Rubber Stamps Crafts

Even if you can't draw a straight line with the aid of a ruler, you can create art using rubber stamps. In fact, for many people rubber stamping is an art form in and of itself. Armed with a small batch of rubber stamps and a few ink pads, inspired stampers can create intricate, layered masterpieces that can be use as stationary, greeting cards, and other motif driven artwork. There are a few tricks you need to learn before you can consider yourself a full-fledged stamper. But with a little luck and a lot of imagination you will learn that rubber stamps are not just for tagging business correspondences or scrapbook hobbyists any more.

Rubber stamps crafts are great because you can participate in this type of art without having a ton of talent and still make some really nice designs.  It is also a nice thing to experiment with an gain knowledge of if you are into scrap books.  The medium of stamping is a perfect compliment to scrap books because the stamp art can give your scrap books a more professional look and feel to them.  They will look like they were professional produced and published instead of just put together at home.  Stamps can really enhance scrap books and compliment the pictures by adding to the design in a creative way.

If you're new to rubber stamping, there are a few things that you should learn. First, find out where to get your stamps and supplies. Start at a scrapbooking store or the Internet. Once you start looking, you'll notice there are literally thousands of designs to choose from. The good thing is most stamps aren't too expensive. After picking out a few interesting stamps and a couple of different colored ink pads, it's time to experiment. Remember to get the right ink for the medium you're working on - some inks are perfect for paper but may not work on fabric or other surfaces. When you try stamping, pay attention to the amount of pressure required to get the best result. If the stamps you've selected lend themselves to layering, see what happens by placing one image on top of another. A little practice and you'll get the hang of it. Next, pick out a simple project - an invitation or a greeting card. Plan out your design and then just start stamping. Your first project does not have to be a masterpiece - but once you get the hang of it, the only limitation to what you can create is your own imagination.

The cost of rubber stamping is a difficult thing to calculate.  This is because it is fairly cheap to get into if you just buy a few simple stamps and pads, but the cost can quickly escalate if  you really get into it and buy more designs or start making your own.  The cost of the materials can actually run pretty high if you are dealing with any sort of real volume.  Start out slow and just buy a few simple stamps to get started and see how you like the medium.  If things go well for you then you can start new projects and ramp up your production eventually.

Eventually you may feel the need to get even more creative. You look through catalogs and scan the Internet and just can't find the design you're looking for. Then it's time to make your own! Put your ideas down on paper - remember you're designing a stamp and need to keep some space between the lines to take into account ink bleed. There are a number of places that will transform you line art into a rubber stamp. You can have it mounted onto a block and handle or keep it unmounted. (Unmounted stamps are easier to store and categorize if space is a consideration.) Now you've gone from taking baby steps to actually diving into the deep end of a fun and challenging craft.