Rubber Stamps, Part 1 - Stamps, inks, rockers & cleaners

I’m a fan of rubber stamps. Some of them anyway. It’s quite true that the vast majority of rubber stamps are designed to conform to certain comfortable, pre-conceived ideas about how we should communicate our feelings, and who to. I usually ignore those ones, or at the very least, subvert them.

But I’m happy to say there are plenty of other stamps that don’t conform to the norm. I tend to favour stamps that can become “pieces” of what I’m creating in my journal rather than a standalone focal point. I particularly like textures (the grungier, the better) and quirky objects that can be included as in, my way, in whatever creative project I’m working on.

As art journaling has taken off in the past decade or so, even big rubber stamp companies are leaning towards creative self-expression outside of what used to be seen as a very traditional market.

And if you choose not to buy your stamps, there are also ways to carve your own. That’s one way to make sure what you’re creating is absolutely your own vision and voice.

So … let’s talk about the different kind of stamps. First of all, the old classic “wood mount” which most people will be familiar with. Generally, they’re mounted on a shaped piece of wood, red rubber on one side, printed image on the other. Easy to use and lasts a very long time, but can be quite expensive. Also takes up a lot of storage space. Old school.

Next, “unmounted”, aka “UM”. This is the red rubber part of the stamp without the wood base. These are cheaper to buy, but harder to use. You need to some kind of stamping and storage system that works for you. Luckily, this is easily done. 

You can buy EZ Mount, double-sided sticky foam to cut to the shape of the rubber that can be mounted on wood or foam, or a variation which is sticky on one side (sticks to the rubber) and a plastic side that sticks to plexiglass that acts as a temporary base. This turns your “umounted” into “cling-mounted” since they now cling to plexiglass. Unmounted stamps are usually cheaper, and because they’re flatter, they take up less storage space. They’re long-lasting as well because they’re still made with red rubber. Some people reduce the storage space they need for stamps by removing the wood from “wood mount” stamps as well. Sensible.

Many companies now sell their stamps as “cling mount”, with the picture of the stamp on the side that sticks to the Plexiglass so you can see where your image is going as you apply it. 

Polymer stamps are also hugely popular. These are “see through” so you can easily see where the image will go as you stamp it. Although these stamps are quite a lot cheaper and easier to use and store, they’re not as durable because the polymer eventually breaks down due to time, ink chemicals and sunlight. 

Another option is to hand-carve your own stamps. It’s easily done with an x-acto knife or inexpensive carving tool and some dollar store erasers. It’s an acquired skill, and difficult to get the kind of detail you see on a commercial stamp. But for one-of-a-kind stamps that are all YOU, it’s fun to do.

If you’re just starting out, I recommend polymer stamps. Although they don’t last as long as red rubber, they’re fine for most purposes. I’ve had some of mine for decades, so don’t let fear of decay stop you! Also you’ll probably be happier in the beginning knowing where your image is going when you stamp. They’re very affordable in scrapbooking stores and dollar stores, although the themes (at dollar stores in particular) can be kind of boring and/or traditional, but it’s getting better all the time as more and more people are doing art journaling and the tastes change.

I encourage you to try all the stamps I’ve brought to class, particularly the letter stamps, since stamping the words you want can really make your pages YOURS. I also recommend having some scrap paper nearby whenever you stamp to you can pre-test how your stamps look before you apply it to your page. 

About the inks I use ...

Every person who stamps has favourite inks. I’ve changed brands several times. Most of the time I’m looking for three things: how crisp it is, how permanent it is, and how many colours does it come in.

My current “go to” is Ranger Archival Jet Black. I like it because it’s permanent and I can add wet media into my stamped images without worrying about them running. I like this ink so much I bought a BIG pad for my big stamps.

My next favourite inks are StazOn (in lots of colours!). They’re also opaque and very permanent. Since they dry by evaporation instead of being absorbed, they’re also good for metal, glass and plastic. 

Because I love muted colours, I’m also a fan of Tim Holtz’ Distress Inks. They’re “fade resistant” water-based inks, so I’ve found them to be not as permanent as the other two, and they’re kind of “watery”, so not as crisp an image, but sometimes I want that. 

Most inks can be cleaned off with baby wipes or windex, but for the permanent inks, you need something stronger like StazOn Stamp Cleaner. An online recipe for a stamp cleaner uses a mix of glycerine, baby shampoo and distilled water. The recipe is: 2 tablespoons of liquid glycerine, 1 tablespoon of baby shampoo and 7 ounces of distilled water. This will mix you up an 8-ounce bottle, which in the store might cost you around $8, but if you make your own, it costs just pennies. I haven;t tested this reicpe yet because usually I just stamp on scrap paper till there’s no ink left on the stamp. 

We also talked about rockers - which are excellent ways to work with large unmounted or cling mounted stamps. Rockers have curved surfaces, which makes it easier to control the pressure of the image over a large area. Here are a few of my favourites:

The Impression Obsession Mega Mount Rocker Block measures 6"x6", and at $24.99 US is not so cheap, but it really, really does the job well. I tried almost every cheap alternative I could think of (surely I could find *something*!?), but no - eventually I bought it because it is really well designed and will last forever, so worth it if you work with big stamps. They also make a smaller 4"x5" Mini Mount for $15, but if you only buy one, go for the large one. Coincidentally, the large one is also handy for 6"x6" gelli plates (but that's for another class!).

If you're looking for something more affordable, Crafter's Companion has Rock-A-Blocks, which are much more affordable and come in two sets, one with two bases (5x7 plus 2.5 x 7), and one with 4 bases (from 4x6 down to 1.5 x 1.5). Each set is very affordable at $13.75 US from Amazon.

If you want to be *really* frugal (and we do!), Urban Source on Main Street usually has a selection of leftover plexiglass offcuts that you can cut to the size you like. They may not be curved, but they're local and super affordable! I live dangerously close to Urban Source, and they are my "go to" when I'm looking for something out of the ordinary to create with.

Here are you handout pages on stamping:

Hope you'll look at stamps in a new way. Once you find stamps you love and know you'll use often, there are lots of different ways to use them.