Today's Tip! - Card Crafting Basics - Stamping

This is an excerpt from a July 2006 article in CardMaker magazine:
Card Crafting Basics
Card crafting is easy, creative and fun. Collect basic tools and supplies, learn a few simple terms and techniques, and you're ready to start. The possibilities abound!
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Stamping:
Direct-to-paper (DTP) - Use ink pad, sponge or stylus tool to apply ink instead of a rubber stamp.
Inks - Available in pads and re-inker bottles.  Types include dye and pigment, permanent, waterproof and fade-resistant or archival, chalk finish, fast drying, slow drying, rainbow and more.  Read the labels to determine what is best for a project or surface.
Make stamps - Carve rubber, erasers, carving blocks, vegetables.  Heat Magic Stamp foam blocks to press against textures.  Stamp found objects such as leaves and flowers, keys and coins, etc.
Stamps - Sold mounted on wood, acrylic or foam, or unmounted (rubber part only), made from vulcanized rubber, acrylic or foam.
Store - Flat and away from light and heat.
Techniques - Tap the ink onto the stamp (using the pad as the applicator) or tap the stamp onto the ink pad.  Stamp with even hand pressure (no rocking) for best results.  For very large stamps, apply ink with a brayer.  Color the surface of a stamp with watercolor markrs (several colors), huff with breath to keep the colors moist, then stamp; or lightly spray with water mist before stamping for a very different effect.
Unbounted stamps - Mount temporarily on acrylic blocks with foam tape, hook-and-loop, paint on adhesives or cling plastic.