Decorative Rubber Stamps

Card making is closely related to scrapbooking in such a way that there is no limit to creativity. You can easily apply certain scrapbooking techniques to card making and produce great results. You may even think of unique methods that is uniquely yours. With some spare materials from your scrapbooking kit, it would be easy to come up with a card that will surely bring joy to the people you are sending them to. Scrapbook card making is a good way to send greetings to family and friends regardless of whether or not there is a special occasion.

Greeting cards are fairly easy to make. Add personality and uniqueness in making cards with a little more time and effort in making them using some ideas for scrapbook making. Some methods you can try include:

The use of rubber stamps is common in making scrapbooks and the ease of using them makes them easily applicable in scrapbook card making. Choose two or three interesting rubber stamp designs and add attractive impressions to your greeting cards. Stamp away in strategic places and come up with an original card design. You may even color the stamped images using markers. Rubber stamped images may also be embossed using special ink and thermal heat.

What could be a better way to come up with a scrapbook style card than with the addition of little embellishments? There are plenty of ways to dress up an ordinary greeting card using trims, ribbons, buttons, and many other things. You may put embellishments in front of the card, in the inside, or both. A single embellishment would be enough to make a tastefully designed card.

For birthday, anniversary, or Christmas cards, you may create a peek-a-boo window in front of a folded card with a direct view to a pasted photograph on the inside. Your card recipient will surely appreciate the sentimentality and the effort you put in making your scrapbook style card. Feel free to add creative titles and text and your card is sure to become a treasured keepsake.

Stitching is a common practice in scrapbook card making and is one of the most versatile, too. There are several ways to stitch embellishments such as buttons or ribbons to add an artistic touch to greeting cards. You may add stitched borders using your hand or a sewing machine. Use colorful threads, yarns, or ribbons to create flowers, patterns, and other designs.

Shaker box cards come with more texture and depth than ordinary ones. To create a shaker box, you need two sheets attach two sheets of transparency together and fill it with glitter, punches, and colorful paper craps in various shapes and sizes. Adding a small-sized shaker box in front of a card is sure to jazz it up. The shapes you put inside may be related to the occasion. You may put hearts, birthday hats, snow patterns, and so on, to make the shaker box more enticing.

Speedball Art Products have been around for quite a long time that when you buy art supplies from them, you can be sure of the quality of the materials you are getting. The famous Speedball dip pens were introduced in the market in 1899. The company has since expanded to supplying various art products to students, teachers, hobbyists and professionals. It has undergone a handful of administration while staying true to the commitment and dedication of late founder C. Howard Hunt to producing only the best quality products.

Apart from generations’ worth of knowledge and skill in product development and manufacturing, Speedball Art Products attributes the success of the brand to the people that make up the corporation. Passion, dedication, commitment, experience, and dependability are just a few of the traits the company prides in its staff and associates.

Speedball has indeed gone way beyond manufacturing quality pens although Speedball pens continue to be regarded as top of the line. It now offers its own unique product lines for screen and block printing, acrylic paints, and watercolor palettes. Well-loved Speedball art products also include Speedy Stamp and the Speedy Kids collection. It is apparent that despite of the company’s rich history that spans over 30 years, it keeps up with modern trends and concepts to continue satisfying its growing customer base.

Beginner and experienced artists and crafters are sure to be pleased with what Speedball has to offer. Products are carefully studied and planned prior to manufacture; and are designed with utmost regard for their intended application. Speedball also offers oil-based block printing inks, linoleum cutters, speedy-carve block, soft rubber brayers, and an assortment of inks.

Rubber stampers who would like to create their own stamp designs can surely make good use of Speedball Art Products’ Speedy-Cut Carving Block and its range of carving products that include Speedy-Carve (formerly known as Speedy Stamp) and some other tools and accessories. Speedball offers different sized carving blocks and the Speedy-Cut Carving Block falls somewhere between the Speedy-Carve and Speedball Lino carving blocks.

The Speedy-Cut Carving Block is great for beginners. It is relatively less expensive than other carving blocks. You can achieve detailed impressions and buy them in larger sizes. You might also want to try Speedy-Carve, which, although more expensive, is of better quality.

Speedball’s Printmaster Paper is a sought-after block printing paper among accomplished printers and stampers. It disappeared in the market for some time and was re-introduced due to high demand. Printmaster comes in different sizes: 9″ x 12″, 12″ x 18″, and 18″ x 24″.

Rubber brayers come in handy in rubber stamping, making greeting cards, mounting, photography, printmaking, home decorating, making memory albums, and all sorts of art projects. Speedball rubber brayers are of supreme quality and affordable, too. The hard synthetic rollers rubber brayers are mounted on plastic frames that are easy to handle. They are interchangeable for when you need to apply other techniques, and detachable for easy cleaning.

Speedball Art Products are carried by major hobby and craft stores nationwide. By visiting SpeedballArt.com, you can locate stores nearest you from which you can purchase the supplies you need. Products may be bought directly on the website, where you may enjoy “flipping” through an e-catalogue. You may also look for discounted materials on e-commerce sites like MisterArt.com, Store.Scrapbook.com, and ArtPurveyors.com.

Rubber stamping on fabric is not an entirely new idea but more products such as specialty fabric ink pads and stamps are being introduced, thus, helping stampers develop more techniques and improve the craft even further. One of the best ways to ensure success is of course, by choosing the most suitable stamp fabric. The requirement is actually very basic – most linens, cotton sheets and pillowcases, and even shirts can be imprinted with rubber stamped designs.

Essentially, the best stamp fabric material should be tightly woven and if possible, has no naps. Bleeding is one of the main problems that may occur if the type of fabric you used is not woven tightly enough. Cotton is another top choice. Other fabrics that are suitable for rubber stamping include velvet, velveteen, corduroy, and terry cloth. Before you start stamping, wash and iron the piece of fabric for the fabric ink to stick better.

Fabric stamping is probably the easiest way to accentuate your table napkins, curtains, and even shirts. Painting requires skill and time while printing requires professional work. But with fabric stamping, you can apply the designs as you please with just basic knowledge and some materials, including fabric inks. Stamp fabric inks are easy to find, although it could be said that not all are of the same quality. Choose ones with thicker consistency. You may even have them in different colors. You would also need a heat gun to make the images permanent.

In theory, you can use any rubber stamp to imprint designs on fabric. However, by using regular stamps with fabric ink, which they are not designed for, may damage the stamps. Also, images that are too small and detailed will not look good in fabric stamping. It is best to use large-sized stamps or ones with bold images when you stamp fabric. Hot Potatoes and ZimPrints are top suppliers of rubber stamps specially intended for stamping on fabrics.

Remember to test your stamps on spare fabric before starting on your project. Some practice will prevent you from making costly mistakes. Stamped images on fabrics may be painted over or embossed using embossing powder. Heating the imprints will make them more permanent. It is also recommended that you refrain from washing the piece of fabric for at least two weeks to allow the ink to set.

Fabrics for stamping are readily available in any fabric store near you. Online, Chinese manufacturers offer the cheapest fabrics. You may find many of them found on Amazon.com.

Decorative rubber stamps can be used for stamping scrapbooking. With the various designs and techniques you can apply, there are endless ways to unleash your creativity in scrapbooking. With rubber stamps, you may add color, details, and texture to every page in your scrapbook. Select from a wide range of rubber stamp designs available. You may even have customized designs made. Use an acid-free permanent ink pad to achieve the best results.

There is actually a variety of interesting ways to use decorative rubber stamps on scrapbooks. Refer to the following stamping techniques that you can try out for yourself. Some materials you might want to purchase the next time you go shopping for scrapbooking supplies include a blitzer, a brayer, scissors, embossing powder, and some foam tapes.

The masking technique in stamping scrapbooking paper allows you to stamp various designs on top of each other without affecting the main image. You may apply a mask on designs you intend to position in the foreground. Start by stamping the image on paper. Do the same with another piece of paper and cut this stamped design out just inside the outline. The cut image will be the “mask” and it must be placed on top of the original stamped design while you ink and stamp the designs you prefer to create a background. Use a stamp positioned if you wish.

Embossing gives your rubber stamp designs a raised, dimensional surface. One embossing technique you can use in stamping scrapbooking is through the use of thermal heat. Embossing agents like a powder is used and then heated with a hot air-blowing gun. The first thing you need to do is stamp the design on the paper surface. Use a special embossing ink. Sprinkle powder immediately over the wet ink and shake off excess powder. Use the embossing gun, holding above the image. The design will seem to melt. You may also try using embossing powders that give shiny, glitter, or matte finish.

Introduce some dimension in stamping scrapbooking by trying the layering technique. All you need to do is cut out a stamped image and put it on top of the original design using a “spacer” in the form of foam tapes or accordion-folded strips of paper. A similar method is often seen in greeting cards and children’s books.

Use a blitzer to achieve some sort of airbrush effect around you rubber stamped image. Use high-quality color marker to gain best results. Pump the blitzer bulb with a light and quick squeeze. A mist of color will be blown out as pressure forces air throughout the tip of the marker.

A brayer works in a similar way as a rubber paint roller. Brayers are usually inked to be used to create lines, designs, or patterns in specific areas. There are plenty of things you can do with a brayer. You can use it to apply repetitive patterns, a wash of colors, uniform edges and borders with ink or color markers. Roll the brayer deliberately over the ink pad and apply on paper.

Stamp glue is used for applying glitter and other decorative items on stamped images in scrapbooking and paper crafting. They usually come in pads used the same way as ordinary ink pads are used for stamps. Retailers and wholesalers of scrapbooking supplies online usually have their own respective stamp glue products available. Glue pads are affordable and easy to use. Here are some of the common stamping techniques wherein stamp glue pads come in handy:

Simple images such as flowers and leaves, even lettering, may be stamped in glue and be adorned with glitter in any color or flocking material. All that needs to be done is to press the stamp against the glue pad and make an imprint on the surface of the paper or the card stock. Make sure the entire image was evenly covered with glue. Sprinkle glitter or flocking material while the glue is still wet and shake off any excess. Use a heat gun to let the image dry.

To cover images stamped in glue with chalk or metallic powder, repeat the initial procedure of pressing the stamp against the glue pad and making an imprint on the targeted surface. Use a heat gun over the image until it dries up. Using a cotton ball or a soft brush, rub the chalk or metallic powder onto the glue. You may apply various color combination on the image or text.

You would again need to use the stamp glue pad the same way as the first two techniques. Heat up the image until the glue is tacky and then press the metal leaf onto the ink surface. Lightly rub the metal onto the glue until you have covered the whole impression. Burnish the design to remove excess metal using a stamp scrub pad.

Palette Stamp & Stick Glue, available at CraftWarehouse.com, is a heat activated adhesive solution that comes in clear and black adhesive pads. You may use it to apply glitter, fine pigments, gold leaf, flocking, and chalk powders on stamped images.

Everybody knows who Martha Stewart is. Her crafting supplies line includes the Crafts Glue Pad, available on Scrapbook.com for the discounted price of $5.69. The package comes with a refillable glue pad and a small container of glue.

Also sold on Scrapbook.com, Tsukineko stamp glue pad is designed exclusively for rubber stamper, stencilling, and paper applications. It is great for applying ultra-fine glitter, gold leafing, flocking, and several other stamping techniques. It costs $8.54 on Scrapbook.com.

FranticStamper.com sells glue pads for rubber stamping applications under several brands. Visit the website to view the wide selection available.

One significant factor that determines the overall quality of rubber stamping and scrapbooking in general is the choice of paper you make. Creating clean, precise images goes beyond the quality of the ink and the rubber stamp; paper must also be carefully chosen to ensure quality and long-lasting designs and end products. With the availability of all sorts of paper you can use, how do you choose which ones will work best for your projects?

There are some important things that need to be considered in order to pick the most suitable stamp paper. Among them are the color, weight, and size. Paper and cardstock are now available in a wide spectrum of colors so choosing based on color depends on your taste of the theme of your project. Think about the color of your inks and experiment with stamping on paper of different colors until you get your desired effect.

The weight is an important determinant factor; heavier cardstock make the best choice for rubber stamped greeting cards, for instance. Also, thicker paper makes better material for scrapbooks, especially if you plan to add embellishments. Stamp paper come available in sizes other than the standard 8.5″ x 11″ size. For scrapbooks, you might find that large-size papers can accommodate more photos.

Other aspects you need to look at when shopping for stamp paper include surface finish, absorbency, archival qualities, and whether or not the paper is acid-free. There are hundreds of ways to use rubber stamps and depending on the techniques you plan to apply, you need to choose paper with the most suitable surface finish. For instance, basic stamping techniques may not be suitable for paper with metallic or velvet surfaces.

With regard to absorbency, selecting paper with glossy finishes, for instance, causes ink to dry slower. This could be helpful if you are planning to emboss your stamped images, but if not, settle for quicker absorbing paper. Archival and acid-free properties of paper are main considerations for veteran scrapbook hobbyists. These two characteristics are what makes stamp paper last longer, which is exactly what is needed in making scrapbooks.

Most sellers of rubber stamps and scrapbook supplies offer their own paper products. Some have even introduced background papers that already come with patterns or incorporated with pre-made themes to make work a lot easier for you. AddictedtoRubberStamps.com, Stampin.com, and Scrapbook.com are just a few of the websites you can check out. Local specialty scrapbook stores also make available stamp paper in all colors, sizes, and textures.

Stampabilities rubber stamps are wholesome, heart-warming, colorful, and artistic, among many other things. Made by Crafts, Etc!, the rubber stamps were introduced in the market in 1995. Ever since, the company has come up with over 3,000 rubber stamps that has tickled the fancy of scrapbook makers, paper crafters, and anyone who is into the art of rubber stamping. Some of its licensed products are the well-known House Mouse, Happy Hoppers, PEANUTS, and Gruffies stamp lines.

Stampabilities features several collections of rubber stamps for everyday use. They are organized under several categories as can be seen on the Crafts, Etc! website, CraftsEtcWholesale.com. From this section alone, there are already plenty of choices to last you a lifetime. Popular lines include Animals and Insects, Asian, Baby, Birthday, Backgrounds, Flowers and Nature, Inspirational, Journaling, Kitchen and Home, Music, Patriotic, People and Fashion, Christmas and Winter, and several other stamps for special occasions. You can just imagine why crafters keep coming back to get more Stampabilities rubber stamps.

The House Mouse line is one of the reasons why Stampabilities rubber stamps continue to grow more popular despite having been around for quite some time. No one can resist these fuzzy creatures in cute poses bearing messages for all occasions. Just like all stamps sold by Crafts, Etc!, the House Mouse rubber stamps are mounted on the finest maple wood and made of top quality pink rubber and gray cushion. Designs are printed on the top side for easier use. House Mouse stamps for all occasions and of the most popular themes are sold individually.

Stampabilities is a licensed maker of PEANUTS rubber stamps. Snoopy and the gang are sure to make your scrapbooks, greeting cards, and crafts nostalgic and even more lovable. There are PEANUTS rubber stamps for birthdays and special holidays. You may also choose from Stampabilities stamps bearing your favorite character from the classic comic book series. The stamps may be bought individually but there are also stamp kits available at affordable prices.

If you find bears irresistible, then you should take a look at Stampabilities’ Gruffies collection of rubber stamps. You are sure to find grizzly and panda bears adorable in images showing them on picnics by the beach, sleeping on a hammock, riding a bike, driving a car, hanging clothes out to dry, playing the piano, ice skating, soaking in the tub, simply fooling around, and doing several other antics. If your kids have shown interest in rubber stamping and paper crafting, then introducing them to the Gruffies will surely get them more excited.

Sign up for membership at CraftEtcWholesale.com and start shopping from all the adorable stamps up for grabs. The online shop also makes available unmounted stamps. You may also find Stampabilities rubber stamps for sale at websites like Amazon.com, House-Mouse.com, and 123Stitch.com.

Stampendous Inc. is one of the leaders in the crafting supplies industry, providing quality stickers, accessories, and rubber stamps for many years. People who have been crafting for sometime realize the value of Stampendous products and would give high regard to them as crafting essentials. Stampendous stamps are among the company’s products high in demand. The company makes rubber stamps and their own line of clear stamps.

The Stampendous ink lines of stamps are diverse, creative, and unique. Try purchasing your very first stamp from Stampendous Inc. and you will eventually find yourself wanting more. You will not be disappointed because there is a Stampendous stamp for everybody and for all occasions. The company offers a wide range of Stampendous stamps for the enjoyment of crafters of all ages. Whether you are using stamps for cards or scrapbooks, you are sure to be getting great quality and value for your money with Stampendous Inc.

Along with their adorable stamps, Stampendous Inc. makes available all the accessories you need for applying all sorts of stamping techniques to level up your paper craft projects. Cards in interesting shapes, vellum envelopes to complement your artwork, pearl embossing powders, high-quality stickers, and cube stamps for creating backgrounds are just a few of Stampendous Inc.’s most popular product offerings.

Rubber stamps by Stampendous come mounted on wood. High-grade premium gray rubber is used in the traditional wood mounts with the designs deeply etched and precisely trimmed. An actual-sized image of the impression is printed on top to aid stampers with positioning. There are themes for special occasions, friendship, kids and teens, sentiments, invitations, and so much more. Wood-mounted stamps can be availed in sets of related designs.

Cling Rubber is Stampendous’ line rubber stamps designed for use with acrylic handles in different sizes, which are available for purchase from the company. The same precision as applied on the creation of wood-mounted stamps is apparent to Cling Rubber stamps. The wood is removed and the image is attached to a foam mount with an indexed cling vinyl.

Clear stamps are used by crafters who wish to add more detail and precision to their stamping projects. Stampendous has introduced its own line of clear stamps with its Perfectly Clear line, which boasts of the most creative and interesting designs for all occasions. Perfectly Clear stamps are made using premium photopolymer images taken from the exclusive artwork of Fran Seiford, the owner and CEO of Stampendous Inc. Each set comes complete with images crafters can use for their backgrounds, focal point, and greetings. To use Perfectly Clear stamps, users need only peel the protective sheet at the back of each design and mount on acrylic handles.

Visit Stampendous.com to find a complete catalogue of product lines and designs. The range of Stampendous stamps and products available is so vast you can only expect to find something for all your stamping needs. Stampendous distributes stamps and other crafting supplies in several supplies stores across the US. Use the website’s store locator to find the shop nearest you where you can directly buy stamps by Stampendous.

Tips and Tricks – Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist

The popularity of Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist continues to grow in scrapbooking and craft circles. Glimmer Mist is a water-based dyed liquid that comes in various colors and a fine shimmer. It is acid-free and archival safe, which makes it ideal for use in scrapbooks. The collection of colors is vast, making it a versatile tool by which scrapbooking enthusiasts and hobbyists can apply endless possibilities. Read on for some useful tips on how to make the most out of this amazing Tattered Angels product.

It would be very rewarding to gather as many Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist color. A page will look great if you use a combination of colors instead of just one. Spray multiple times to create a colorful background for a scrapbook page. Remember to test the spray to get the best effect.

Shake the bottle each time before using to mix the shimmer well with the rest of the liquid. Shaking also prevents clogging the sprayer. Glimmer Mist can be applied for a raindrop-type or a pooling, watercolor effect. When spraying, hold the bottle at about 12″ away from the covered or protected surface and spray with a swift movement across. You may project in small quantities by only pushing half-way. Create fine mist by placing the page on a mat. Let the beginning of the spray fall on the mat so that large color spots or heavy droplets do not fall directly upon the page. The tail end of the spray would create a fine and evenly distributed mist effect. You may repeat the spraying process if you want a more solid background.

For a watercolor effect, apply a variety of colors at close range. Take a paper towel and pat down gently across the surface, starting from the inside to the edges. You will have achieved the effect after you take off the excess moisture. For a blended affect, use three colors ranging from light to dark. Spray the lightest across the top portion, the medium color across the middle, and the dark color across the bottom. Using a paper towel, wipe the edges of the lightest color slightly toward the medium hue and do the same for the medium and dark color, using a fresh paper towel.

Apply Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist onto a sponge and use the sponge to dab the page. You can achieve various effects depending on how much Glimmer Mist you applied to the sponge. Layering colors can result in faux stone, leather, or a worn look effect. You may also add texture using paint brushes. Using a fan-shaped dry brush is one way to apply texture.

Tattered Angels has been instrumental in adding glimmer and glaze to scrapbooks for years. Apart from Glimmer Mist, its expansive catalogue also includes Glimmer Chips, Glimmer Chalks, Glimmer Glaze, and Glimmer Glass on top of albums, kits, and other supplies. You may buy directly from the website, MyTatteredAngels.com. Register for free and start shopping. The website also provides tips and other useful information for scrapbook makers.

Impart the spirit of thanksgiving to friends and family with homemade Thanksgiving greeting cards. Express your heartfelt thanks to your loved ones by sending cards that you put some time and effort to create. Although people don’t normally send out cards on Thanksgiving, there is no reason why you could not. Designing and making your own cards is a fun and rewarding activity that you can even do with your kids.

Start working on those Thanksgiving greeting cards early so you can send them right away when the time comes. Here are some steps and ideas on how to get started:

Prepare your materials. Aside from basic art supplies, you can make use of several other materials and supplies such as rubber stamps, stencils, stickers, ribbons, and embellishments that can be purchased in your local scrapbooking or crafts store. You might be surprised at the wonderful things you can find in bookstores and even Wal-Mart.

Buy paper or cardstock. It is up to you on whether you are going to use card stock or paper materials for your Thanksgiving greeting cards. Card stocks are preferable if you plan to mount embellishments and would much prefer something longer lasting. Paper and card stocks come in a variety of colors. For Thanksgiving themes, the usual colors of choice are the warm colors of autumn including shades of orange, green, yellow, and brown.

Get rubber stamps. If you are not too confident about your drawing skills, using decorative rubber stamps is a quick and more manageable way to put image impressions on your card. Shop for stamps in various designs, including turkeys, fall leaves, pumpkins, and trees. There are even stamps that say “Happy Thanksgiving!” Get ink pads in black or other colors and you are ready to stamp away. Clear stamps are also a good option. They are cheaper and easier to apply.

Prepare the cardstock. Choose two colors for each greeting card you are making. Choose one dark and one light color. Pick which color will be the main card and fold it in two. The other piece of cardstock or paper should be cut across the edges so that you achieve a border effect when you glue it on top of the main card. The smaller piece of paper or card stock will be the inside of the card. Use decorative scissors for a more artistic effect.

Start decorating your Thanksgiving card. The best ideas can only come from you. Think of all the things you could use and designs you can apply to your Thanksgiving greeting cards. You can come up with two or three designs to add some variety. If you can afford it, you can make each card unique. Use markers, stamps, stencils, beads, photos, or paintings – anything at all you feel like using – to decorate the front of the card and print your greetings on the inside.