How to Make a Metallic Stamp in Scrapbooking

Metallic stamps are made using metallic ink pads and regular stamps.

The possibilities are limitless for personalizing and decorating scrapbook pages. With so many choices available in papers, stickers, pens, ribbons and stamps, crafters can embellish pages to their heart's desire. Now available to add to scrapbook design are metallic stamp pads, which can be used with regular rubber and foam stamps to create iridescent, permanent metallic stamps. Metallic stamp pads are available in a wide array of colors from scrapbooking and craft stores.

Things You'll Need

• Rubber stamp
• Metallic ink pad

Instructions

1. Lay your scrapbook page on a hard, flat surface. Open your metallic ink stamp pad.

2. Determine where you'd like the metallic stamp to be located on your scrapbook page. Possibilities include using the stamp as entire background pattern for the page by repeating the stamp multiple times to cover the page's surface, placing the stamp as the focal point of the page by centering it in the middle, placing the stamp along the border or stamping in one or more of the page's corners. Because metallic stamps have iridescent, metal-looking ink, they make stand-out focal point stamps.

3. Grip the stamp by its mount and place it stamp-side down onto the metallic ink pad. Keep the stamp parallel to the ink pad and don't apply too much pressure. If you press too hard or tilt the stamp the image could be distorted when you stamp it onto the scrapbook page. There is no need to hastily stamp the pad; metallic ink takes longer to dry than regular ink, so you can take your time carefully applying the ink.

4. Remove the stamp from the metallic ink pad and position it parallel to the scrapbook page in the desired location. Bring the stamp down to the page, keeping it parallel, and apply some pressure to the top of the stamp. Press the stamp down to the page carefully; do not tilt or rock the stamp. Lift the stamp from the page carefully and let the metallic stamp image dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Test the stamp on a practice sheet of paper before trying it out on your scrapbook. This helps you determine how hard to press the stamp into the ink before placing it down on the page. Too much ink can lead to smudging and distortion of the stamp's image.

References

• Joann: Encore Ultimate Metallic Stamp Pads -- Many Colors
• Stampington & Company: Pearl Ex Stamp Pads & Re-Inkers
• Paper Crafts 101: Rubber Stamps
• Greeting Cards Resource: How to Use Rubber Stamps

Resources

• Scrapbook: Home
• Scrapbooking101: Home