Me and stamping...

[adrianka]

After having been sick for almost all of November, I finally got to trying out my stamps... Well. Let's say I need to get the hang out of it. I also rather hilariously forgot to buy black ink for the sentiments. Never mind.

Here are my very first ones, be merciful! They are not very impressive.

 

[ColleenSwerb]

What do you mean? I think they're lovely!
Sometimes the acrylic stamps take a little bit of use to get a good solid image stamped out of them. Stamp it a few times on some scrap paper, and kind of smear it around a little. I think sometimes people take a regular pink pencil eraser to them too when they first get them. Sometimes there's a bit of a film left on them from production.

 

[heathergw]

I think they look great... you'll get it in time

 

[chloe]

Agree, they look great! And never mind if you don't have black ink for the sentiment, I think brown looks softer and I really like it!

 

[adrianka]

What do you mean? I think they're lovely!
Sometimes the acrylic stamps take a little bit of use to get a good solid image stamped out of them. Stamp it a few times on some scrap paper, and kind of smear it around a little. I think sometimes people take a regular pink pencil eraser to them too when they first get them. Sometimes there's a bit of a film left on them from production.

Oh. Good point about the eraser! Will try.

I actually like the cards per se (and the stamp sure looks just as versatile as I hoped), but yeah, getting a solid image will take some time I guess. For long-year stampers I'm sure the stamping part on these must look pretty clumsy. I also managed to get some brown where I didn't want it to be, but let's say I will kindly ignore it.

 

[adrianka]

I think they look great... you'll get it in time

Thanks! And also thanks for all the advice that preceded the purchase of the stamps.

 

[adrianka]

Agree, they look great! And never mind if you don't have black ink for the sentiment, I think brown looks softer and I really like it!

You have a point. Thanks a lot.

 

[adrianka]

I kinda regret I didn't get the Signature Christmas sentiments, too - that was the reason why I wanted to change my order, to add those, but Papertrey don't change orders and it was unreasonable, financially, to make another order. Next year, then.

 

[Yvette]

The signature sentiments are gorgeous, I've used them a lot this year. I actually use a white eraser to condition all my clear stamps before I use them. Another idea is to stamp first in Versamark ink (it's a clear sticky ink) and then in colour to get a better impression. I've also found that the Fiskar's stamp press helps a lot. Your cards are lovely!

 

[adrianka]

Thanks for the tips, Yvette. The Signature stamps look gorgeous, should have concentrated better when doing my order.

 

[Andrea Gourley]

Well I think they are great! There is no way I would have been showing off my first ever stamped card, it was about 15 years ago and oh my goodness it looked like the cat had done it - smudges and ink all over. These are much better, I'm so pleased that you're going to make more xx

 

[adrianka]

I had a suspicion this had a bit of a learning curve, and I was right. Hopefully practice makes perfect. Thank you, Andrea.

 

[*Celeste*]

one thing i've found helpful is this tool from fiskars...it's called a stamp press.

you put the stamp underneath - then you press down. it allows you to see that the image is touching all over and it's easy to line up the grid with the edge of your paper. it's also great for multiple stamping.

here's a you tube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00PyPJMaWVc

 

[Joana1n]

They look lovely! They're wonderful - you'd never know without being told that it was your first go at stamping!

A sweet friend of mine has a stamping company and she has a YouTube video channel with lots of awesome videos containing tips for stamping. She's been in the craft industry for a long time and is unbelievably talented.

http://www.youtube.com/stephaniebarnard

 

[KristinCB]

very pretty!! i think they look great

 

[adrianka]

Thank you, Celeste, Joanna and Kristin for the praise and another "thank you" to Celeste and Joanna again for the tips.

I totally appreciate the praise - see, I didn't originally write that they were "not that impressive" in an effort to ask for praise (sometimes people use this mechanism); I truly see that the imprints are far from perfect and it seemed to me that for people with long years of practice they might seem poor indeed. But it's still nice to be wrong and get the praise. And stamping is fun. I managed to get some better quality later last evening, will post when I have time.

 

[adrianka]

These photos are not the greatest quality (taken at 9:30 p.m.), but you get the picture. I think I might slowly be getting the hang of it. It's still far from perfect, but the sentiments on the inside start looking very neat. Didn't photograph those though, it's the same thing all over again basically.

Bold and funky.

A touch of mint.

United colours of Christmas.

Icy blue.

Blue with a twist.

Winter blues.

Love me some sugar.

 

[Joana1n]

Wow! I love all of the different color combos you did! :thumbup:

I've been stamping since 1995 and I still end up with uneven impressions sometimes. I used to get really upset and would restamp repeatedly to get the perfect image, but have come to realize that the imperfection just adds to the charm and uniqueness of each card.

 

[adrianka]

Wow! I love all of the different color combos you did! :thumbup:

I've been stamping since 1995 and I still end up with uneven impressions sometimes. I used to get really upset and would restamp repeatedly to get the perfect image, but have come to realize that the imperfection just adds to the charm and uniqueness of each card.

Thanks! I love taking an idea and try colour variations ad infinitum (or ad nauseam, that depends). That's why I fell in love with that tree stamp in the first place, it looked so versatile.

I'm a perfectionist by nature, but with age I got much more relaxed about things. The beauty of handmade is very often in imperfection. Oh the wisdom of age. One of those dark blue ones is totally horribly stamped, but I let it be because it kinda looks artistic. We can always pretend it was heavily snowing on that card and that's why we can't see everything.

 

[adrianka]

LOL. I actually received a purchase offer on these cards when I put them of FB. From a guy living in Dublin that I know online. Told him I can't cover my own needs this year, but that next year we might talk about it. LOL. That's a nice beginning.

 

[adrianka]

I had a crafty Sunday yesterday and made another batch of cards. Altogether there's 40 and let me say I never regretted getting those Papertrey punches.

Noël à la cannelle.

Green is Good.

Strawberry Jam.

Pistache.

Winter Sugarland I.

Winter Sugarland II.

Hot Cocoa.

Christmas Goes Baroque.

Blue Haze.

Green Fizz.

Candy Lane.

Merry Berries.

Rhapsody In Blue.