Large and unhandy, they just aren't as fun to stamp with as some of my smaller images. It's hard to get good image quality because you don't know if they're inked completely. I can't get my image stamped straight, it just won't line up on my paper. My stamp isn't large enough for the card so it looks funny with white edges. All common complaints I hear about background stamps
Well....Dig em out! It's time to start using them again!!
Here are 5 tips for making them easier to use:
*Instead of taking the stamp to the ink pad, bring the ink to the stamp. Don’t try to ink up these types of stamps as you would a normal sized stamp. Instead, place the background stamp on your work surface and pick up your ink pad instead. This is a much more efficient way to ensure the entire image is covered with ink rather than finding it out after you‘ve already tried stamping the image.
*Stamp more of the background than you think you will need or stamp off the edges of the paper. By doing so it will add a certain flow to the back ground and give natural look that you just won’t get other wise. This will also erase any mistakes caused by a stamp that wasn’t properly aligned or missed the mark.
*Edge your stamped background with black ink or the same color of ink that you used to stamp the background. It will soften harsh edges and give it a finished professional look. Try the Ink Blending Tool - it will also help erase any misaligned images by covering those mistakes up with ink ;)
*Try mounting your background stamped papers with a piece of black, white or complimentary colored cardstock. This will really help your background piece pop!
*Clean background stamps in the same manner as inking.
Now, it's time to go and dig those stamps out and fall in love with them all over again!!
Oh yes...those background stamps can really be difficult, all right! I've found that making sure I stamp on a thick foam mat is the best way to ensure that my image is completely stamped. Either that, or put it upside down on my table and putting the paper on top of the inked stamp side....and then either brayering, or using my fingers to smooth it down. Before I started doing this, I would end up with an unstamped center on my images....no fun at all!
ReplyDeleteKaren
I've always inked my background stamps by turning them upside like you described. I knew I didn't have the patience to deal with unstamped centers! Cool idea about inking the edges in the same color to soften the edges. I will have to try that.
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