"How To" Get a Clean and Crisp Image with a Background Stamp

Hi Everyone,
It's "How To" Wednesday here at Stamping 411...so sit back and enjoy the little "How to" from me to you. It's how to get a Clean and Crisp Image using a Background Stamp.

This is a little trick I use not because I was taught this way....but one that just simply works better for me...so hopefully it will work for you too. I've more often than not messed up with my Background Stamps because the images did not come out even or clean and crisp the way I like them....kind of like this....

….now wouldn’t you rather have the one on the right here?

Let me tell you “HOW TO”…………..

First you’ll need these supplies…Grid Paper, Brayer, Stamp Pad, Card Stock and I use a clear block and a piece of copy paper.

… I used to ink a Background Stamp with Pad directly to stamp

Turn over onto Card Stock

…uneven image…..bummer!

My method…..get my trusty brayer out and add some color…in this case Concord Crush. Brayer the color onto the Big Background Stamp giving it a nice even glaze of color.

Place my Cut Card Stock onto the Inked Background Stamp

....then I like to place a piece of copy paper on over it so I don’t get ink on me and my project. I then take my clear block and rub it over my copy paper which gives a nice even amount of pressure to the stamped image.

…or you don’t have to use the copy paper…..

WOW!!! here is the difference for me….the one without the brayer just using the pad on the left and the brayered color on the right. So easy and it never fails.

Now I couldn’t just let that pretty image sit on my desk so I turned it into a card….

What do you think? It’s a pretty little Personalized note card for me to send to someone.

I hope you enjoyed my little “How To” today and hope to see you around the Stamping 411 Blog.

Saturday Sketch Challenge 173

Hello Friends!

I hope you all had a wonderful week! It was so fun going through last week's submissions to see your creations from the very CAS sketch.

I do have one very small request.. I went to leave comments late in the week ~ I usually leave them as you're posting, but had a busy week. I couldnt FIND some of your entries, because instead of posting to the exact post, some of you just posted it to your overall blog... Then when you post other things, folks going in to leave you a comment, have to really hunt for your 411 card.

I usually am able to go fix these, but I had a busy week ~ so ~ my request is simple... instead of posting to :

http://stamping411.blogspot.com/
please post to your Stamping 411 entry which might look like this...
http://stamping411.blogspot.com/2010/10/saturday-sketch-challenge-172.html

You get to this address, by clicking on the title of your post. (so you're only seeing that one post).. Thanks in advance for your help with this. :D

Anyway ~ This week we're still keeping it simple and I hope to see you play along. I do have a "mini" confession to make.. I totally cased the stampin up mini catalog for this sketch! On page 12 of the mini, they have the most beautiful card, and that's where I "scraplifted" this one! :D Inspiration can come from anywhere!

I'm going to give you measurements for my card below, but I suggest you hit the individual operator blogs if you are looking for more info about their cards.

Base: 4" x 11(scored and folded in half at 5.5" note** I cut 3 bases from one 12 x 12, cutting my designer paper at 11" then at 4 and 4" I was able to use this card for my stamp club, and all the members had slightly different patterns. I went through 3 packs of designer paper just for the base!

Layer 2: 5 x 3.5 and 3.75" So I cut the 1/4" off first, so I would have the extra strip to follow the sketch.

Layer 3 was all scraps. :D

Does the thought of cutting your card stock using measurements baffle you? Well, you can check out the most awesome post on how to read a ruler written by the very lovely and talented Lee Conrey, by clicking here.

As with EVERY week, if you need to change it up, do so! You just want to use this sketch as a jumping off point for your design then let your imagination do the rest!

Without further delay, here are your operator cards for this week.

Patti Chesky

Robin Merriman





Gretchen Barron




Kerin Sylvester





Tiffany Bauer





Selene Kempton






Connie Babbert







Lee Conrey

Now it's your turn :D Never played with us before?? Well, it's easy! Sky's the limit!

1. Make a card
2. Post it online somewhere to your blog or other online forum
3. Post a link to the free linky tool below (please point the link to your post and NOT just your blog)
4. Have some fun and leave comments for each other (and for the operators if you like their work). ~ Everyone loves comments!

We hope you join us this week and play along with this sketch! But don't delay our links will close at 8AM on Thursday morning Eastern Standard Time.

Stampers Showcase #172

Another great week of stamping on Stamping 411! Thanks to everyone who played along. Here are your Operator Picks for this week!