Susan R. Opel
It’s pretty amazing that I have been scrapbooking since 1998, and I never really got all that into stamping. I certainly have admired all of the lovely stamps that manufacturers keep making, but it all seemed too messy – this coming from a former middle school art teacher who NEVER did a project with painting or paper mache (don’t worry – we did a lot of other really cool stuff!). But lately, things have been changing for me. What factors have been a part of that?
A. P. Kelly Smith – Paper Crafts magazine’s Online Editor Extraordinaire – Oh, Miss Kelly! Her cubicle is right behind me, and she keeps trying to prod me to give stamping a try. She tells me, “It’s so easy. It saves time. You’ll love it!” So I humored her and gave it a shot.
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I created a Celtic inspired hello card featuring a lovely Lil Davis stamp.
B. American Crafts – At CHA in January, I was walking the floor with Cath, and we came to the American Crafts booth (always a source of brilliant inspiration for me). And guess what they were doing there? STAMPING! And I was like – WHOA – if American Crafts is stamping, I think I am game. So I got my hands on some sparkly green Zing! (AC’s new embossing powder) and went to town!
I created this layout with St. Patrick’s Day in mind as well – thinking about all of the things I feel “lucky” about.
C. Stamp It! Cards – Probably the most important factor in getting me to want to give stamping a try is Stamp It! Cards. This special issue is so crazy COOL! The contributors really showed me that stamping can in fact be trendy and hip! There are so many inspiring designers in this issue, but I am blown away by the stamping prowess of Dawn McVey. I’m sure that you will find each and every one of her designs absolutely exquisite along with page after page of other dazzling designs.
Be inspired to the max by Stamp It! Cards.
So now that I am getting into the groove, what sort of advice can you give me as a newbie to ease me into the world of ink and stamps? Leave me a comment with some stamping tips for beginners, and you will be entered to win my Green Hi Card pictured above as well as this aptly named Lucky collection from Rusty Pickle.
Doesn’t this line just make you want to Riverdance?
Happy St. Patrick’s Day from your Scotch-Irish redhead-by-choice associate editor!
Susan
P.S. Our Stamp It! Week Challenge is off to a great start! Wanna play? To participate, create a stamped card featuring one of the following techniques:
Stamp Kissing
Build a Scene
Creating Patterned Paper with Stamps
Adding Color with Markers
Adding Color with Dye Ink Sprays
Upload your stamped card here from now until Monday, March 23. We’ll pick 10 winners (two per category) to win a fabulous prize package. Five winners’ cards will be shown on this blog and five will be shown on Moxie Fab World. AND once you upload your card, you can turn around and mail it into our Stamping Royalty card contest!
I just bought that issue of Stamp It! Had never even seen that mag before, but card making magazines are such a great resource and I use my back issues over and over again – that’s my tip for a newbie card maker!
As a lover of stamps i say buy some stamps get some cheap paper out and practice and just play with the colors. Try coloring them in with markers, use different types of ink. Heat emboss, stamp and cut out the images. All it takes is a few mins of play to get you addicted. Hope you have fun with your stamps as much as i do.
Well for a stampin’ newbie, your cards rock! Tips for starting out, hmmm, a big one would be not to get too overwhelmed with all the cool stamps or embellishments to the point where you have a hundred stamps and no idea what to do first. I recommend picking out a couple of stamps or a stamp set, a couple of different inks – maybe versamark or some giltter too – and just play around with those stamps. Try out different patterns and colors, and see what you can create. THEN…go out ando the same with the other 99 stamps you’ve hoarded
.
Jessica
My advice is buy stamps that you love or inspire you! Your card looks great! It’s my anniversary and I’d love to win! Thanks for the chance to win! Love your blog!
My best advice: After you’ve inked your stamp, stamp onto a scrap piece of paper. Sometimes your stamp isn’t inked as well as you thought. This way you can see without wasting a good piece of cardstock. Another word of advice on the other end of the paper spectrum: Remember that it’s just paper. If you make a mistake in stamping, turn it over and try again. If you mess up that side too, get another piece and try again. It’s only paper. Good luck with stamping. I started about 10 years ago and it has become one of my favorite crafts ever. I think mostly because there is nearly instant gratification. With so many other crafts, they are days in the making. With stamping you can have a completed project in a very short while. Have fun! It’s definitely addictive! Cathy
My advice: Just keep trying and play around with all different kinds of stamps. Many of my favorites stamps are not the ones that caught my eye when I first looked through a catalog, magazine, or store. Also, I get a lot of inspiration from seeing how other stampers have used stamp sets, so probably the best advice I can give is get some good magazines
and even search the internet a bit for good ideas.
I love the texture and depth of your card. I like to stamp but I like the stamped image to be part of the card – I like the paper and embellishments to speak to me as well. Don’t be afraid to layer. My stamping tip would be to leave your stamp on your work surface and brig your stamp pad onto it. Most people bring the stamp to the pad and then the ink gets on the wood or acrylic surface. You can see if you have a full inked image this way as well.
Good Luck and welcome to the world of ink!
I am sure someone has already mentioned these ideas, but hey, why not say it again! Especially as there is a contest involved!!
Use the good quality paper for your stamped images. I still use less expensive paper for the main base of the card. But the better quality paper really does stamp better, and also comes out with much crisper edges when making a die cut or or using a punch.
I read TONS of blogs! And when I see cards that really “speak” to me, I try use materials at hand to emulate the features – color, design, layout that I am drawn to.
Finally, I also try to make “sets” of cards.. either similar or even exactly the same. This way you have a stash to mail out at a moments notice, as well as a nicely wrapped selection of various cards is a nice gift!!
One piece of advice : when inking up a large stamp, set it down face up and tap the stamp pad onto it, instead of the other way around.
My tip would be to get some coordinating inks and papers and just play. Clear stamps are inexpensive, versatile and so much fun!
Love the card! Great idea with the ribbon. My advice – always use ribbon and add lots of bling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Robbie
Very cute card! I honestly can’t really help out with the beginner stamp tips…I’ve been papercrafting for about 4 years, and I own stamps, but I never do much with them…I’d love to win, though!
Hmm…stamping advice? PRACTICE! Use what you have available, and then once you find something you like, stick with it! In the beginning, I started buying stamps just because they were stamps! Now, I know what my style is, and try to get things that are versatile, so I don’t use it once and then forget about it! I personally prefer wood mounted rubber, as it seems that is the best image print I can get. I don’t really like pigment inks, because I don’t always want to take the extra steps in embossing, or don’t want to wait to let it dry. I LOVE chalk ink because of the softness of it, and it is great for distressing. For clear stamps, I have to use staz-on or versamark with my other inks to get a decent print. Don’t smoosh the stamp too hard, and try to go straight up, and straight down without wiggling. Sorry if that seems like a book! That’s the best advice I can give based on my own experiences and personal preferences.
Welcome to creating with stamps. My tip for you is when you want to use watercolors to color in your images then make sure you use a permanent ink like Stazon to stamp your image.
my advice- case! it’s such a great way to gain inspiration-and usually, once you get going, all these ideas come flooding in!
I love line art stamps to color as the focal point for my cards. But stamping an image and cleaning the stamp up is a pain in the patootie for me. So, when I get ready to stamp an image for the first time, I stamp several all at once so I only have to clean my stamp one time. I file the extra images in a clear plastic envelope (I have several & group images by theme) so I just have to pull out the image I want and color!
My tip is to get a 1/4″ solid circle. There’s not too much you can’t “fix” with it. I also like to sponge color on cardstock. I often run the ink pad along the edges the card. It’s subtle but adds a nice finishing touch.
Love the card. The thing I had the toughest time with when I first started stamping was what was the proper amount of pressure to use when stamping. I found out the hard way that wood mounted stamps require a lot of pressure…especially with large stamps and acrylic stamps require a light touch. It took some mistakes and practice to get it right!
Great card! I’m still learning to be a better stamper. One tip I have is if you are using a small stamp (say 2inches) and your block is bigger like 4×4, you can put the stamp in the middle and 4 smaller, random stamps at the corners so the block won’t wobble when you stamp. You just ink the stamp in the middle and not the outside ones. Hope that makes sense! Thanks for the chance to win!
Don’t be intimidated by others. You will learn as you grow, just like you did with scrapbooking. I look back at my first cards & cringe, but I did it – i stamped it and mailed it. You will too! Good luck entering the inky world!
Just use black ink and let the images do the work – you really don’t need fancy techniques to get great results. Try stamping over patterned paper, too!
I love the card you made! It’s very appropriate for St. Patty’s Day. I think you’ll really enjoy the wide world of stamping. I used to not stamp at all until I started seeing the seriously cute clear stamps that manufacturers have been making. What started with an innocent purchase is now a full-blown obsession! Since you’re a beginner, I would start out with just the basics – a good stamp and a good reputable stamp pad. Nothing will turn you off faster than an icky stamp pad. Also, to add that special wow factor, raise your images up on foam dimensionals. Hope this helps!
Welcome to the stamping world! I recommend getting a stamping mat to improve the quality of your results. You use a mousepad to try it out. HTH!
Oh wow! I tell some of the new stampers that I teach, “stamp first”. Stamp first before punching out, before gluing down, etc, etc. I think the one thing that has brought my stamping to a whole new level is participating in challenges. It stretches my boundaries and introduces me to new technique, sketches, color combinations! Oh and isn’t Dawn McVey just fabulous!
Well, seeing that I still consider myself a stamping newbie I’ll just talk about what has helped me to improve…
1. Starting with smaller images. Larger ones can be hard to get a clean impression.
2. Experiment with different inks. Pigment Ink, dye ink, chalk ink and alcohol based inks all work so differently on different surfaces so don’t be afraid to play around with them
3. Try using clear stamps. This trend is what finally convinced me to start stamping. I love the control of seeing EXACTLY where the image is going!
Love your card and the LO BTW!
My advise is “practice, practice, practice!” – think Nike, and “just do it!” tho’ you’ll probably find it’s addicting and never look back! I mainly stamp for the holidays and birthdays, but find I’ve been neglecting my other hobbies lately. So much to do, so little time!
Make sure you have all the basics to start with and make sure these are of good quality. Budget wise I go for clear stamps but be on the look out for good quality wood mounted stamps when they are on sale.
And last but not least: HAVE FUN!
Eveline.
Great card!!! So are you hooked on stamping YET????!!
See how easy it was!
This is really your first take on stamping? Gorgeous! I am also all new to this stamping and paper crafting myself and very much inspired from magazines and the fabulous papertrey ink team. The most handiest tip I got so far is to “prime” the stamps, which means to softly rub them (e.g. with a common eraser) before the first use to make it more accepting to ink and to receive an evenly stamped image. Happy stamping!
Well, I’d say you’re off to a fantastic start, Susan! Your card and your page are just great! My tip: Always stamp STRAIGHT DOWN-STRAIGHT UP. Never rock the stamp back and forth in the ink or onto the paper. Most images have an “edge” around them. Therefore if you rock into the ink, you will pick up ink onto the edge. Then when you stamp, the edge will stamp along with the image thus distorting the image. Hope that is a good one! Keep stampin’ girlfriend!
Stamps add so much to cards and scrapbook pages. My tip would be to buy good quality stamps. You’re off to a great start!
Loved your card Susan. You’re doing great! My tip would be make sure to invest in one of those cleaning pads like Stampin’Up sells and many other places too. They make life soooo much easier when it’s clean up time – just spray one side with a stamp cleaner, rub your dirty stamp on the pad and then rub it on the dry side and your all done. Happy stamping
)
Great card! I’d say my tip would be to have a soft padding underneath your paper as you stamp. That could be a mousepad, or something similar. Have fun stamping.
Stock up on Embellies & definitely CASE until you get the hang of layouts and sketches!
My tip would be to use a Stamp-a-ma-jig when using wood mounted stamps. Perfect placement every time!
My tip would be to use a Stamp-a-ma-jig when using wood mounted stamps. Perfect placement every time!
My tip would be to use a Stamp-a-ma-jig when using wood mounted stamps. Perfect placement every time!
As a fairly new stamper myself, I can say the best tip I can offer is to invest in a Stamp-a-ma-jig. Although it’s pretty much a must have for wood mounted stamps, I find that I use it with acrylics as well when I need perfect placement.
When I am preparing to use my stamps, I always do a pretest so to speak, so I know how much pressure I will need to use, plus it helps me to see if I have enough ink on my pad. Then I reink and stamp the image accordingly. Hope this helps someone.
love the creations Susan! i am like you…a stamp novice
you are off to a great start!
melita
My hint to a beginning stamper would be to always stamp more than one image of the stamp you are using. You will be ready to make the next card with the same image without getting out the stamp, inking it up again, stamping, and cleaning. Also as others have mentioned, the Stamp-a-Ma-Jig is a wonderful product. A little hard to figure out, but try to have an experienced stamper show you how it works, and then it will make sense. And finally, get in the habit of cataloging your stamps right after you purchase them. They are addictive, and can accumulate faster than bunny rabbits, so don’t let them sit in a pile after you buy them. A Very Warm Welcome to Your New Hobby. Linda S. in NE
Have fun with it! You’ll discover what you like- and that will change and evolve just like your scrapbooking no doubt has!!
I can’t believe you’re new to papercrafting with your beautiful creations. When adding die cut or label letters to a card, I place them on a strip of blue painters tape to line them up before placing them on the card. If they are die cuts, I use a glue pen on them once i get them lined up. I don’t use this technique on layouts because I don’t know if it is acid free.
That’s my hint, except trust your instincts and don’t second guess yourself.
I have seen the spray mist on several blogs, but still need to get a bottle or two to try. I love the way it makes classy backgrounds, and think I could do that too. I also love the way you stamped over the spray and then misted it again. Beautiful effect!
Joelyn
Alot of great tips and advice here already. All I can add is Practice, Practice, Practice. At first, I always stamped on something else and then cut it out and added it to my card or page rather than trying to stamp directly on the page. That way if I screwed it up, I don’t have to redo the entire card or page. As I practiced, got better, and more confident, then I started going directly to the card or page.
One piece of advice that I have is don’t stress if you get ink on your woodblock or stamps. It just leaves a reminder that the stamp has been “loved”. I used to fret over keeping my stamps clean. But you only live once and why not enjoy what you have ?
Pingback: Maximize Your Stamps + MORE FREEBIES!! «
I LOVE to play with my glimmer mists!! I have used them on cards, scrapbook pages and sprayed flowers with them. I LOVE using the mist with masks.
My advice, if you are just beginning stamping and are not sure how far into the hobby you want to go, start with some good basic supplies.
Tuxedo Black Momento Ink, VersaMark or other watermark inkpad, versatile images. And for colored inks, always a safe bet to go for hybrid inks like the Palette Hybrid Inkpads. Although I also consider my Ranger Distress Inks a staple item. And I wouldn’t want to try to create without my Ranger Craft sheet or my 3 favorite embossing powders: black detail, clear, and Walnut Stain Distress Embossing Powder by Ranger
Ok, got to stop now…by “basic” list could become a mile long because I use it all on a regular basis.
Hey, everybody! Thanks so much for all of the fabulous tips for me (and other newbie stampers). I’ll see what I can do!
We have a winner! KellyJean Gettelfinger of Sellersburg, IN, will receive my card, the Lucky collection from Rusty Pickle, and a copy of Stamp It! Cards. She’s pretty excited about it!
I was really hoping for 100 comments. Anyone have just two more tips for me???
Thanks for playing along, and stay tuned to the Paper Crafts Connection and Moxie Fab World blogs for our grand finale to Stamp It! Week tomorrow. You won’t want to miss it!