Masking

Here's another way your Stamp-a-ma-jig stamp positioner is useful.  I often find I only want to use part of a stamp.  Maybe one flower out of a whole bunch, or in this example, one word from a sentiment.  Sure, I could just use my computer and print out the word I want for my card, but that won't add it to the same element as the image we stamped in the previous post. 

For this example, I want my finished image to say "Valentine, you make me smile", so we need to figure out how to add the word 'valentine' to what we already have when we don't have quite the right stamp. 

The way to do that is to use the masking technique.  Here is picture of what you will need.  Elipse tape, is nothing more than a roll of paper where the entire back has post-it note glue on it.  So, you guessed it, post-it notes work great for making masks.  The stamp I am going to hy-jack the word 'valentine' from is pictured below.  I stamped it onto the pink scrap just so you could see it on paper.

Cut off a piece of Eclipse tape and stamp your image onto the paper side.  Use a dye or chalk ink so it drys fast. 

Next, get out your craft knife and trim away the part of the image you want to show on your finished piece.  In this case I am removing 'valentine' from the stamped mask.

Set the mask asside and place the pastic sheet from the stamp positioner on your work surface.  Line up the jig with the corner like we did in the last post.  Stamp your sentiment onto the plastic sheet making sure you have it nice and snug into that corner.

Place the mask on your project so the missing word will show where you want it.  You'll note that the Elipse paper is see-through.  Post-it notes; not as much.

Layer the plastic sheet over the mask, matching up the letters, so it reads perfectly.

Add the jig, snug to the corner of the plastic sheet.  Hold the jig in place with one hand and pull the plastic sheet away.   You should now have the jig in place and the mask in place so...

...ink your stamp and snug it up to the jig in the corner.  Lower the stamp onto your project and stamp. 

Ok - that's it - go back to the top to see the finished image.  You may see a little smudge above my finished image - I was toying with the word 'happy' while putting this class together and dropped the dirty stamp.  Gah!

Stamp-a-ma-jig - Stamp Positioning

Hidey-Ho Readers - in an effort to stop stuffing my face after work in front of HBO, I put this class together on using a simple stamp positioner.  It's called the Stamp-a-ma-jig and it retails for about $8.  You can buy extra plastic sheets for the thing separately, but it comes with everything you need to get started. This is what you get, minus the tape runner.  I stuck that in there so you could get an idea of how big the thing is. The plastic sheet has a sticker on the side you DON'T stamp on.

Ok - here is a look at the finished piece.  I'm using a couple of stamps from one of Unity Stamp Co's sets and a sentiment from Hero Arts in the next post when we get to the masking class.  The inks should be pigment ink.  I'm using Colorbox; terracotta and pink. 

First let's stamp the base image - the sign post.  This is a larger stamp, and it's important not smear ink into the hole where we'll add the word 'smile'.  To keep things even and clean, I like to use a brayer to load the stamp with ink.  You can use your ink pad, but just be sure to keep the edges clean. 

Not to get ahead of myself, but I doused the finished product in clear UTEE and melted it from behind with the heat gun. Another reason to use the brayer to load the stamp; it puts a nice, even, thick layer of ink on the page that UTEE loves to stick to. I find when using Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE) it's best to heat the stuff from underneath. The larger particles tend to blow all over the place if heated from above.

Set the sign post image aside, once you have it stamped.  Now, lay the plastic sheet on your work surface.  The smooth side should be facing up.  Place the jig handle tight to the corner of the plastic sheet.  Ink your 'smile' stamp and carefully place the corner of the stamp into the 90 degree corner of the jig.  Lower the stamp so it prints on the plastic sheet.

Ok - we're almost there...take the plastic sheet and layer it over the sign post so 'smile' is in the center of the lower oval. 

Add the jig snug up against the corner of the plastic sheet, keeping 'smile' where you want it.  Move the jig together with the plastic sheet until you get it just right.
 

Once you are happy with the placement, keeping the jig in place with one hand, carefully remove the plastic sheet with the other.  Don't move your sign post image when you take away the plastic sheet.  If you do, it's no big deal, just repeat the above step and try again.  You should now have your stamped sign post image with the jig on your work surface.  Ink your 'smile' stamp and place it in the corner of the jig, lowering it down to stamp onto the sign post.

Remove the stamp and the jig and you should now have 'smile' right where you want it.  Ta da!  (Here's where you can get out the UTEE and dunk, gently shake off the excess, and melt from behind.)   

There are about a million different stamp positioners on the market today, but I find that none of them are as easy to use as this little gadget.  Here are some additional tips if you are stuggling at all with this.

1. If you can't seem to pull the plastic sheet away without moving the base image, try using some repositionable tape to hold the base image to your work surface.  You can stick it down with post-it notes too.  They are designed for repositioning, but most people don't use them as tape.  I do. 
2. Use pigment ink to start.  It wipes right off the pastic sheet so you can try again.  Chalk ink and Staz-On require you to remove it with special cleaners.  It's just something else to mess up the place and keep you from getting things figured out while you practice.
3. Ahhh...Practice.  Yeah.  Good idea! 
4. Note the plastic sheet has three corners (because of the sticker they place on it) that you can use for images.  You can put a different image on each corner and place them anywhere you want them.  If you buy extra plastic sheets, you get three in a pack.  Thats 9 more corners to play with!  Take off the silly sticker with some Un-Do and, bam!  That's extra corners!

That's it!  Shout out any questions you have.  I'll reply with comments on the blog so everyone can see.  - AMK