Background Stamp Tips

Background stamps can add so much to a project, kinda like creating your own patterned paper but you have endless possibilities for colors and design. They can be used as a single stamp or layered with other backgrounds or stamps. SU's BG stamps are about a 1/4" larger than the regular A2 size card which I love because it covers my entire card front but sometimes the size can pose problems. Here are just a few tips I have learned along the way.

Tip 1: if you have a detailed pattern it is best to ink your stamp with a brayer. Think Canvas, Linen, Aida Cloth, Floral just for starters. A brayer gives you complete coverage without those annoying lines that you get when you tap or rub your ink pad onto the stamp. Brayers are quick to use and when you are done just run them under water to clean them off. (a quick brayer tip: store it with the roller face up or they develop flat spots)

Some BG's like Crosshatch or On the Spot can be inked successfully with your ink pad but I do find that rubbing my pads causes the edges of the ink pad to fray over time.

Tip2:Use your stamp face up to get the best coverage on your card stock. Due to the large surface area, if you use it face down you often get bald spots where the stamp didn't fully touch the card stock. If you are using a plastic table this is particularly problematic as the surface gives a lot. I place my card stock onto the stamp ( you also get the added bonus of being able to place it exactly where you want it...no more crooked stamping!) and then cover the card stock with a piece of scrap paper I use just this purpose, it saves me from getting ink all over myself. Then I run my bone folder over the entire surface to ensure ink gets on the edges and corners. And no, I don't have problems with slipping card stock.

Tip 3: to clean my background stamps I use an old insert to a scrubbing pad. I spray a couple light mists of cleaner onto my stamp and rub the cleaning insert over it. When the pads are in the holder there really isn't enough room to move the stamp around for effective cleaning. By holding just the insert I can flex the pad to reach the center of the stamp and it works quickly and effectively. I have also used baby wipes but I find the bristles on the scrubbing pad are best to get into all those tiny spaces in some stamps.

Here is the other Wild Hearts card I promised yesterday. In this case I went for a more subtle look and stamped it in sahara sand onto sahara sand card stock. The roses are from Mixed Bouquet and I used a dry aqua painter to brush in the color. I like the look but must admit I used a dry AP because I was too lazy at the time to go upstairs and fill it!! The leaves are mellow moss. The strip on the left is mellow moss that I ran through my Cuttlebug with the Textile embossing folder. The brown mini brads are from the Dollar Tree and the spotted brown organdy is from Walmart.

Someone asked which 2 backgrounds weren't in my pile and they are Ephemera and Word Search, they just don't get my juices goin'!!

Thanks for stopping by!