Getting Started.

[DawniStamps]

So I have some stamps, and I will be picking up some more supplies this weekend. Here are my questions for everyone.

For a beginner, what supplies do you suggest? Is there anything you just cannot do without? Looking back now, what is the one thing you wish you had known/done when you first started?

[piecesandpom]

Be sure you have good black inks of all types - pigment, water-based, stazon. Then you need to find good paper; I use Neenah Solar White most of the time. Pick a coloring technique that suits you and learn that; you'll learn about color and cardstock and be able to branch out from there to all the other choices.

I agree with peicesandpom. Black ink and good paper are essential. I often order my paper from the Paper Cut in Wisconsin. They have great paper and good prices. I love the black linen paper. What really attracted me to stamping was being able to heat emboss images. For that you need a heat gun and embossing powder. Start with clear embossing powder. The color you stamp the image will show through. Also, you will need a good paper cutter. The Tonic guillotine cutters (and scissors) are great and not outrageously expensive. That should get you started.

Julie B.

[DawniStamps]

Perfect! I will definitely get started on finding some of these things. I know from my experience with knitting that sometimes the best thing to do is to ask the people that have been doing it for a while. I like to climb on the backs of giants.

[Stampo]

Embossing was the magic that got me hooked on stamping!

[DawniStamps]

1. That image made me giggle.
2. I'm going to have to look into embossing more. We sell embossers at Stamp-Connection but it doesn't sound like the same thing you are talking about. Ours are a metal clip with a positive and negative image that press the paper itself into different shapes and I don't have much experience with one.

[alsmouse]

Glad you found us here at RSC, the destination spot for stamping fun & friendships.
If you are lucky Inky Whiskers or Sassy will pop in with info on heat embossing. They are quite knowledgeable & willing to share info.
alsmouse ~C8> see the rat?

[Inky Whiskers]

Welcome!

Like the others have said, a good black dye ink pad is a must, but you want an ink that will let you color using different mediums (markers & other wet coloring tools as well as pencils & other dry tools). There are several perminent when dry black inks that will work for this:

Stampin' Up! Basic Black
StazOn Jet Black
Momento Tuxedo Black (I think this one is waterproof, but others will have to confirm.)
Clearsnap Wicked Black Archival
Ranger Jet Black Archival
Stewart Superior Memories Black

These inks will stain your stamps, but as long as there isn't any ink clogging up the image you're stamps will work just fine with stained rubber or polymer. There are also various brands of craft inks that are waterproof when heat set w/a heat tool (heat gun) that can also be used for heat embossing (mentioned by Stampo as another addiction facet of stamping).

Smooth white paper that is at least 65lb. (this info should be on the label) A smooth surfaced paper will help you get a better impression & be easier to color on. Save the textured papers for back ground techniques, for now.

If you're not sure about what type of coloring mediums to try first, I suggest you start with something fun & easy like markers or pencils. If you look in the art section of your local craft store you should find things like pencils (both watercolor & drawing),markers, crayons, chalks etc in inexpensive student quality packages. If you find you really like a particular medium, you can then upgrade to better quality materials as you desire. For some things, like Copic markers, you may wish to take a class to learn how to use them before you make the investment of buying the 300+ colors available.

Keep reading thru' the older RSC posts! We've discussed most of the common topics more than once, so most of the info you'll be looking for is already here...somewhere. Happy Stamping!

[j3annin3]

it's a fast learning curve DawniStamps, that's one of the best things about rubberstamping, it's so approachable. There is always something new to try and more to learn but the basics are clear, user friendly and very satisfying.

A few years ago i got a stamp positioner as a gift. At the time i thought it was just another fairly useless gadget. There are a good many things i've gotten over the years that are other than truly useful. So i was reluctant to even try the positioner. i thought it would be one more step and fussy to use. Now i use it fairly often and wish i had it when i was just starting. I'm pretty good at getting my image placed where i want it now, but in the beginning it was something that i had to work at with not a lot of success. My cards or boxes would come out with crooked or tilted images, words like Happy Birthday ended up over other images and trying to center an image or text in a frame was a ridiculous notion. The wonkiness was something i felt really reduced the look of my things to home made rather than hand crafted.

There are a few different kinds of stamp positioners available, they are not the most expensive tool i regularly use but they aren't exactly spare change investment either. Too if you are using mostly clear stamps or cushion mounted then you can eyeball them well enough with out help. It's not a necessity but it is a great convenience. My work actually goes faster now that i am not squinting and peeking and making 4 copies just to get one that works. it's a tool i would give to a friend just starting out.

i use a Stamp-a-ma-Jig, but there are a few videos of some others on YouTube as well, even few vids for making your own positioner.

Here is a link to a demo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm85WMTumv0


What Supplies have you already tried?
Is there anything specific you would like to differently or are having trouble with?

[Spideycindy]

This is a cheap but useful item and I use it all the time and it is an inexpensive piece of 8X10" craft foam in 1/4" to 1/2 inch thickness and I put it down put some typing paper over it to keep it clean or a cleanable craft sheet ( something you may want later on...) and the paper I want to stamp on and it is fairly firm but just enough give to stamp on top of? It is cheap enough and you can use a magazine or the surface of a table top but I have on occasion lost track of where my table had a seam in it and screwed up my image so I just got used to stamping on the foam. Also if you stamp off your paper by design the typing paper keeps things clean.
As for scissors I agree and like my cutter bee scissors they are sharp and comfortable. I have misplaced my cuticle scissors that I also like to use...
Welcome!
Spideycindy