| Recomendations and Resources |
| Stamps: |
| There are no doubt several stores near you that sell quality rubber stamps. Try looking a craft stores and art stores. Many stores can be found online, and there are a great many listed in magazines such as "The Rubber Stamper". WARNING: not all companies will allow you to sell your work if you use their stamps. Look for 'angel companies' that give guidelines detailing the copyright of the image. |
| Ink: |
| My favorite pigment ink is made by ColorBox inks. They have a huge range of colors that do not bleed and stay wet for a good length of time. They sell many different sizes and shapes of pads. The main pads we used in class were their 'cat's eye' pigments. I like these pads because they are easy to use in blending ink and in covering both small and large images. Look for a pad which is raised above the base to be able to cover large stamps. ColorBox has a website at www.clearsnap.com . You can find their stamp pads at any store selling quaility stamps, including Essentials in downtown Northampton. They offer more of a selection on their webpage, and will send you a catalouge and list of retailers. If your local store is out of stock, ask to order exactly what you want. Dye inks are also useful. The best dye inks that I have worked with are also from ColorBox, and are called 'Ancient Page'. However, for most work, any office supply store can provide you with a good dye ink stamp. Look for ColorBox if you need more specific colors. Dye ink refills can be very useful in a variety of pr?ojects. These can often be purchased at the same craft stores. |
| Embossing Powder: |
| There are many types of quality embossing powder. Most of the kinds you can find in your local store or online will be fine. However, avoid Puffs brand unless you are working on fabric. Some types include extra fine for images with small lines or dots, fine for less resolution images, regular which is good for most stamps, and corse, which you should only use to cover very large images with bold lines, or in imprint/double embossing. A good provider of embossing powder and other stamping materials is JudiKins. www.judikins.com |
| Embossing Guns: |
| We used Marvy brand embossing guns in class. As you may remember, the small green guns were good with embossing powder, but if you plan to use a lot of shrink plastic, invest in the slightly more expensive (and larger) pink model. The difference is in the temperature that they reach, and how quickly they can reach it. These guns can be purchased from most stamp or craft stores. If you don't have a gun, the next best substitute is a hot light bulb. However, this can easily scortch your paper. If you plan on continuing stamping, invest in a good embossing gun. WARNING: always read the instructions that come with your embossing gun. They will tell you how to store it, and the type of materials that it should and should not be used on. Due to the large amount of heat emitted, you could inadvertanly start a fire. |
| Glue: |
| Plain glue will be fine in most circumstances, but to mix with dye inks, we used JudiKins' Diamond Glaze. While often not kept in stock at craft stores, they should be able to order it for you if they carry any other JudiKin's product. Also check out their webpage for ordering information. |