A beginners guide to using clear stamps with die-cuts

Today I am going to share with you the first part of a series of beginners guides which I hope you will find helpful. I know I use a lot of Docrafts products but a lot of the tips and hints will apply to any brand.

 Today my tutorial will be  on how to  line you stamps up with the matching dies. Its a new trend hitting the craft industry at the moment with companies such as Papermania and Sizzix having there own products. I prefer the Papermania ones because they are cheaper and still provide the same quality as the other brands but its up to you to decide.

 For this tutorial I have used the Papermania Butterfly Stamps ( PMA  907322) that match the Xcut A5 Buteerflies die-set (XCU 503196). '

 1) This may seem obvious but carefully peal the stamp off the plastic backing. I say carefully because when using stamps with intricate parts on its easy to tear them. Place the clear stamp on to a acrylic block or CD case. Any smooth and clear surface will work but the acrylic blocks have a better grip.

2) Ink the stamp by dabbing the ink pad on to the stamp making sure you get an even coverage of ink.  doing this way reduces the risk of the stamp falling in to the ink pad creating a mess. I've had this happen to me once when I tried to stamp using the lid of an ink pad.

3) carefully place the die-cut shape over the matching stamp but do not press down until you are happy its in the correct position. once I position press the die down all over using your fingers so that the ink covers the die evenly.

4) your finished item should look like this, you can then use embossing powder to gloss over the details or decorate with adhesive gems. the possibilities are endless.

A quick tip on maintaining your stamps

as you use your clear stamps some staining may happen and I know there are a load of expensive cleaning products available for keeping them clean. but I just use alcohol free baby wipes to clean mine after use. for a deeper clean I use warm  water and washing up liquid and give them a rub down. always let them air dry otherwise the clingy bit on the back wont be as effective.

if you have any questions or feedback  then drop us a comment.

 My next tutorial will be for the end of April on how to use misting sprays.