Do you enjoy stamping, but sometimes is it frustrating to get a project to turn out without having to redo your stamped images? Do you find lots of smudges, ink boo boos, and other mishaps ruining your precious stamping time? Well here are a few tips to avoid this.
1. Keep your stamping area uncluttered. I know, I know I am asking a lot, but seriously if you have papers and items all over the place they are going to get stray ink on them, or get cut by mistake, etc, etc.
2. Clean up after you finish a project. That means put those stamps away, clean off small pieces of paper, bits of ribbons, etc. from your work area.
HOW TO TACKLE A STAMPING PROJECT:
1. Cut out all your papers first. A good guide to know how big your pieces need to be cut is to measure the block your stamp is mounted on. Now some blocks are bigger than the stamp image, for those you measure the stamp image. Now remember to leave up to 1/4" of space around the image, so you have room to position the stamp. Now to cut out layers to mount the stamped image on: Use your image piece measurements as a guide and add 1/4" to these measurements for each "mat" you cut. This leaves a good border to add color and dimension to your projects.
2. Cut out your ribbons and gather your other accessory containers. Set these to the side.
3. Gather the papers to be stamped, and stamp them, setting aside each piece you have already done when finished. Don't crowd your stamping space. Close your ink pads after you are done with a color and set aside. Work assembly line style when stamping and coloring in. Especially important if you are making multiples of a certain card.
4. Close up all inks and move out of work space for assembling your card front. Check your hands for ink stains, and wash hands before gluing, esp. if you use liquid glues. The inks can come off if you get glue on your fingers and smudge your project. Ugh!!
5. Adhere from the card base up to the focal point, adding ribbons or other accessories that you haven't already attached as you go. Again working assembly line style (doing all of one thing before moving to another element) is more orderly, and leaves less room for mistakes.
6. Admire your beautiful card, clean up, and get ready to create something else.
7. Don't go to bed and leave your space dirty. This is a drain on your creative energy when you come back to your stamping space the next time because you don't get to immediately start creating -- you have to clean up first. What a pain!
Hope these tips help you keep from getting frustrated, make your stamping time more productive, and cause less waste of your paper and supplies.
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