Paints for Rubber
Back to Home > Thursday, Jul 27, 2006 Living Posted on Sat, Jul. 15, 2006 email this print this
Owning a collection of rubber stamps is not unlike having your own portable print shop. These small-scale crafting tools are affordable, easy to use and unexpectedly versatile. With a little know-how, you can create designs that resemble silk-screening, stenciling or typesetting.
Stamps are available in almost any design imaginable -- look in crafts stores or search online for sources (try www.hankodesigns.com and www.rubber stamptapestry.com). Don't be afraid to experiment. Try combining different stamps in a single design, or repeat one stamp multiple times. Play with scale, too, using small stamps on large surfaces and large stamps on small surfaces. Or layer one color on top of another to give the illusion of depth and dimension.
Apply patterns to almost any surface: paper, fabric and even objects found in nature, such as stones, leaves and seashells. Even tables and chairs can be your canvases -- use a decorative stamp and some latex paint. You can also customize clothing and linens with special inks that won't fade or run in the wash.
Custom gift tags: Stamp plain gift tags with a pretty pattern or special message. To create an all-over design, use a patterned stamp that has a greater surface area than the tag. Customize messages using special multiletter stamps from crafts or office-supply stores.
Inspired by nature: Objects from your collection of rocks, shells, driftwood and leaves have a place at the table -- use them to weight place cards or as place markers themselves. Select a stamp that bears an image appropriate to the object it will imprint. You might rest an egg stamped with the image of a hen in a store-bought nest with a paper tag lettered with the guest's name. A seahorse can similarly adorn a seashell picked from the beach.
Plain to pretty: Dress up paper party products, such as napkins and plates, with a set of stamps, creating a matching set. The surfaces of recycled-paper cups and other items readily absorb ink, making them perfect for stamping. Try stamping green leaves and pink flowers together for an attractive floral motif, or use animal stamps for a child's party.
Stylish stationery: Design a personalized stationery set. To make letterhead, print your name and address on a sheet of paper, then add a flourish with an artistic design or perhaps a bold monogram. Make matching accessories by repeating the pattern on cloth albums, scrapbooks and more.
Artful furnishings: "Painting" with stamps is easier than painting with stencils, since the designs are meant to be more free-form. Use several flower stamps in different designs and sizes to create a garland of flowers that stretch across a headboard and trail onto the wall, overlapping different shades of paint, such as blue and green, to create more depth.
Stamping with ink: When you stamp with ink, do some test runs on scrap paper. Sometimes the edge of the stamp will pick up ink and leave a mark on the surface you're stamping. If this happens, wipe the edge clean with a baby wipe each time before you stamp. On curved surfaces, apply the stamp in a rolling motion. Close ink-pad cases tightly after each use.
Stamping with latex paint: Before you apply the design, practice on a sheet of kraft paper. Always use a brush to apply paint to the stamp. And if you make a mistake, don't fret -- on many slick surfaces, you can wipe wet paint away with damp paper towels.
Stamping on fabric: You'll need to purchase fabric pads -- special sponges that are saturated with fabric-safe ink. Test a fabric swatch before stamping on a garment or linen to get a sense of how much ink and pressure to use. Wipe away any excess ink on the edge of the stamp. After you've stamped your fabric, follow the manufacturer's instructions on the fabric pad to set the design.
Design your own: You can have any graphic design or text made into a rubber stamp -- search online or in the telephone book for a vendor. Prices are usually about $5 per square inch. Try clip art or your own artwork, or have stamps made in your own handwriting or a favorite font.
Questions for Martha Stewart should be addressed to Ask Martha, c/o Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 11 W. 42nd St., New York, NY 10036 or sent to mslletters@ marthastewart.com. Please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. Questions of general interest will be answered in this column; Martha Stewart regrets that unpublished letters cannot be answered individually. For more information on the topics covered in the Ask Martha column, visit www.marthastewart.com .
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Owning a collection of rubber stamps is not unlike having your own portable print shop. These small-scale crafting tools are affordable, easy to use and unexpectedly versatile. With a little know-how, you can create designs that resemble silk-screening, stenciling or typesetting.
Stamps are available in almost any design imaginable -- look in crafts stores or search online for sources (try www.hankodesigns.com and www.rubber stamptapestry.com). Don't be afraid to experiment. Try combining different stamps in a single design, or repeat one stamp multiple times. Play with scale, too, using small stamps on large surfaces and large stamps on small surfaces. Or layer one color on top of another to give the illusion of depth and dimension.
Apply patterns to almost any surface: paper, fabric and even objects found in nature, such as stones, leaves and seashells. Even tables and chairs can be your canvases -- use a decorative stamp and some latex paint. You can also customize clothing and linens with special inks that won't fade or run in the wash.
Custom gift tags: Stamp plain gift tags with a pretty pattern or special message. To create an all-over design, use a patterned stamp that has a greater surface area than the tag. Customize messages using special multiletter stamps from crafts or office-supply stores.
Inspired by nature: Objects from your collection of rocks, shells, driftwood and leaves have a place at the table -- use them to weight place cards or as place markers themselves. Select a stamp that bears an image appropriate to the object it will imprint. You might rest an egg stamped with the image of a hen in a store-bought nest with a paper tag lettered with the guest's name. A seahorse can similarly adorn a seashell picked from the beach.
Plain to pretty: Dress up paper party products, such as napkins and plates, with a set of stamps, creating a matching set. The surfaces of recycled-paper cups and other items readily absorb ink, making them perfect for stamping. Try stamping green leaves and pink flowers together for an attractive floral motif, or use animal stamps for a child's party.
Stylish stationery: Design a personalized stationery set. To make letterhead, print your name and address on a sheet of paper, then add a flourish with an artistic design or perhaps a bold monogram. Make matching accessories by repeating the pattern on cloth albums, scrapbooks and more.
Artful furnishings: "Painting" with stamps is easier than painting with stencils, since the designs are meant to be more free-form. Use several flower stamps in different designs and sizes to create a garland of flowers that stretch across a headboard and trail onto the wall, overlapping different shades of paint, such as blue and green, to create more depth.
Stamping with ink: When you stamp with ink, do some test runs on scrap paper. Sometimes the edge of the stamp will pick up ink and leave a mark on the surface you're stamping. If this happens, wipe the edge clean with a baby wipe each time before you stamp. On curved surfaces, apply the stamp in a rolling motion. Close ink-pad cases tightly after each use.
Stamping with latex paint: Before you apply the design, practice on a sheet of kraft paper. Always use a brush to apply paint to the stamp. And if you make a mistake, don't fret -- on many slick surfaces, you can wipe wet paint away with damp paper towels.
Stamping on fabric: You'll need to purchase fabric pads -- special sponges that are saturated with fabric-safe ink. Test a fabric swatch before stamping on a garment or linen to get a sense of how much ink and pressure to use. Wipe away any excess ink on the edge of the stamp. After you've stamped your fabric, follow the manufacturer's instructions on the fabric pad to set the design.
Design your own: You can have any graphic design or text made into a rubber stamp -- search online or in the telephone book for a vendor. Prices are usually about $5 per square inch. Try clip art or your own artwork, or have stamps made in your own handwriting or a favorite font.
Questions for Martha Stewart should be addressed to Ask Martha, c/o Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 11 W. 42nd St., New York, NY 10036 or sent to mslletters@ marthastewart.com. Please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. Questions of general interest will be answered in this column; Martha Stewart regrets that unpublished letters cannot be answered individually. For more information on the topics covered in the Ask Martha column, visit www.marthastewart.com .
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