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Hi ladies, I need some advice on using background stamps. I have a few large background stamps and I would like to purchase "Word by Word" but I find when I stamp with these large stamps that I cannot get a complete impression of the stamp, no matter how hard I try. The stamp is well inked but I cannot seem to get the entire stamp to show up ... usually the middle of it is missing ... do you know what I mean, am I explaining myself okay? I just need to know how to get a good impression of the entire stamp, so that I am not missing parts of it. I cannot press any harder on the stamp. I see in the gallery that you ladies have wonderful cards made with background stamps and I'm hoping you will share some tips with me! Obviously I am not doing something right! Any tips would be appreciated!
The most important thing is to place the BG stamp upside down (wood on the table, rubber facing up). Then put your cardstock on top and a scrap paper on top of that. Then rub it really well with your hand or a brayer. You should get really good coverage that way.
Thicker inks also produce a great image...try chalk ink or craft ink.
I actually hate that way of doing it. I have found that the type of table you are stamping on makes a huge difference. If it is a softer table (like the ones you get at costco - the folding ones...) it will miss parts. What I have done is taken an older wooden cutting board and I put my cs on that and then stamp (rubber side down) onto the cs. I also sit on it sometimes to make sure it is even. I have had excellent luck with this. My board got pretty inky and now I lay a piece of typing paper on it before I stamp just so I dont' accidentally get old ink on the back of my cs. That's my tip!
I do the filp the stamp upside down technique, but you do have to becareful with certain stamps. My Fine Lace will move slightly if I use the brayer, so I get a fuzzy double stamp, I usually use my hand on that one. But most of the others I can brayer and it looks really nice.
The other thing people suggest is to use your brayer to ink your stamp. That should insure full ink coverage.
Another thing I've heard of is putting a sheet of fun foam under the cardstock you are stamping and then stamping rubberside down. I don't have any background stamps (yet) to test it out on but you might want to give it a try. BTW I had a good laugh at the butt stamping technique too!
Cheryl
For most of my backgrounds, especially Canvas, I use the rubber-side-up technique. But for all my other stamps, I use a big piece of fun foam on my workspace. I get perfect coverage every time!
If a more solid table gets a better image, how does using fun foam accomplish the same thing. Isn't that stuff kind of spongy? I'm thinking the butt stamping technique needs a trial run!
I actually hate that way of doing it. I have found that the type of table you are stamping on makes a huge difference. If it is a softer table (like the ones you get at costco - the folding ones...) it will miss parts. What I have done is taken an older wooden cutting board and I put my cs on that and then stamp (rubber side down) onto the cs. I also sit on it sometimes to make sure it is even. I have had excellent luck with this. My board got pretty inky and now I lay a piece of typing paper on it before I stamp just so I dont' accidentally get old ink on the back of my cs. That's my tip!
I agree with this and also... ink your stamp with a brayer...it helps spread the ink even all over the stamp.
Jenga blocks is that game where you stack a whole bunch of blocks up in a column and then each person playing pulls out one block at a time without letting the whole thing fall to pieces.
I like using the rubber side up technique for full coverage. Instead of the brayer I have one of those mini rolling pins from pampered chef that has a wooden roller on both ends. I use it for folding my card stock too! My GF found another one at a discount store for $4 and snapped it right up. Works great because it is a harder surface than the brayer. I have to be careful when I roll though because if I don't hold the cardstock steady then I get the double image when it shifts just a bit. But if you keep that in mind it works every time. No if, ands, or butts about it!
For the fun foam stuff I used it for stamping to have under my cs to get a better coverage. I don't have any background stamps so I don't know how it worked for that but I also tried using my mouse pad and find that the mouse pad does a little better job. I don't know why maybe the mouse pad is a little thicker?
Just my input in this.
I like hearing ways that others have tried so when I am in that situation I know what to do. I don't know about the butt thing though.
They should have a stamp that says "Butt stamped just for you!"
Background stamps
