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The key to stamping with acrylic paint is an even coat that does not show brush strokes or puddled paint.





Take advantage of the thick paint and sprinkle some glitter over top before the paint dries.





All the graphics on this page are stamped with bleach. You can see how the brown cardstock changed to look like a 'kraft' color.



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Tip: Keep paper towels or wet wipes handy when working with mediums.

Suggested Materials:
Hero Arts Stamps, cardstock and desired mediums.

Stamping Using Unique Mediums
By Leslie Lightfoot

For me part of the fun of having an artistic hobby is the enjoyment and satisfaction I get from experimenting and trying new things with my stamps. One of the easiest things to do, to change up the look of your stamps is to try branching out with the different mediums you use to stamp with. There are several different types of medium you can use to transfer your stamped image to your project. We will be showing 2 different ideas here and I will also take you through a list of other ideas to get your creative juices flowing.


Instructions:

I think we all get stuck in a rut sometimes and reach for the tools of the ‘trade’ that we are most familiar and comfortable using. I know this happens to me and sometimes it takes reaching outside my comfort zone to try something unexpected and new.

I love using my dye, pigment and chalk ink pads and there are definitely many instances when this form of medium is the most appropriate to obtain a clear sharp transfer. There are other times though when you can use creative licence and begin to play and create by breaking some rules. Try it... we think you will like it!

Put some thought into how you could use the following mediums to produce unique projects:

  1. Acrylic paint (try sprinkling glitter into the thick paint before it dries)
  2. Watercolor paints
  3. Bleach
  4. Lemon juice (really!)
  5. Versamark & chalk
  6. Markers
  7. Puff (3 dimensional) paints
  8. Diamond glaze and then sprinkle with glitter

Instructions:

“My teacher” by Leslie Lightfoot Leslie used acrylic paint for her stamping on this layout. For the fern, she stamped using a thick acrylic paint and then sprinkled with glitter before the paint dried. She also created this dynamic graphic patterned paper using terracotta orange acrylic paint and Kraft cardstock.

Tips for stamping with acrylic paint:
  1. Do not press down too firmly when applying the painted stamp to your paper. The image will be slippery and may slide out of place. Apply firm but gentle pressure straight down onto the project.
  2. Leslie used a foam brush to apply an even coat of paint to the stamp image. She finds this works better than a paint brush and it avoids the pooling of excess paint that will smudge or distort your image when you stamp.

“Every day moments” by Robyn Werlich Robyn certainly created impact and the unexpected with her layout. She stamped using bleach and look at the wonderful results! Stamping with bleach is so easy and fun to do! It is a good idea to test you bleach stamp technique on different papers as each kind of cardstock and paper seems to yield a different result. Robyn finds that darker, richer colors work the best and that the lighter toned papers do not show enough of a contrast to work.

Tips for stamping with bleach:

  1. Simply place some folded paper towels on a thick paper plate and pour some bleach on it to create a little ink pad.
  2. Lift and clean your stamp quickly so you don't ruin your stamp.