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Stamp and Scrap Canada
Paper Crafting Tips

When storing dual-ended stamping or journalling markers, be sure to keep them in a horizontal position so that the ink doesn't run out at one end. - Deb Miedema

When using your heat tool while candle stamping, be sure to wear an oven mitt so you don't get hot candle wax on your fingers. - Deb Miedema

When mailing ATCs or cards, either wrap them in plastic wrap or put them in baggies to avoid possible weather damaging your personal creation. - Deb Miedema

To make clean -up easier when using Staz On ink.....first stamp into a versamark Pad and then into the Stazon. It keeps the stamp from gumming up and ink clean up results in a much cleaner stamp. - Diana Crick

Check out your Good Will, Salvation Army, and second hand stores. They have many items that can be used in paper arts for pennies in comparison to buying new. I have recently gotten the turntable tool caddy from that home party company for $2.00. A stack of 8 paper racks for $1.00, a nice goodneck lamp I needed by my computer for $5.00, A filing cabinet (legal size format) for my 12x12" papers that fit perfectly with a little cupboard below and that was a whopping $10.00 on casters!!! 7 tins with all sorts of wonderful advertisements for 'old time' foods that I have glued together, added to a lasy susan (also from these shops for $1.00) and built my very own, very whimsical tool caddy. It holds a ton of tools and my most used items way better than the famous kitchen home party caddy. I found Chalklets, unopened for $2.00, desk accessories galore. You have to go to these shops on Tues. and Wed. as they get loads of things in over the weekend, sort and price on Monday and put the products out on Tues. and Wed. I have saved a fortune and enjoyed every single great bargoon! LOL I love a good bargain and enjoy the hunt even more! - Jan Williams

I purchased an old wooden cassette tape holder from our local thrift store. The majority of my stamp pads fit in it beautifully and are easily accessible on my desktop. Also purchased a carry along cassette case so I can take along my favorite stamp pads to crops. - Cathy Atkins

*I have found a wonderful tip for those of us that like using chalks. My difficulty had been to get shading just as I would like it. This tip is good for any type of paper including glossy. 1) stamp your image. 2) spray with Krylon Matte Sealer. 3) the paper now has 'tooth' and will grab the chalk that you have scraped into a little pile. (never scrub at a cake of chalk, scrap it with your Exacto knife and make chalk dust to work with, much better results.) 4) start to apply your chalk dust with tiny paint brushes and you will find it grabs very easily and it is also easier to shade etc. 5) now seal once again with Krylon, matte sealer to prevent smudging. This tip has me using more chalk as a medium because it adds more depth and dimention to my work. - Jan Williams

For a cheap and easy background, take popcorn seed, rice or anything hard, wrap a bit in saran wrap (I used a double layer). Twist the wrap until it is in a tight ball, tie with a twist tie. Just blot the little bad onto your stamp pad and then paper. Each item will give a different pattern. You can also use a brayer over netting, wrap rubber bands on a block. - Julie Roberts

Shake your chalk re-inker by putting it in a sock and spin it! - Victoria Cook

To make your masking tape less sticky, just stick it on your jeans or skirt first.- Victoria Cook

Keep a notebook beside you on your bedside table to jot down card making ideas in the night.- Victoria Cook

Use poly bags to store your made cards especially if you have some 3D embellishments.- Victoria Cook

Make some everyday cards without any sayings. When you need a quick card for a birthday or to say "Thank You", just add the words.- Victoria Cook

Use the back of the mousepad to stamp, emboss foil or to shape your paper or punchies. - Victoria Cook

I use pinking shears when putting together a collage of pictures. No matter how big the area, the pinking shears leave a great edge on the pictures, and you can be creative on how the pictures are placed.

I keep a small container of water and a mostly dry sponge on my work table all the time. I have poured my white glues and mediums in the small plastic containers with lids that I get at the craft store ( 2-4 oz jars work too). Be sure to write on the container what is inside! When working, I use a brush to spread my glue or medium because of the control you can get with a brush over using the tip of a white glue bottle, and then drop the brush back in the water. When ready to use the brush again, just wipe it on the sponge to remove excess water. This works great with a set of cake watercolors too or Twinkling H2Os. When it's time to stop for the day, wet the sponge in the water container (if not too dirty), and wipe down your work surface. Then you can also put the container and the sponge in the dishwasher, and they come out really clean to use another day. - Mary Perlow

I use the wrappers off various candies such as candy kisses as background papers in my collages..When I collage i also use the little pull out paper in them Some say Kiss, some say cherry etc... - Patt Prober

Scan or copy the sticker/top side of your stamps to make a photo album of all the stamps you own. This way you can look through your album for just the right stamp instead of digging through all your stamp piles. It also helps you remember what stamps you actually have! - Catherine Faley

Use baby wipes to clean your stamps after you use them. - Catherine Faley

Create custom background papers using plain white 12x12 cardstock using rubberstamp techniques such as embossing resist (stamp with versamark or similiar clear pigment, apply clear or white powder and heatset) then spray with colorwashes, or use direct to paper method with ink pads, add bling with stickles or metallic pigments such as pearlex powders or Perfect Pearls. The possibilities are endless, THEN scan your creations at 300 dpi or larger so you can save them and use them again by printing on your PC, or share with friends. - Becky Chabot

Use a yellow crayon (or other color) instead of white on glossy when doing resist - it shows up and you can see where you've used it. - Diane Davison

I use a mouse pad to stamp on to give stamped images a better impression. - Diane Davison

Use a Swifter cloth to easily clean up pearl ex, embossing powder and pastels. Wipe off your card first when embossing and then use it to clean your work surface. - Diane Davison

When using liquid adhesives or glue sticks, put your project on a page in an old magazine or catalog. When you're finished, tear off and discard the page. You'll always have a clean surface to work on. - Diane Young

Here's a stamping tip I just stumbled across recently. I have been making collage cards and sometimes when I finish the stamping realize I don't really like where I placed a certain image (or images) and didn't really achieve the affect I was after. Sometimes it looks a bit too busy or maybe just needs an image moved a bit. So rather than continue the 'trial and error' system,I used a few clear acetate scraps that were sitting on my stamping table, stamped all the images with Brilliance (or other pigment ink) on pieces of acetate and moved them around on the card background to find the most pleasing arrangement BEFORE I stamped on the card. I found this really helped my placing of images,helping to achieve the desired balance in relation to size and position. After you're through you can just wipe the ink off the acetate with a kleenex and it's ready to use again.- Heather Thompson

When making a shaker box for a snowy scene, use salt with a pinch of glitter! - DeAnna Musgrove

Run a strip of card stock through a Zyron Sticker maker before you using punches or QuicKutz. Results in instant stickers of your die-cuts. The tiny pieces are easy to adhere without the mess of using glue. - Suzan Dorchik

You can make your own vellum by swiping a sheet of regular paper with baby oil. Be sure to cover the whole thing. Then press between paper towels to remove the excess. Set it aside to dry for a couple of days then take paper towel and wipe it again to take anymore oil off if it is still there. - Linda Ervin

I got tired of all the little containers of eyelets, glitters etc. all over my stamping table. I took an old cookie sheet, spray painted in in a fabulous color, added a few rhinestones to jazz it up and drilled holes on each end of the cookie sheet. (On the bottom, not the edge) Then I screwed it into the wall ABOVE my stamping table. Next, I glued magnets to the bottoms of all my little containers and stuck them up on my cookie sheet. Now I have all the jar tops facing out to view what they are in an organized manner, they are within reach and off my table! - Jeanie Sunderman

A great way to create a simple stamp is to cut the image out of adhesive backed fun foam sheets. Usually around 50 cents (US money). Cut out shape, pull back paper on adhesive back, temporarily mount it on a block and stamp away. Good for multiple stampings and it can be cleaned and stored for later use! - Jeanie Sunderman

Cut corners off colored envelopes with fancy cut scissors and then use as phote corners on your photos - Mary Lukeman

When embossing (or gluing) use several sheets of scrap paper under your project.....after sprinkling on embossing powder, fold paper in half, & pour remaining embossing powder back into the container...the scrap paper can then be thrown away, leaving your work surface neat, & saving embossing powder!..when gluing, place the sheet over your card, press down or rub, to adhere surfaces together...no messy fingerprints on your card! And you also have a nice cushiony surface to stamp on! - Dorothy Cummer

Check out the sporting goods section at stores...in the fishing tackle area the have great clear boxes that have lots of dividers that are great for storing brads, eyelets, buttons and even punches. Much less expensive than some of the other storage containers. - Cindy Frazier

I made a envelope accordian book to hold all of my extra punches and die cuts made from scraps or ones I had changed my mind about using in a project. Each envelope is designated; one for hearts, alphabets, shapes & flowers etc. - C. Cathers

Save the corks from your last bottle of wine. Cut them into coins, stamp on them and color(or not)with chalks. They make a great embellishment. - Joan Ramler

When I spill beads or small items on my floor/carpet, I use the vacuum hose covered with a piece of scrap fabric to pick up the mess. - Dawn Hass

Work in an office? Save the cardstock from brochures being tossed out. These same brochures may hold a treasure load of pictures to use in altered art. Got a binding machine? Hoard the mis-punched acetate and cardstock that normally would get trashed. Save the printing mistakes and use to protect your work surface when stamping and gluing and then toss - or use the other side in your printer to print things for yourself. Recycle, recycle, recycle! - Cheryl Losieczka

I am in the process of house cleaning deep deep housecleaning and I am in the final be tough with Myself My stuff craft stuff and I am finding old paint and buttons, ribbon, so I made My Valentine cards and boy did they turn Out cute. They are dated and ready to go. I even made My own envelopes... I took odd papers...layed them side by side and glued or taped all of them together...everything....all colors in red, pink and purples Valentine colors over 38 pieces made 15 cards!!! basic size folded them...then I took ribbon,,,buttons and placed them over tape or glue that needed to be covered and then founded scraps of paper and stamp that was small and stamped Happy Valentine and put that on with glue. on Out side of stamp and then took on heart stamps and put 3 different Heart stamps on card...Then inside I stamped Happy Valentines Day and if Tape was showing inside a piece of Ribbon went there THey look like masterpieces I am really surprised... I should have taken pictures and then I made - Kay Wolters

If the rubber on your stamps are turning white, wipe a light coat of glycerin over the rubber to avoid ghosting. You can find glycerin at your local pharmacy. - Victoria Cook

Dab a blob of repositionable adhesive on the back of the card or elements that you want to attach to your main card blank. Move them around till you are sure about their placements. - Victoria

When I am making cards I always stamp more than one image or images. If I do not have the time to put them together, I put all the makings of a card (sticker ribbon eyelets or brads backing paper) in a plastic zip lock bag then when I have time I can put the cards together. - Nancy Freckelton

Storing ink pads - Ink pads should be stored flat. Pigment ink pads can be stored face up. Since the ink is thicker, it doesn't migrate to the bottom of the pad as much as dye-based inks do. - Stephanie Fisher

Clean-up Made Easy - For easy clean-up, keep HANDY WIPES next to you when chalking or rubber stamping. Stay away from alcohol-based products. - Stephanie Fisher

I always check out the sewing/notions department in the stores I visit for great scrapbooking and card embellishments. You'd be surprised what you find in addition to buttons, zippers and fabric! - Maggie Mannwieler

To remove excess glitter from a project, use a spray can of air to blow away any flakes that may not be fully adhered. - Kathleen Murray

If you are using wet adhesive to adhere glitter to your projects, allow the adhesive to fully dry before you shake off the excess glitter.

Use a Swifter cloth to easily clean up pearl ex, embossing powder and pastels. Wipe off your card first when embossing and then use it to clean your work surface. - Diane Davison

I use a mouse pad to stamp on to give stamped images a better impression. - Diane Davison

Use a yellow crayon (or other color) instead of white on glossy when doing resist - it shows up and you can see where you've used it. - Diane Davison

Create custom background papers using plain white 12x12 cardstock using rubberstamp techniques such as embossing resist (stamp with versamark or similiar clear pigment, apply clear or white powder and heatset) then spray with colorwashes, or use direct to paper method with ink pads, add bling with stickles or metallic pigments such as pearlex powders or Perfect Pearls. The possibilities are endless, THEN scan your creations at 300 dpi or larger so you can save them and use them again by printing on your PC, or share with friends. - Becky Chabot

Use baby wipes to clean your stamps after you use them. - Catherine Faley

I use the wrappers off various candies such as candy kisses as background papers in my collages..When I collage i also use the little pull out paper in them Some say Kiss, some say cherry etc... - Patt Prober

I keep a small container of water and a mostly dry sponge on my work table all the time. I have poured my white glues and mediums in the small plastic containers with lids that I get at the craft store ( 2-4 oz jars work too). Be sure to write on the container what is inside! When working, I use a brush to spread my glue or medium because of the control you can get with a brush over using the tip of a white glue bottle, and then drop the brush back in the water. When ready to use the brush again, just wipe it on the sponge to remove excess water. This works great with a set of cake watercolors too or Twinkling H2Os. When it's time to stop for the day, wet the sponge in the water container (if not too dirty), and wipe down your work surface. Then you can also put the container and the sponge in the dishwasher, and they come out really clean to use another day. - Mary Perlow

I use pinking shears when putting together a collage of pictures. No matter how big the area, the pinking shears leave a great edge on the pictures, and you can be creative on how the pictures are placed.

Save all the envelope linings from wedding invitations, etc. and use them as background papers or papers for punchouts or collages when making cards. - Janet Genser

I have found that by going to garage/rummage sales that you can save so much money! What is someone's unwanted items, can be perfect for your pages. Jewelery can be used as charms and accents, you can find buttons galore as well as lots of other cute little trinkets. - Louise Gilbert

I've found a good use for those little mint dispensers like Tictac. When they are empty use them for some of your small accessories like eyelets, googly eyes, pompoms and more. They dispense these items one at a time, which I like! - Donna Sue Sweet

I turn my cards inside out if mailing. Saves them from getting ripped in the mail sorter especially if you have embellisments on it. - Lynne Hurlburt

When using stamps with different words, but you only want to use one word, just cover the rest with tape, stamp the ink pad the take the tape off before stamping your project. - Terra Hine

I take an old magazine, cover it with tin foil and then clip it on a clipboard and then clip my image on top that I want to heat emboss. Saves my fingers, keeps my paper for flying away and heats up quicker because the foil reflects the heat. - Diane Davison

Read this article in a magazine and tried it. Works great. Ever have a slight moment of panic before permanently placing your letter stickers down on a page? Are they straight? Are they evenly spaced? Follow these simple steps to put your mind at ease.

• Begin Sticking letters to your ruler, attaching them only at the bottom edge.
• Use the increments on your ruler to ensure even spacing. You can easily pull stickers off and reposition them until they look right.
• Once your stickers are straight and evenly spaced, position the ruler on your layout, and press each letter down.
• Carefully pull the ruler away and smooth out your stickers. There you have it - a straight, stress-free title!

When I design a layout, I like to use a homemade photo size templates to help me decide how large I should size my photographs. This way I know before I crop my photos. - Louise Gilbert

If you can't find just the right shape rubber stamp you want, cut it out of an old mouse pad, dip it in the paint and stamp. - Louise Gilbert

For embossing wrap thick paper pad with tin foil last layer use nonstick foil attach all on clipboard. When embossing attach piece to clipboard over over and will emboss quicker and with nonstick foil clean up is a breeze. - Melanie Kuzik

To sharpen scissors that have the special edges try wax paper first, if they are still dull, then try aluminum foil. If they still need sharpening, then try very fine sand paper. - Louise Gilbert

Use painters pads as a stamp scrubber for cleaning dirty stamps. - Diane Davison

Use a Q-Tip or something like it to "draw" with water where you would like the paper torn. After tearing, make sure the paper dries before using it on a card or layout - Louise Gilbert

When getting a new stamp, stamp on scrap paper first. This way you get a "feel" for the stamp and find out if you need more pressure in any areas when stamping.- Kelly Burton

Store your ink pads upside down so that ink stay closer to the top of the pad.- Kelly Burton

need thin strips of paper? Put sheet of paper through paper shredder!- Kelly Burton

Put loose glitter/sparkle in a salt or pepper shaker for easy distribution.- Victoria Cook

Dab a bit of glue on the end of the thread to stiften it before you thread your beads.- Victoria Cook

I have all my scrapbooking supplies in a plastic drawer cabinet with rollers on it. When I am ready to scrapbook I put this beside my desk and all my stamps, scissors, glues, embellishments etc. are all handy and I can get a lot done. I keep one drawer empty for works in progress so I can just carry on when I have time again.- Dianne Gardner

When embossing buy yourself a cake cooling rack. The hot air from your heat tool passes right through the paper and the rack and keeps your paper from curling so much. Saves burnt fingers as well.- Jan Williams

Make sure to visit your Good Will, Salvation Army and Value Village or lots of goodies that can be used in our paper arts. So far I have built a tool catty by buying 50 cent vintage labeled tins that I glued together with rubber cement that was then glued to the lazy susan I bought for $1.00! It's 18" high and 9" wide and has cleared off my work surface better than that famous kitchen party carsouel holds..........I got a brand new one for $3.00 and it barely holds anything, great deal anyway as they are very expensive at those home parties. I have also gotten my name spelled in wood and it holds pens, Chalklets for $2.00 new and unopened, 6 stacking trays for $2.00..........so there is lots to find if you are willing to stop by these terrific places. - Jan Williams

found an old cassette holder at thrift store and by adding some cardboard supports, found my stamp pads fit into it perfectly - holds forty pads - cost me 99 cents - pretty good buy! - Melanie-Jane Downey

Keep all the scrap paper. You can use them to punch out punchies. (punchies: what you punch out with your paper punches) - Victoria Cook

Stamp some images on white cardstocks with black pigment ink and carry them in your purse with a small pack of color pencils. Color them during waiting time.- Victoria Cook

Lightly sand your shrink plastic first before stamping on it.- Victoria Cook

I have found a sticker maker to be a valuable tool. You can then cut pictures from magazines and recycle using sticker tool to make sticker out of them. Also I shop all clearance parts of craft section at Walmart, JoAnns, etc. and buy ribbons cheap and scraps of material.- Jane Squires

The little photo albums (4 x 6)that you can purchase at the dollar stores, are great to hold all of your brass stencils. I have one that I keep just for all of my stencils.- Diane Davison

A used dryer sheet can be used as faux mulberry paper and can be dyed to match your cardstock with dye re-inkers. Just put the dryer sheet and re-inker in a baggy and shake or squish around.- Diane Davison

Drywall tape works wonderfully as a substitute for magic mesh (has a sticky side too) and can be colored easily by placing it face down onto a sheet of scrap paper or waxed paper, then rubbing the ink over top (chalk inks work really well).- Diane Davison

I line my supply drawers with rubbery shelf liner so things don t slide around. It works great.- Diane Davison

Since I am fairly new to stamping and buying stamps, I am working towards putting together an inventory of the stamps I own. When I buy a new stamp set from SU, I scan and print 2 copies of the images before I cut them out. I then put one copy in the bottom of the plastic stamp set box and the second copy in a 3 ring binder. This way I can easily see if a stamp is missing from the set and know exactly which one to look for.- Diane Davison

Add a personal touch by journaling in your book and adding interesting details. Pictures speak a thousand words, and your journaling will only add to the story! Be sure to use pens designed for scrapbooking to ensure the product is photo-safe. - Louise Gilbert

Use a brayer to evenly ink up background stamps. - Diane Davison

Instead of buying colored staples, you can just use regular staples and color them with Sharpie markers.- Diane Davison

I use therm o web super tape to adhere my unmounted stamps to a piece of transparency, trim them and then add a small square of See D's cling to the back. I store them on clear acrylic binder sheets. This has become my favorite way to use and store my rubber stamps. It takes up very little space and lets me store hundreds of stamps in a single binder.- Tami Joseph

A large 3" wide binder with page protectors inside is a perfect way to store all those packages of stickers, rubons, and other thin embellishments. Simple slip a package in a page protector, one. - B. Sloan

Save birthday, Christmas and any other card or tag you may receive. Some are quite unique and make nice gift tags; scrap book pages can be enhanced nicely, as well. - Sheila McVicar

Not sure what color card to use to layer your image on? Choose a color from the image.- Victoria Cook

KEEPING ORGANIZED AND EFFICIENT when working on a project keep all relevant color schemes and supplies (paper, scraps,stickers) in separate large ziplock bags... I am currently working on our summer houseboating book from 1996-2006. The colors include ALOT of blues and oranges...it just time and eliminates waste to have the paper colors sorted. Clean up is minimized also.- Tracey Perry

Using your computer , type up a whole sheet of words in a pretty font, in black print and use this as your background for stamping on, just stamp over top of the words and use it for making cards, tags, etc. For eg. I typed the happy birthday song and filled the whole page by copying and pasting. It looks best when you are using a larger stamp. - LaVerne

Baby wipes are good things to clean your stamps with and if you keep the wipe in a ziplock while you are working, you can use it more than once. - Wendy Woods

Save all your Mint tins and wash the lables off and store your eyelets and brads in them. Put them into a bigger container to keep track of all them in a nice neat place. You can buy the containers but why not recycle. It's alwasy better to think out side of the BOX - Debbie Tadt

When your Cricut cutting mat loses it sitickness, to get a few more cuts out of it wash it gently in soapy water dry off with your heat gun or hair dryer (becareful not to get it to hot or it will melt it) This will give it a few more cuts. I have done it a number of times and it works great- Debbie Tadt

When I am making cards, I always get a small garbage can next to the table to just throw in any small pieces of paper that are not useful.- Fernie Quintela

Foil, bubble wrap, and cling wrap can be used for inking and creating your own patterned paper. - Louise Gilbert

Old baby food jars and prescription bottles can be used for embellishment storage- Louise Gilbert

I ask drapery and upholstry shops for their sample fabrics out of their sample books when they are not required anymore and then use them as embellishments or in place of fancy papers on cards and in scrapbook pages.- Patti

Organization is the key- Susan Marks

I use undo ( glue) for anything that stick where it is not suppose to works wonders on on anything - Bea Barnett

Store your not so juicy inkpads upside down to let the ink sink to the top of the pads- Victoria Cook

I hate to waste anything, so while I'm crafting, I keep a box next to me for big scraps (ATC-sized or larger), an envelope for smaller scraps (that might be useful for trims and decorative photo corners), and an envelope - usually a used one from a received swap - to use to gather bits too small or too damaged to be used for anything. At the end of the crafting session, that last envelope goes right into the recycling box.- Melissa Hope

To add flowers to your pages, buy bunches of silk flowers from dollar stores or wal-mart and take them apart. They come in all different sizes. Put a brad in the center or a button etc. You can even add your own touch to the flowers with ink or chalk. They look beautifull!!- Tamara Wallace

Today I was in my craft room and I came across a need. I was workinmg with patterns, and It is a good thing to ask your local Doctors office for their OLD XRAYS. They make GREAT firm pattern peices and last for a long time. Alot of Doctors offices just throw them away. What better way to RECYCLE than to re-use them. I sure hope youi can use this tip for a number of crafts. Not just paper. Works great for Paper Piecing. Try it , you will be hooked on them. - Debbie Tadt

I use a coffee filter when embossing.Pour embossing powder on to project and then pour your powder into coffee filter that way your powder doesn't get everwhere. It is then easy to pour your powder back into container.- Victoria Cook

Get together once a month(at least)with a group of friends who share same love for scrapbooking and share ideas,show off projects,and inspire each other.- Joan Bowser

A dry marker does not mean it's a dead marker. It could just mean that the felt needs to be rehydrated. Dip the tip quickly into a container with clean water, test the marker on scrap paper. You may need to do this twice. If you really saturated the marker just roll the tip on scrap paper, wait a bit and test the marker again. I did this and was able to finish the last 50 thank you cards I was making for a wedding. - Glenda Dopking

I always store my ink pads up side down so my stamp is easly inked cuz the ink pad top is always damp with ink. - Francine Groulx

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