Tutorial on Using a Stamp Positioner

I know a lot of you are big fans of stamp positioners. So am I. With wood-mounted stamps, a stamp positioner is critical for exact placement.

Some people, however, are scared of stamp positioners. They seem cumbersome and awkward. But really, they are essential tools for clean-and-simple stamping. So here's a little tutorial. Once you play around with a stamp positioner, you'll realize just how powerful this simple little tool is.

Trust me.


1. I started with the word big stamped on the edge of a portrait-oriented card using a large clear alphabet. I wanted to put the word hugs tucked under the letter i in big. The only stamp I had with the word hugs on it was this wood-mounted stamp from Hero Arts (discontinued).

2. So I stamped the sentiment on my stamp positioner. Mine is an old one from the long-defunct Personal Stamp Exchange (duh). It consists of an L-shaped piece of thick acrylic and a thinner sheet of acrylic. All stamp positioners I've seen are variations on these two things and work the same way. Tuck the thinner sheet into the L, use the corner of the L to guide the wood-mounted stamp down onto the thinner sheet. Always use a dark ink on the stamp positioner so you can see it clearly.

3. Now, since I just want the word hugs, I cleaned the stamp and masked off the lots of, inked hugs, and removed the post-its.

5. Put the thinner acrylic sheet over the place you want to stamp your image, and slide the L up to the corner.

6. Holding the L shaped piece in place, move the thinner sheet away, and use the L to guide your stamp onto the paper. And that's all there is to it!!!!



 

I finished the card with some large parentheses.

See, now. It's not that bad, is it? If you don't have a stamp positioner and use wood-mounted stamps, get one. If you have one and don't use it, drag it out and play. I double-dog dare you!

And now I'm off to play the OLW77. Tweet, tweet!!!