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I am looking to but a few background stamps. I want one(s) that are versatile and that I can use to make different types of cards (e.g, birthday, thank you's, just because, etc.). What are some your favorites by name and brand?
It would look nice stamped in a light color and stamped again with flowers or a stamped image on a separate piece of card stock layered on top. I think it would be suitable for sympathy, birthday, anniversary, wedding, thinking of you...pretty much everything
Some other good ones i think would be good to have are
a splattered/dotty BG
a wood BG
a brick BG
something with a geometric pattern
and one with flourishes.
__________________ Shellie G
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Last edited by UnderstandBlue; 08-30-2017 at 09:15 AM..
It would be better for me to say this:
Dont make the mistake I did. Be very sure you know the dimension of the "background" stamp. I have more than once been fooled and received something like 3 x 4 or even smaller. Maybe I can use it that way, but I prefer large stamps that can cover an A2 front.
To which end-look at Impression Obsession's 6 x 6 collection (or any other brands').
The other thing-pay attention to the scale of the pattern. Depending on your taste-some are bigger and some smaller.
Stripes (vertical-you can always turn it to make it diagonal), snowflakes, small leaves, polka dots, plaid, and flourish are all good multi purpose patterns to me.
I like things like brick, waves, clouds, cloth, rain, branches, etc.
Concord and 9th have released these interesting ones that you rotate a quarter turn again and again to build a full background.
The nice thing about good BG stamps is you can make your own DP...ie: why buy striped if you can just make it? So maybe look at your DP stash for what patterns you are drawn to. Esp now with the stamping platforms which makes it so much easier to use multiple colors with successive stamping. ie alternation colors like green and red for Christmas. shades of pink or blue for baby cards, etc.
I like Impression Obsession and some of the SSS ones. I made a mistake on a striped background stamp. The stripes were spaced out really wide and it looked bad.
Another vote for the large IO ones, although the script one is too large and loose for my taste, also the music score. But much-used favourites include flourishes, woodgrain, map, gingham, greenery, and a smaller one that's as close as I could get to SU's old Sanded. The pine needles one is great for Christmas.
I would also have said Impression Obsession's 6x6 range - they call them Cover-a-Card. My backgrounds of that size are actually old Cornish Heritage Farms ones but I think they're even more useful than "backgrounders" because they cover a bigger variety of card sizes - if you want to make 5", 5.5" or even 6" square cards, you can still stamp a backround for the whole thing without thinking about joins!
There are some great "abstract" patterns in the IO range that could be put to all sorts of uses as well as some of the things already mention (wood, brick etc). There are 310 results under Cover-a-Card on the IO web site (here) so I'm sure you'll find things that appeal!
I agree with Wavejumper about thinking about the scale of the pattern as well as the size of the stamp overall.
Don't forget the option of DIY backgrounds too - if you have small motif stamps (or even words), you could stamp repeatedly to make a pattern on your cardstock. Tone-on-tone can be really effective if you do this.
Good suggestions already, but I'll throw out one more. Stampin' Up! has a new one called "Marbled". It didn't do much for me in the catalog, but I got to try it at a friend's house, and immediately fell in love. I've since bought and used it a few times, including at a class where lots of other people put it on their "must have" list. It produces gorgeous results in person.
(I used it on a blue dragonfly card recently - you can see it in my gallery, or on my blog.)
And I'll second the Watercolor Wash stamp - also useful for lots of different effects.
__________________ ~ Kitty ~ "If you can dream it, you can do it." - Walt Disney
So much good advice here! It made me think about how I use my bg stamps. I am not big on dp in general so though I occasionally stamp a full bg piece, I tend to use mine in layered stamping or as accents. I am pretty sure all of mine are retired SU-I love Canvas and Sanded for adding a really subtle texture, Woodgrain or Weathered for not so subtle. I use my 3 script stamps a lot. I also reach for the dotted and stripes usually with Versamark for tone on tone bg's. I use Canvas for the stamp kissing technique too.Another thing to think about is ypur embossing folders. They can be inked before embossing, sponged after or used to stamp great backgrounds.
Speaking of embossing folders , you can run thin foam thru them to create background stamps. I tend to leave them in the folder with a book on top for a while afterwards to ensure the pattern doesn't dissappear.
You will get more of a tonal effect usually with both high and low areas showing up when stamped but can be a very cool look.
I had to laugh at your post Sabrina! That script IO stamp, as you know, is one I use incessantly. I keep waiting for the Stamp Police to come take it away from me under the Enough Already statute. ;)!
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Last edited by Rachelrose; 08-27-2017 at 07:17 AM..
I love all my SU backgrounds stamps from the past 15 years - there are a few I've donated or sold that are just outdated, but for the most part, I love most of them. They are definitely my main go to. I also have a bunch of Impression Obsession background stamps - love love love those. But I just recently got into My Favorite Things background stamps. Even Taylored Expressions has some good ones. Take a peek when you get a chance at those!
Some of my favorites are from My Favorite Things. The Etched Flower Background is one I turn to a lot: BG Etched Flower Background. It looks beautiful embossed on vellum or just peeking out from behind another panel.
I like Impression Obsession and some of the SSS ones. I made a mistake on a striped background stamp. The stripes were spaced out really wide and it looked bad.
Hi Maryalena, where did you purchase that striped background stamp that was spaced too wide?
I've had my eye on the SSS stripe background stamp precisely because it has wide stripes (hard to find) is on cling rubber, 6"x6" and indexed (added yummy). I've been waiting for a sale to place my order (there are a few other background stamps I am drooling over). I'm curious if this is the one you bought that's too wide? If so, is it too wide for an A2 card? I have a singular wide stripe stamp (about 3/4" wide), but it has to be repeatedly stamped to get the look I'm after. I've used the Tim Holtz/Tonic Stamp Platform with the single stripe to achieve a background (moving the card every inch) and it came out great, but I wanted a faster way. I have other stripe background stamps, but they are all skinny. It's the wide stripe background I'm looking for.
Some of the older BIG Stampin' Up! Backgrounds are really versatile and fun to use. I have used my canvas and sanded stamps more times that I can count!
I'm with mamaxsix all the way. The subtle, textured or nature BG stamps are the ones I turn to. The canvas one can be made to look very elegant by stamping it in either silver or gold metallic or clear emboss. Stamped to resemble canvas can make masculine cards easier. I also like the script background which can be made to look vintage, romantic or very feminine.
Agree! My Favorite Things Cheesecloth is a favorite, in the burlap genre, and Romantic Script has a small font. I agree with Fifiwesfan that Hero Arts Pearl Strings is great.
My all time fave is Simon Say Stamp Circle Doodle, though it can take center stage. I've heat embossed it onto heat-resistant clear acetate and attached it to cardstock and it's pretty and kind of elegant. But it also can be funky and bold. I just used it in a challenge this week. : )
Large separate stripes of different widths are great for building backgrounds. Waffle Flower's Pattern Play has plain and patterns, and SSS Jumbo stripes vary from extremely narrow to really wide. I've used those two sets together.
I also have a contemporary leaf pattern that's great and fish, but don't know whose they are. I also have Paw Prints by MFT. I'll search if necessary. Or if anyone wants links to any of them, yell.
My apologies if this has been mentioned, but keeping the background stamp on the table and pressing paper to it works well.
And you don't have to use them to cover a large background; pressing a small piece of cardstock onto them works too. In an inchy/twinchy swap here, 2"x2" matboard squares were pressed against one of mine and heat embossed using two different colors of embossing powder per square.
Love my BG stamps, some more than others. I love my diagonal stripe BG from MFT, but others may carry one similar and another vote for SSS Circle Doodle. I love SU too, but they are not 6x6 and mine are still wood mounted, where I prefer to use my MISTI so I can repeat stamp to get a great image.
I don't actually think the IO ones stamp to a full 6" square. I keep meaning to check the site and see how they are described. My bulk-buy square cards are 5 3/4", and the stamps don't quite cover them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Angelnorth
I would also have said Impression Obsession's 6x6 range - they call them Cover-a-Card. My backgrounds of that size are actually old Cornish Heritage Farms ones but I think they're even more useful than "backgrounders" because they cover a bigger variety of card sizes - if you want to make 5", 5.5" or even 6" square cards, you can still stamp a backround for the whole thing without thinking about joins!
There are some great "abstract" patterns in the IO range that could be put to all sorts of uses as well as some of the things already mention (wood, brick etc). There are 310 results under Cover-a-Card on the IO web site (here) so I'm sure you'll find things that appeal!
I agree with Wavejumper about thinking about the scale of the pattern as well as the size of the stamp overall.
Don't forget the option of DIY backgrounds too - if you have small motif stamps (or even words), you could stamp repeatedly to make a pattern on your cardstock. Tone-on-tone can be really effective if you do this.
I don't actually think the IO ones stamp to a full 6" square. I keep meaning to check the site and see how they are described. My bulk-buy square cards are 5 3/4", and the stamps don't quite cover them.
Their Cover-A-Card stamps are 5-3/4x5-3/4 in order to easily cover U.S. A2 cards - 5.5 x 4.25 - so might work. I'll cut a piece of paper or measure out a 5-3/4 square to check and report back. (At least I think I have IO! If not maybe someone else can.)
ETA I'm wrong. I have some that are 4-1/2 x 5-3/4 by JustRite, again with ample coverage for an A2 card. But my others are Hero Arts, SSS, Echo Park, My Favorite Things and two mystery ones - that I just figured out: also Hero Arts.
Beth
I don't actually think the IO ones stamp to a full 6" square. I keep meaning to check the site and see how they are described. My bulk-buy square cards are 5 3/4", and the stamps don't quite cover them.
That's interesting - I'd seen them described as 6" square. As I said, I'd seen them as the nearest equivalent to my old CHF Scrapblocks based on the description rather than having any on hand to measure. Stamping to 5.5" square is still pretty useful and flexible though.
They're described on the site as 5 3/4" square, yes. But I think that refers to the cut size of the rubber stamp...the actual image doesn't quite fill my standard card size, hence the reason I so often add an acrylic paint border to save matting and layering.
And oh dear, I see there's a whole new release of them since I last looked.
It's odd - some background stamps go all the way to the edges - even when the picture shows a narrow open border between the carved area and the edge. But others do have that empty border.
Background Stamps
