Grandma's Rocking Chair - October 20, 2013 - Halo around your stamped image

Grandma's Rocking Chair Question - How do I not get the Halo around the image when I stamp.

Saturday I was at a craft fair and had a make and take that folks could do, nothing fancy just a 3 x 3 card and envelope with the Envelope Punch Board.  While I was doing the make and takes I asked one person if she would like to do a card and she said that she had tried stamping and really didn't like it because there was always a ring around her image.   I knew that feeling as I had been there and done that, I at first had tried stamping and it didn't look good so I stopped until my neighbor Dee showed me how to do it right.  So I told the person I would show her how to prevent that.

I asked her to stamp an image to see what was happening.  She inked up the stamp and then stamped her image.  Here is what I told her to do.

1. When inking especially on the new sponge ink pads do not push really hard or rock it back and forth.  just gently tap the stamp to the ink pad to make sure that it has enough ink look at and see if it is covered.  If you really need to make sure you have it inked enough then lay the stamp rubber side up and bring the ink pad to the stamp and again gently tap the ink pad to stamp.

2. Once your stamp is inked then Lift it about 6 inches or more above the spot you want to stamp it. If you can have the stamp in one hand and the other hand hold the cardstock down as flat as you can.  Then bring the stamp straight down, do not rock it back and forth to get it all on the cardstock,  put pressure straight down.  Do not come at if from an angle to place the image where you want it, like laying it from the bottom of the stamp to the top of the stamp, put it straight down.

3.  When you lift it, lift it straight up.  Don't peek at it and then put it straight down.  If you did not get it fully stamped stamp again.  It takes practice and soon you will be able to judge how hard you need to press straight down.

Her first stamping had that halo around it.  The stamp block was covered with ink and the entire stamp had ink on it. She had started stamping at the bottom of the stamp and then rocked it so much you almost could not make out the image. When she lifted the stamp off, she lifted it a little bit and then put it back down and then took it off again. After I told her how to do it, she tried it again and it was a great looking image.  She was like WOW.  I explained what she was doing and why it gave that image then I gave her a few more cards to practice on and she was really excited that they looked so good. She said she may have to try it again.

It was fun to see someone really have fun stamping and be so excited to have a good product and out come.  I don't know if she  will ever stamp again but at least she will now know how if she does.

If you have any questions about stamping or paper crafts please leave a comment or e-mail me at Marystamping at gmail.com

Don't forget the Mystery Hostess for this month.

Just use the Hostess Code DP9ZJPVV and you will be entered into the drawing.

Mystery Host code  DP9ZJPVV is good till October 22 and the winner will be announce September 1. The winner will choose Stampin' Up! products of their choice. To be entered in the drawing you need to enter the code.  The big question where do you enter the code when you are on the page of your shopping bag on the left bottom side you will see at the bottom where it say "Special Offer" the box that say "Do you have a hostess code"  Look like this
Do you have a hostess code? Enter it here and click Apply:

 that is where you will enter  DP9ZJPVV in that box let me know if you have any question and good luck to everyone that will participate. 

The Mystery Hostess is for everyone who enters an on-line order and uses the Hostess code they will be entered into a drawing for what Hostess rewards are available.  This month you get an extra $25 in Hostess reward for any order over $250 so that would be a total of $65 worth of rewards instead of $40.

Happy stamping

Mary