Weeks of Wonder: Stamp Just About Everything!

Slick, shiny, non-porous surfaces can be tricky to stamp on—traditional inks may not want to “take.” You have to have the right kinds of ink or use the right technique to make them work. Today we are going to explore two easy different options beginning with StazOn®. StazOn® ink is specially formulated for stamping on non-porous and semi-porous surfaces such as metal, plastic, acrylic, cellophane, aluminum foil, leather and even some glass surfaces. It is perfect for stamping on projects like clear cards. Look how easy it was to dress up the Lagoon cardstock by stamping the mesh texture from the Universal Backgrounds stamp set (D1477) right on the clear card--it makes the card interesting whether it is opened or closed.

Another exciting technique is adding embossing to your embellishments on your project. Many of the embellishments we use in crafting are non-porous, and stamping great elements onto them can add flair and personalization to even the most basic embellishment. For example, check out the clear buttons on the “dad” card. They were stamped using Versamark® ink then embossed in blue to match the airplane. Eye-catching and easy, huh?

The embossing technique can also be applied on a much grander scale. This project started with some great photos of our Art Director Eric Clegg and his family. Each of the photos has been cropped and mounted on the back of My Acrylix blocks. (Yes, you heard me, blocks! Isn’t this a fabulous way to create a unique and durable photo display?) These projects were easy to create and I’m sure it will be a treasured memento for a long time.

Here’s how to create the look. First, sprinkle corn starch on the acrylic block. Blocks tend to have a bit more static than paper does. Sprinkling corn starch on first helps neutralize that static so that your embossing powder will stick only to the Versamark image and not the surface around it.

Prior to stamping, blow all the excess powder away. Ink your stamp with the Versamark ink then stamp it directly to the block. Be sure to hold your stamp firmly and push lightly so it does not slip around when you are applying it to the other block.

Sprinkle embossing powder on the stamped image and tap off excess. A great thing about stamping on non-porous surfaces is if the image doesn’t turn out the way you want it, you can always wipe the Versamark and embossing powder off then repeat the steps.

Heat the embossing powder with the craft heater.

Finish off your project by trimming the photo to the size of the block, coat the front of the photo in spray mount (a great clear adhesive that applies like hair spray), and then place the block on top of the photo. A perfect photo display just in time for Father’s Day!