When most people think about applying a colorant to a
rubber stamp, their first thought is probably of an ink
pad. There are however many other ways to apply
colorants to rubber stamps, which will provide unique
textures to work with. You'll need to experiment with
these different applicators to see which ones work best
with your rubber stamps and stamping projects. Each of
them provides a very different look. Here are just a few
of them unique applicators you can use with your rubber
stamps.
Sponges: There are many different sizes, textures and
densities of sponges that can be used to apply various
colorants to your rubber stamps. Sponges are often good
for making splotchy non-uniform coverage that looks
unique. You will find in most instances that a damp
sponge works best.
Paint Brushes: Most people use paint brushes to apply
paint rubber stamps but you can also use them to apply
other colorants as well. Since brushes come in a wide
variety of shapes, sizes, and densities they can provide
a wide array of textures. Using the right size brush can
make covering the surface of the stamp much easier. Foam
brushes also provide a soft, textured look. Remember
that you only need to paint the raised surface of the
stamp since all other areas will not be imprinted. This
can be accomplished by making like gentle strokes across
the surface.
Q-Tips: These are perfect for applying watercolors and
chalks to the surface of your rubber stamp or to apply
the colorants directly to the stamped image on your
workspace. Since they are very cheap, they are a quick,
disposable applicator for many colorants.
Cotton Balls: Want to create a cloudy or smoky effect?
Do you need soft hues for specific area of the stamp?
Cotton balls are wonderful way to mix-and-match colors,
since you can simply throw it away after you're
finished. You can use fresh cotton balls for every stamp
pad or colorant you are using in order to avoid mixing
the colors of the original.
Baby Wipes: You probably never imagined using these in
rubber stamping. You can fold a baby wipe on top of
itself two or three times to make a nice "stamp pad
like" surface to work with. Since it is already damp, it
makes a perfect surface to mix-and-match your own inks.
Also try lightly dusting the baby wipes with chalks to
get a soft, pastel pad to stamp with.
Spritzer: You'll find this in your local craft and hobby
store if you already don't have one. This unique tool
makes it possible to provide an air brush or spatter
effect with a simple marker. Some of them come ready to
fit many different marker sizes. Others are made only
for specific brand markers. Check the manufacturer and
instructions to determine which type of spritzer you
have purchased.
Brayer: You'll find rubber and plastic brayers-some that
are hard and some are soft. Rubber brayers work
wonderfully to transfer multicolored ink pads to the
rubber stamp. Brayers are also an excellent choice if
you need to cover the surface area of a large stamp and
want an even layer. You will find small as well is very
large brayers. If you're having a hard time finding just
the right size, make sure to check online. There are
also specific brayers that are used to apply textures to
your rubber stamp.
Fabric: Try experimenting with different fabric textures
to apply colorants to your rubber stamps. You will find
that the texture weave of the fabric will be seen on the
rubber stamped image and will provide a very unique
look. You can buy a very small amount of fabric and cut
into little squares to use with the different colorants.
While there are many different applicators to apply
colorants to rubber stamps, we have tried to give you
just a few more ideas for making your rubber stamping
projects truly unique. Experiment today with these
applicators to see what kinds of unique textures you can
come up with.
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