Stamp Ink:

The first ink that I am going to look at is regular stamp ink.  Many, and I mean many, companies produce this ink and you can find it in almost every color that you can imagine.  My favorite inks tend to be Chocolate Chip and Night of Navy, both of which are Stampin’ Up Inks.  I find that you can do just about anything with the inks from sponging, stamping, and using to color with so this is the more versatile of inks since there are many different uses for it.

Craft Ink:

Also known as pigment ink, this is a thicker ink that has a lot of color.  I often use craft ink to add a bit more punch and the white craft ink on black creates amazing results.  One of the best traits about craft ink is that it takes longer to dry than regular stamp ink.  This may seem like a pain but in actuality, it can allow you to create some pretty amazing effects with it.  Since you have some time until it dries, you can add sparkles or you can add embossing powder to create beautiful craft inked and embossed images.

Since this ink does take a bit longer to dry, I try to avoid using it for everyday stamping needs and only pull it out when I want to create an effect or I want to stamp white onto a surface.

Versa Mark:

This isn’t actually an ink as we would commonly know it but I have overused my versa mark to the point where I needed to purchase a new one.  Versa Marks are clear ink that can be used for a variety of effects. It is a wonderful ink to use since it resists color and it can create beautiful watermarked images.  The main use of versa mark has to be with embossing.  Since it takes a bit longer to dry and it is clear,  many people will stamp an image in versa mark before coating it in embossing powder, which they melt.  The end result is a stunningly embossed image.

Staze-On:

The last type of ink that I will look at is staze-on. This is actually a permanent ink, instead of a waterbased ink.  This means that without a proper spray, your stamps will become stained by this ink.  If you are overly conscious of your stamps and hate having stained stamps, then I would recommend that you avoid staze-on.  If you don’t then you can do a lot of things with staze-on. This has actually become one of my favorite inks since the colors come out a bit more vibrantly than regular stamp ink.  It is also an excellent ink to use if you are stamping anything besides a card or scrapbook page.  I like to use staze-on when I am stamping plates or tiles but it can be used for a lot more.

Although I would love to say that you only need one or two stamp inks, there is always a purpose for all of the inks, and if you are like me, you will quickly reach the dozens when it comes to ink pads.

Happy Stamping,

Sirena Van Schaik

Photo credit: © Pakowacz | Dreamstime.com

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This craft, is an easy craft that can create a cherished handprint that you can take with you everywhere you go. There is some adult steps involved in this craft but this can be an excellent craft for any holiday but especially for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

What you will need:

• Shrinky Dinks:  This is a shrinkable plastic that you can find at most craft stores or by clicking here.
• Stamp Ink
• Scissors
• Fine Tip Marker
• hole punch
• key chain ring

Directions:

1. Take your child’s hand and ink the palm with the stamp ink.  Make sure that it is coated completely.  If you prefer to use something other than ink, paint does work, however, not as well as ink.
2. Firmly press your child’s palm to the shrinkable plastic and remove.
3. Allow the hand print to dry before the next step.
4. After it is dry, carefully cut around the hand print.  You can do any shape but most people cut out a hand shape.
5. Write the child’s name and age (or the date it was made) on the shrinkable plastic
6. Heat the shrinkable plastic in the oven. It is best if you follow the directions on the package for heating directions.
7. Once it has shrunk and is cooled, take the hole punch and punch a hole into the bottom of the palm.
8. Insert a key chain ring and give as a gift.

Although the hand print will shrink, the image will still be teh same so you will be left with a miniature version of your child’s hand print.

Sirena Van Schaik

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Of course, stamping didn’t hold me long before I burst onto the scrapbooking scene and I quickly began to produce stamped scrapbook pages much to the delight of everyone who saw them.

That delight, of course, led to me needing to experiment with new techniques and I quickly realized that I wanted to produce more than a stunning page, I also wanted to produce stunning effects with very little effort.

This activity is definitely one of those stunning effects that is easy to do and can look great on a card or on a scrapbook page.

What you need:

• Cardstock
• paper cutter
• clear embossing powder
• stamp
• stamp ink
• heat gun
• versa mark

Directions:

1. Prepare your cardstock by cutting it to the dimension you want and then stamping it with an image. In my case, I started with a butterfly from Stampin’ Up and colored it in with watercolor pencil crayons.
2. Once your image is finished, allow it to dry if you used markers.
3. Take the versa mark and stamp the clear ink over the entire surface of your image.  Make sure it coats the entire image and cardstock.
4. Pour embossing powder on the image and cardstock.  Make sure you use a lot and tap off the excess onto a piece of paper before you return it to the container.
5. Using your heat gun, melt the embossing powder until it is completely melted.  If you do not have a heat gun, you can melt it by heating the back of the cardstock, carefully, over an electric burner.  Do not use a gas stove to do this.
6. Before the embossing powder cools, take the embossing powder and coat the image and cardstock again.  Make sure you tap off the excess before you continue.
7. Melt the second layer of embossing powder completely.
8. Repeat again if necessary until you have a thick layer of embossing.  This varies depending on the type of embossing powder that you use.  Some brands only require two layers while others require 3 or 4.
9. Once you have placed the last layer on the image, place it in the freezer while it is still hot.
10. Allow it to cool completely. This should only take about 2 minutes at the most.
11. Remove from the freezer and carefully crack the cardstock where you want the cracked glass effect to be.  Play around with it until you are happy with it.  Make sure that you do this carefully since too much bending can cause the cardstock to split completely.
12. Now that you have your cracked glass, assemble your card or your scrapbook.

To bring the cracks out a bit, you can sponge ink on the embossed surface.  Make sure you take off the excess so you are only left with ink in the cracks.

Sirena Van Schaik

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What you need:

• Transparent Glass Plate
• Colored Tissue Paper
• White Tissue Paper
• Stamps
• Stamp Ink
• White Glue
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Before you begin stamping, it is very important that you cover your work area.  I have, on more than one occasion, stamped tissue paper only to have the stamp image bleed through the tissue paper and onto a table for a permanent image on my table.
2. Now that your area is ready, cut out a circle of white tissue paper that fits the bottom of your plate.  Set aside.
3. Cut the colored tissue paper into one inch squares, set aside.
4. Take a stamp and cover it with stamp ink.
5. Stamp the image onto the white tissue paper carefully.  It is better if you use a solid image instead of one you need to color but if you need to color it in, do so carefully with markers.
6. Allow the ink time to dry.
7. Once the ink is dry, cover the bottom of the plate with white glue.  Try to make it as even as possible.
8. Press the white tissue into the white glue and smooth it into place.
9. Take the white glue and place it on the bottom sides of the glass plate around the white tissue paper on the bottom.
10. Place the tissue paper down on the plate until the entire bottom is covered.
11. Put the plate upside down and allow the glue to dry completely.

At that point, you will have a finished plate that is beautiful and matches the holiday that you have made it for.

Sirena Van Schaik

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