Card Making for Newbies 2:

The Stamp​

Welcome back!!! This the second installment of crafting for newbies.

Now that we have established that crafting is not cheap...(whistles), we will now show you some of the items you will need along your crafting journey.

FIRST...Stamps! And lots of them! In my first week of shopping I bought stamps like there was no tomorrow (don’t tell my husband though). Looking back I really didn’t need to do that. I could have purchased the digital kind. Then again I didn’t know they existed.  So there are three types of stamps, the Rubber stamp on blocks, the Rubber Cling stamp and the photopolymer stamps.

​There are Rubber stamps on blocks (which I wouldn't bother with if you don't have space).  The good thing about rubber stamps are that they take ink very well.  These stamps just are able to absorb and retain the ink well.  You can get some very crisp lines with these.  You can easily clean them and they have their own block that allows for good pressure application.  You can find them in almost any size.

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The then there is a hybrid stamp...the Rubber Cling stamp.  This is a stamp that
does not have block, so therefore you are saving space.  it has the benefits
of a rubber stamp but some of the qualities of a photo polymer  these are still
thicker than the photopolymer, but they can be mounted onto an acrylic
block.  ***Note:  these can be a bit thick for stamping platforms like the MISTI.
(Tim Holtz has one that you can use both).  While there may be smaller because they don't have the mount, they are still much more thicker than the photopolymer. 

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​Last, but no least, there is the photopolymer.  This by far is my most favorite.  This style of stamp is thin.  The even better part is that it is clear.  If you are layering you can see where it is that you are placing this.  Like the cling rubber stamp, you must buy an acrylic mounting block for these.  The one thing is that because these are much easier and faster fabricate, you can find them in abundance and in so many styles.  Usually one rubber stamp will cost about $8.00.  A polymer that can run about $15.00 usually has a set of 5-6 stamps in one set.  They are also easy to store!   this requires less space and so you can put them into baskets and the like.  Just don't store them in the sun since they are light sensitive (pssst...they will turn yellow).
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So, if you are going to buy stamp sets, I recommend buying three that have their coordinating dies but that have both sentiments and images you can color. Look for sets that you can use for different occasions. You really want to be able to get a bang for your buck, so being able to use them for any occasion is perfect. Don’t forget you can always mix and match your stamps to get a completely different card each time.  

So this concludes another segment of Card Making For Newbies.