check out To A Wild Rose #149452) 

    To use, carefully remove the stamp from its protective backing, and place on a clear acrylic block. Ink up and stamp onto your cardstock. Clean off ink with either our Stampin' Simply Shammy # 147042 or Stampin' Scrub #126200

     Don’t use solvent based or oil based inks, bleach or products containing acetone as this will destroy them over time.

     

·    CLING STAMPS: 

Cling stamps are a hybrid between red-rubber and clear mount. With our new cling mount these red-rubber stamps are better than ever. Cling/rubber stamps can have more detail, for example see the stamp set below (Winds of Change #149357) and see the detail in the tulips and windmill. When you stamp you will get exactly that detailed image. They come with an adhesive image label for perfect placement, that will cling like crazy to clear blocks or Stamparatus every time you use them. To adhere the label please follow instructions that come in the stamp case. 

STAMP MOUNTS

·    Clear Mount: 

    Clear Mount just refers to the method of mounting the stamps on clear acrylic blocks. Stampin’ Up! have a variety of sizes to choose from and you can find our range on page 182 of the Annual Catalogue. Choosing the right block for each individual stamp will help make stamping so much more precise.

INKING THE STAMP AND STAMPING THE IMAGE

·    Mount your stamp onto the clear mount block, tap, tap, tap flatly onto the ink pad. Look at the stamp image to ensure it’s completely covered with ink. If not, then tap, tap, tap again. Wiggling or rocking and pushing too hard gets ink all over the block which will transfer onto your fingers and paper. A great tool for beginners is our Stamparatus (148187) tool which will help you get more confidence and let you enjoy your crafting experience. For more info on the Stamparatus and why it is a recommended tool for beginners check out this video.  

Just remember that like with every new hobby you have to practise and having the right paper crafting tools to help you along the way makes creating paper craft products alot more enjoyable. 


Happy Crafting
Sharron Martin - Shazza's Crafts

'There are no mistakes in crafting just embellishments'.