I just love using acrylic stamps in my Journaling Bible! They are perfect for someone like me who isn't big on drawing or doing hand lettering. I'm going to share with you the very basics for using these cute acrylic stamps.
You'll need a set of acrylic stamps, a clear acrylic stamping block and some ink. For more info on which inks are best for bible journaling, check out my post Which Inks for Bible Journaling.
Acrylic stamps come on a thin sheet of plastic. To use them, peel the stamp off of the plastic and stick it flat side down on the stamp block. Since both the stamp and block are clear, you can easily position the stamp where you want it on the page.
If you use a stamp a lot, it may loose it's cling and fall off of the block. Just wash with mild soap and water to restore the cling factor.
Next, ink up your stamp on your stamp pad. Make sure you get good ink coverage. If you get any ink on the block, wipe it off with a paper towel or tissue before stamping to avoid getting ink where you don't want it.
Brand new stamps often stamp better if you do a bit of conditioning first. Do a few practice stamps on a scrap piece of paper, stamping a couple of times before reinking.
Stamping in a Journaling Bible provides it's own set of difficulties. To build a nice stamping surface anywhere in my bible, I layer my Illustrated Faith Bible mat under a thin piece of cushy packaging and put both pieces under my page. This keeps a nice flat surface no matter what might be journaled on pages beneath the one you are working on. And in the case of bleed through, it won't make it through all of these layers to the pages underneath.
Stamp firmly on your paper. Be committed when you go to stamp. Moving the stamp around while you're stamping will cause the image to smear and smudge. Then lift off cleanly.
Then enjoy your beautifully stamped image. To clean your stamp, you can use a commercial stamp cleaner or use a baby wipe or damp paper towel.
