Introduction to Rubber Stamping

STAMPS:

You want to do your stamping with a quality rubber stamp.  A good quality stamp consists of a wooden block, a foam pad, and a rubber die. Avoid stamps made out of plastic or with low-quality blocks made out of foam or balsa wood.

INK:

There are many different types of inks.  The two types that we worked with in class are dye inks and pigment inks.  There are many uses for these inks, and some types of ink work better than others on certain materials.

DYE INKS:

You can find dye inks at many office supply stores.  They are water-based inks, and blend well together.  However, they dry quickly on porous surfaces, such as cardstock.  They have vivid colors, but do not hold their color on colored paper.  So - use only on white paper!   For the inks we used in class, go to the product recommendation page.  Because dye inks dry quickly, they are not ideal for embossing.

PIGMENT INKS:

Pigment inks can be found at many craft and art stores.  For the inks we used in class, go to the product recommendation page.  These inks can be alchohol-based or water-based. The water-based inks are easier to get off of clothing, which comes up a lot.  Pigment inks will hold their color on many different papers, and stay wet longer. This makes them ideal for embossing.  They are harder to blend, and they will not mix together (i.e. - red and yellow will not make orange).  Beware using them on glossy paper without embossing - they won't dry!  To dry on other papers, either leave overnight or heat with an embossing tool.

EMBOSSING TOOLS:

We used embossing guns in class.  This is probably the safest way to heat your paper, powder, or plastic.  However, paper and powder can also be heated over a light bulb.  Be careful not to burn your paper this way.  If you plan to continue making your own cards, it would be a good idea to invest in an embossing gun.  DO NOT heat your powder or paper in an oven or microwave!  This is unsafe, especially because many powders contain metal fragments.

EMBOSSING POWDER:

Embossing powder is sold at many art and craft supply stores.  There are many different brands, colors, and textures.  We used several different brands, as well as colors that included clear, gold, silver, copper, and black.  Some colors are sold that have several powders mixed together - verdigras powder, for instance, has green, black, and gold powders in it.  You can mix your own colors if you can't find the one you are looking for.  Heat your powders using an embossing gun or heat lamp.

Introductory Class:

Page One

basic stamping and embossing

Page Two

super embossing, foam stamps, Direct-to-Paper

Page Three

masking, resist embossing, tag art, mosaic techniques

This page is under construction!  Check back soon for project examples! comments?  constructive criticism?  email:   eridana@hotmail.com