New, Fresh Ways to Use Your Stamps

This is the first in an ongoing series of tutorials by the Scrapbooking from the Inside Out Design Team using our kits...this one is all about fresh ways to use all those stamps in your stash and from our kits...there's a stamp in every kit...thanks for these great ideas to the talented and adorable Andrea Davenport!

And here's the current yummy kit of goodies which she used to create ALL these great embellishments and designs! Buy yours here!




Making the most of your stamps
by Andrea Davenport













Just some different techniques to give your stamps new life, and keep your creating fresh!

Technique One - Create a background:



The best part about this technique is that it really can work with any stamp. While using the stamp that came with the SFTIO November Generosity kit, I was able to create a pattern that I knew I would love. Even if it came out a little choppy, I like the element of distress that it has.











Technique Two - Glossing:



For this technique, I used a basic archival ink with my stamp. After it had dried completely, I used a gloss gel to give it a shiny coat. When you use the gloss, be careful-use a smooth, even layer so that you don’t get any air bubbles. Put it aside overnight and in the morning, you have a super slick stamped image.










Technique Three - Stamping with Pearl Effect Powder:



Using a Perfect Medium stamp pad (you can find this at any craft store in the stamping section) stamp your image on a piece of cardstock. Using dark paper works better for this effect. Take a small paintbrush and dip into your pearl powder. In a drawing motion, cover your image with the pearl powder. After the entire image has been covered, take a larger brush and remove the excess powder. You should have a perfect pearl image of your stamp! Once you’re done, lightly spritz the image with water; this will keep your powder from smudging.

Technique Four - Stamping on fabric:



This technique can give you some great results-just have an open mind. Using a solvent ink, stamp onto your piece of fabric, then let dry. How simple is that?









Technique five - Create a distress:



Start with a clear embossing ink. Stamp your image, and cover with a clear embossing powder. Using a heat tool, heat your stamped image until you see it start to rise from the paper. After that, use acrylic paint to cover your project. Moving quickly, wipe away the paint from your stamped image. This is by far my favorite effect to use with stamps. So many things can be created!











Find a way to use your stamps in every project you do. They can make such a difference. Remember to enjoy being messy with ink, and experimenting with different techniques. That is all a part of the fun!