Tips and Tricks

There are so many techniques in the art of stamping. So much to learn… so much to share! Here are some tips and tricks that fellow stampers generously shared. If you have any tips or tricks that you would like to share, feel free to e-mail your tip to me and I'll add it on to the list. Enjoy!

This page was last updated on 03/07/00.

Save all of the pakages that light bulbs come in, it is great krimped cardboard and paper. I open them at the seam and fold them flat and keep them in a zip-lock bag. Save all clear celophane from packaging to use for card windows. Save those clear tops that come on some brands of yogurt. Take the stamped on experation date off with nail polish remover. The tops are great for picture frames, fishbowls, portholes, etc. The kids love to use them for summer crafts. Anonymous
You can buy circle cutters at craft stores. You can fancy up your cards yourself in just seconds. Comes adjustable, to make whatever size circle you need. Carol
You can use Wall paper for different effects. Every Wallpaper store has old books around. When you are done picking out paper you want, give the books to your local school for art classes. Carol
My friend and I have discovered that Scotch Glue Tape is the best thing since sliced bread for card making. Not only is it invisible once put on, stays stuck no matter what, isn't messy, its cheap and acid-free. It does come with a dispenser (but this part is costly) - the tape itself is a little tricky to use at first but it only takes a couple of goes to master. Katrina
Look for the old fashion cassette tape holder, you know the wooden kind w/shelves. Try your local flea market. Then mount on wall in your stamp room. Makes a great organizer. Sally in Texas
To add dimension to your stamping try using Tulip Paint on your cards. It gives a beautiful affect and so simple. Stamp a tree and then dab the paint onto the leaves and they stay puffed up. Or, stamp a little girl and add the paint to the bow in her hair or on her dress. Works great and doesn't bleed into the paper. Bev
Another tip to making very quick cards.......Take an old National Geographic (which everyone seems to have) and cut to fit front of card and glue. Then I use stamps that complement the picture. If it is a night scene with trees, I use a tree stamp on each side and emboss in black....perhaps adding geese in the sky flying across a moonlite night. They make beautiful cards. Bev
Don't buy expensive double-stick foam tape at craft or art supply shops. Instead, look for the huge rolls available for almost the same price at glass supply shops. Its a little thicker than art tape, and a fraction of the cost. You might have to special order the white, but the standard black doesn't show through card stock anyway. At that price you can add dimension to all your cards without a care in the world. Ellen
When tearing art paper (without too many big pieces of fibers), decide where you want to tear the paper, take a small paint brush wet with only water and "paint" the line where you want to tear. It tears easily and leaves a feathered edge. (you can do the same when tearing out coupons from the news paper) Tina
If you make your own envelopes, after you finish assembling envelope run UHU glue along the sealing edge of the flap; do not seal--allow to dry. When you are ready to actually use the envelope, you can lick or moisten the sealing edge and then seal envelope shut. UHU glue is non-toxic and has no flavor!!! Julie
You can make your own embossing fluid by mixing 1 part glycerin with 2 parts water. glycerin is readily available at your local pharmacy. Try putting it in a spray bottle and spraying it onto finished work/background paper and then embossing. Kinda cool. So often I have a hard time finding NON-tinted embossing fluid for certain projects so this is a great and inexpensive solution! Julie
I've discovered that fun foam works just as well as two-sided foam tape when mounting images for a 3-D effect. It is a bit more work as it has to be glued but it is a fraction of the cost of the tape and it is more forgiving if you don't place it in the right position on your first try. Carolyn :)
When you store your ink pad upside down, take a small bit of address label and a small stamp and "stamp" in the color on this label, on the back of your pad, so you don't have to turn your pad over to see what color it is. Midge
Before you mount the rubber on your wood stamps, either spray them with acrylic or with fingernail polish so that the ink comes right off when you clean your stamps. Midge
I've found that as soon as I get a new ink pad, be it pigment or dye based, or water based if I put them in good ziplock storage bags---making sure to get as much air out as possible when zipping closed, my pads stay moist much longer! I also store them upside down. Anonymous
When you buy a new compact make-up, save the little plastic covers that come over the make up, as they make great round see thru windows for your cards. Happy Stamping, Stanna in Alaska :)
Not sure what to do with old Christmas cards? Save the ones with large, unprinted areas for your stamping projects. Many Christmas cards are printed on beautiful card stock. Stamp small to medium images on the card stock, cut the images out, then collage them on blank cards. This is an inexpensive way of acquiring nice paper for your stamp projects. Rebecca
If you need something to occupy "little hands" while you stamp....give them Crayola Changables. The kids can stamp with out inkpads! Color your paper with the main color, then color your stamps with the "changable" clear marker. When they stamp the imagage changes color. Kids love it and it makes a nice backgroud for us big kids! Becci
GREAT way to make textured paper! Spray your normal card stock paper with ""Plasti-Kote Fleck Stone Mult-hue Textured Spray Paint "" and you get this great rough textured paper and the paint comes in lots of colors. There is at least two companies that make this kind of paint I'm not sure what the name of the other one is but most Hardware stores carry one or both kinds. It's a spray paint so it is so easy to use! This is the kind of paint that you can use to make the old clay pots look like something special. Just ask the clerk for the textured spray paint they should be able to point you to it. Twyla
Every now and then when I see my Marvy's are getting ink build up around the edges or in the cap, I clean them off with a wet brush and use the ink to watercolor in a pre stamped and embossed image. This method works well when traveling if you pre emboss several cards before you leave. Then all you need to carry along is the markers, a spray bottle with a top, and a towel. Simply spray some water in the cap, dip your brush and then paint! Clean up is easy as you wipe the top with the towel, spray the brush clean! I teach this in my watercolor class and the customers love learning how to keep their markers clean, and their fingers as well. Since most people do tend to get this built up ink on their fingers! At the same time you are using excess ink that normally would be wasted. Cara
If you buy the pantyhose that comes wrapped around those flat, white, plain pieces of heavier paper, save them!!! They normally have nicely curved corners. Just fold those babies in half and stamp away!!! My daughter and I raided my stuff tonight and came up with some great paper pieces. Annie
If you use dryer sheets!? Get out your Easter egg dye kits. Dye those used sheets and use them in place of expensive mulberry paper. Kids love doing this one too!!! Annie
When embossing I line a pop-case box (from the grocery store) with aluminum foil -- that way the heat from the gun stays in the box and the embossing heats up faster. Gert
I use color box with my make-up wedge for sponging. I find that sponging with pigment ink does not make dark streaking. It's easier to create a softer look. Pam
Store your permanent ink pad in the refrigerator. The permanent ink will not dry out as quickly. Dee
Store your ink pads upside down. That way the ink will be at the top of the pad surface when you are ready to use it. Dee
Use freezer paper or heat-n-bond to fuse crumpled tissue paper that has been stamped on to colored cardstock. The color will show through the stamped tissue paper to make a nice textured cardstock surface. Sandy
Get yourself a cutting blade that can break away. Olfa is one company that makes these blades. It has several diagonal grooves along the entire blade. When the tip of the blade becomes dull, you can easily break away the tip at the diagonal groove to have a new sharp cutting tip. Ryan
You may use coloring pens to create a water-colored look. Color on plastic (small plastic palettes used for painting works well) with your water-based pens. Drop a few drops of water on the colored plastic. Mix and use a paint brush to color your stamped image. The more water you use, the lighter the color will be. Bev
Organize a stamp swap. This would be a good way of trading or getting some money for your unwanted and used stamps. Annette
If the "gum" on envelopes get stuck, put the envelope in the freezer and the stuck envelope flap will "pop" open. Doris
When cutting with an exacto knife, it is better to use a piece of glass rather than a cutting mat as the glass will make the exacto glide more easily. Also it will not dull the exacto as fast as a cutting mat. anonymous
Instead of cutting mulberry paper you can wet it then tear it. It makes a nice effect. "MadStamper"
When embossing, wrap a piece of cardboard with aluminum foil and put the card you are going to emboss on it and heat with heat gun. It heats embossing powder ten times faster. anonymous
If your new stamps don't "hold on" to the ink well and your stamped images look "spotty" due to the lack on ink coverage on the rubber, lightly sand the surface on the rubber with fine sand paper. That should help the rubber "grab on" to the ink! Joan
Save your "damaged" paint brushes! Use them with ink pads to create an interesting variation of sponging or blitzing. Just dab the ink on the bristles and tap it on your paper. Ann
Solvent-based RS Cleaner in the dabber top bottle is a wonderful product to have around. Not only can it be used for cleaning permanent, fabric, and pigment inks off your rubberstamps - I also use it to clean each of my new mounted rubberstamps! This removes any manufacturing and handling residues and oils - Makes for a better stamped image! Suzanne aka GIZMO
Cut a shape out of scratch paper. Save both the cut out shape and the left-over scratch paper to use as masks to create a scenery within a "window." Julie
Recycle old magazines by using the pages with nice scenery and your envelope template to make fancy envelopes. Shawn
Trimming off the edges of a make-up wedge (making the edges "rounder") helps eliminate unwanted "lines" in sponging. Shawn
Create your own stencils by cutting your designs out on thin acetate sheets. Works great with clouds by cutting out "bumpy" curves. Also try punching out various shapes on acetate by using Craft Punches. Then sponge away! Susan
Use alcohol free baby wipes to clean your stamps. Cynthia
To avoid the bleeding of stamped images when coloring with pens, mix the types of ink used for the ink pad and pens. ( i.e. - Use a permanent or dye-based ink pad with water-base coloring pens. Use a water-base ink pad with permanent coloring pens. ) Sandra
To make your own size matchbook favor: (1) Draw width of matchbook slightly wider than the width of the candy. (2) Draw the height of the matchbook slightly taller than the height of the candy. (3) Draw ½ inch flip tab. (4) Score and fold on dashed lines. (5) Stamp matchbook as desired. (6) Secure candy package inside matchbook by stapling the candy into the flip tab. Sandra

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