"real life scary stamping"

I love me some stamps. Some would say, to a rather unhealthy degree.

I say pshaw. Not possible.

My favorite stamps are the ones that feature design elements and words or even phrases (and of course my beloved date stamp).

Even though it's old school, I think that sometimes people are intimidated by stamps. (I know that as a beginner I was.) I think it comes down to the fact that once you put that stamp down, whatever is there, is there for good. You are committed. Sometimes that's a good thing, and sometimes, it's not. And you know, even if it's not perfect, I'm finding lately that I like the results for their very imperfectness.

But, for those of us with perfectionist tendancies here are some of my best tips for stamping onto stuff.

*Scootch down so you are eye level with your stamp and the paper. Sometimes it's best just to eyeball it. (Thanks Dina Wakely!)

*Try to stamp your image onto a clear package scrap or spare transparent item first. That way you can play with color and placement. I often use the plastic wrap that my thickers come in, although I have also used other things, including plastic wrap and a clear plastic scrap from a pasta package window... See what you can find.
*When stamping with paint, use a a brush to apply the paint to the stamp first, so you end up with a more even distribution of paint (for a clearer impression). Be sure to clean your stamp right away, especially if it is a rubber stamp.

*I like to use an old toothbrush to clean my stamps. It really helps to get the paint out of the tiny spots like in between letters on a text stamp.

*I like using my clear acrylic ruler for stamping with clear acrylic stamps if I am wanting something to be lined up evenly. You could probably alter an acrylic block with a marker and use of a ruler as well (if you don't want to spring for a fancy ruler like I did) :D

Double-sided tape works just fine for adhering an unmounted stamp to a flat object for stamping.

If you stamp in white and the paint or ink is too faint (like on a darker colored background) use a white gel pen (I use a uniball signo) pen for touchups.

Those are my favorites. Do you have any good tips to share? I'd love to hear them.

Thanks for reading. Happy crafting!