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So I adore stamping. I got a massive box of wood-mounted stamps for Christmas, and I've had loads of clear stamps in magazines, plus assorted stamps from freecycle, in kits etc, mystery boxes.
My problem is that half the time I don't use them because I get hand tremors a lot. I generally don't get a warning, and the number of times it has happened mid-stamp is verging on ridiculous. Completely messes up the image. I want to be able to stamp more though, I was recently given loads of embossing powders which I adore, and I want to be able to produce better images, and maybe find a way past the hand tremor issue? Long shot, I know.
How can I get clean images first try, what's the best paper to use, ink etc. Colouring tends to be really flat too, I only have colouring pencils and acrylic paints due to money issues - UK disability benefits is NOT enough to live on, and I rarely get to treat myself to card-y/stampy stuff. :( So much stuff, giong to waste because I can't buy it. And you know what's worse? A friend wante to start scrapbooking, and her stuff is sitting un-opened on her shelf because it's too pretty! *whimpers* :p
You could try a Fiskar stamp press like this: Fiskar Compact Stamp Press, 8.25X6.25: Crafts : Walmart.com . It might help with getting a clear image. You could not use it with wood mounted stamps but works great with clear and cling stamps. With this tool you place your stamp on the underside, place it over the area you want your image and just push down. This should help with the hand tremor issue.
I agree with the Fiskars Stamp Press. I have the small one (there's a large one too) because I did not want to buy/store lots of acrylic blocks.
For the flat coloring, are you blending the pencils (I use Gamsol, some use baby oil)? There are threads that will have tips and techniques. I'll try to come back and post links (but probably not today).
If you're heat embossing with embossing powder you'll need an ink that dries slowly (pigment aka craft vs. dye aka Classic; VersaMark which is a clear, watermark ink; Brilliance). If you choose VersaMark, you'll need colored embossing powder (EP). If you choose other inks you can get by with just clear EP + you'll have colored ink for the times you don't emboss. However, EP is probably a little cheaper than ink so you'll have to figure out what works best for you.
Have you tried laying the stamp on your surface, inked rubber side up, and then laying your cardstock onto it? If you have an acrylic block, you can lay that on top, press down for a good overall pressure. Lots of people use this method, especially for larger stamps, and it should work well for you.
Over here, a lot of people swear by Neenah cardstock( available from Crafters Companion, amongst others. Also Letraset Bleedproof paper. Try a search on You Tube for videos re colouring with pencils'acrylics- there seems to be a video for everything, lol! Also, maybe Sheena Douglas's site- she does a lot with Acrylics, I believe. Also, have a look at Tim Holtz videos on his Distress Paints- they are only acrylics, after all. You can do the same things, just by watering down your acrylic paints. Thats what I've done. I love his stuff, but he gets enough of my hard earned cash as it is!
If the embossing powders you've been given are coloured/opaque then you'll probably find that rubbing over your paper with an antistatic bag before you start will help enormously to keep down stray flecks that show up where you don't want them. It can happen with clear powder too but it tends not to be quite as obvious when it happens as it does with coloured powders! Send me a pm with your address and I'll sort you out with one of those if you don't have one.
What kind of pencils do you have? As Tina says, if they're the right kind of pencil, blending with something like odourless mineral spirit is a fun way to jazz up colouring with those (the most common brand here is Sansodor whereas our US cousins often use the Gamsol brand). Many blendable types will actually blend without a solvent too, you can just use blending stumps/tortillons. The colour won't move as much as it does with OMS but it will move so you can blend out edges and make smoother transitions between colours.
The Fiskars stamp press sounds like a great idea. If you try it and find it solves your issue, you may be able to "adapt" those wood-mount stamps to use with it by simply unmouting them if you're prepared to do that. There's loads of advice here on SCS about how to go about it and how to make the rubber cling to a mount afterwards.
I'd agree with Shaz's idea of trying the stamp face up on the desk too - I do that with background stamps just about every time I use one and it works well. I just smooth over the cardstock with the flat of my hand, I don't use a block or anything. Because the cardstock is sticking to the face of the stamp, I suspect that if your hand does suffer a tremor halfway through it's less likely to cause an issue.
Tips for achieving good images?
