Stamps, Stamps & more Stamps...

My mom has recently gotten the scrapbook & stamping bug. This is a new thing and I must say she has jumped in with both feet! She is always asking questions about what she should buy and why I like it and why I don't so....this is for you, Mom! Love you!

Rubber Stamps aka Wood Mounted Stamps - the advantage to these are that they are well made and will last YEARS. You can't hardly mess one up. They clean up easily too. However, the disadvantage is they are pricey and it is hard to "re-stamp" if you didn't get a clear image the first time.You usually use these with an ink pad but you can also use acrylic paint. ***put on sparingly with a foam brush***
Magnetic Stamps - the advantage is that they are pretty cool. You can make different words with them - write whole paragraphs if you want too as each letter is separate. The disadvantage is the selection is very limited. Actually, there aren't many at all - at least that I know of. I do love mine and use them quite a bit. You can see what I am talking about here. Again, usually used with an ink pad but can use acrylics too.
Foam Stamps - the advantage to these is they are very inexpensive and there are a lot of different designs. Because they are inexpensive, they are a great choice for kid's projects. The disadvantage is that they aren't very durable. You have to be careful not to let your paint/ink stay on them too long and have to be gentle when washing them. I have had a few come off the mounting foam but easily glued them back on. Another disadvantage is that, like rubber stamps, it is hard to "re-stamp" if you didn't get it right the first time. If you take care of them, they will last and I love mine.Use acrylic paints with these - be careful not to overload the stamp with too much paint though. Acrylic Stamps - ok, first just let me say...LOVE THEM! These are awesome. The advantage to these are you can see exactly where you are stamping...did I say EXACTLY??!?!? and if you don't get it right the first time, you can just see straight through the stamp and do it again! Them being clear is also helpful when wanting to over-stamp a totally different image (i'll put up something on this soon). They also have sooo many different stamps and stamps sets to choose from and continue to roll out new ones all the time. The disadvantage to acrylic stamps is that, like wood mounted stamps, they are pricey. However, with the right coupon in hand, definitely never a bad purchase! IMO, you can never have too many of these!! Again, ink pads or acrylics work with these too...tap your paint on with a foam brush being careful not to get in little crevices of the stamp.

***tip - you need an acrylic block to mount your acrylic stamp on (like in the picture above). ***

Now there are interchangeable stamps too....new ones...I don't have any of those yet, believe it or not! They are on my wish list and when I get one I'll be sure and share!