Confident Cardmaking Starts with Stamping and Stenciling!

Stamping and stenciling can seem intimidating if you’re new to the world of cardmaking, but they don’t have to be! These tools are not just for advanced artists; they’re for everyone, whether you’re a total newbie or someone who’s been crafting for decades. 

Our goal for today’s blog is to give you a little confidence boost to keep crafting! What better way to do that than with popular, tried-and-true techniques like stamping and stenciling? Let’s go! 

Why Zoom in on Stamps and Stencils for Beginner Cardmaking?

Confidence in crafting isn’t about perfection. It’s about freedom, the freedom to play, to experiment, and to make something beautiful that reflects you. Playing with stamps and stencils is a great launch pad to achieve it, because of how simple the techniques are, and how it poses so many opportunities for you to grow.

Choosing the Right Stencils and Stamps for Cardmaking

If you’re a crafting newbie, stamps and stencils are the way to go! They’re beginner-friendly, easy to use, and you can choose from so many amazing designs! You can use them as focal points for your cards, backgrounds, frames, whatever you want! 

On the other hand, stencils are also known to be an amazing entry point for beginner crafters because all you have to do is place the stencil on your cardstock and apply inks! Here are some designs you can choose from for both of these categories: 

• Letter/Word 

• Floral Designs 

• Scenes and Foliage 

• Geometric Shapes 

Tips to Boost Your Crafty Confidence with Stamping and Stenciling!

Now let’s get to the fun part, talking about tips and tricks designed to help you make the most of your crafting experience! 

Acquire the Essential Tools First

Crafting can be frustrating if you don’t have high-quality tools. Now, don’t get us wrong, you don’t need a ton of overly expensive tools that you’ll only use once or twice. The essentials will do! For stamping, think about your favorite stamp sets, stamping tools like an acrylic block or the Stampwheel. 

For stenciling, go for a couple of beautiful stencil designs along with some essential ink blending brushes and your favorite inks. The basics will do, and you can always get more supplies in the future! 

Start with Basic Techniques and Work Your Way Up 

We understand, it can be tempting to dive right into complex techniques and achieve some of those challenging handmade card designs. As a beginner, try to hold off on that for a little while and start with the more basic techniques. For example, try one-layer cards first with simple designs and play around with where you want to place your elements.

Once you get the hang of that, dive into more complex designs and harder techniques. Much like anything else in life, it’s always best to ease yourself into something unfamiliar and build your experience from there. Patience is key! 

Play Around with Layered Stamps

Layering stamps are gorgeous and help you make the most beautiful cards. They might also be a bit challenging if you’ve never worked with them before. It takes proper alignment, a good idea of color families, and patience! Give it a couple of attempts, and with practice and a little bit of perseverance, you’ll be so pleased with the result.

Share Outputs That You’re Proud Of

There’s nothing more empowering than sharing a cardmaking project and having other people gush and swoon over your creation. The crafting community is such a beautiful thing, and you’d be surprised how much joy and confidence you can get from fellow crafters. Sharing your projects online or even with select people is something that can boost your morale like no other!

Know That Mistakes Happen, and They Can Be Fixed!

Remember that even the most experienced crafters can make mistakes, and trust us, you’ll make a lot of mistakes as a beginner. That’s totally okay, and they can always be fixed. 

Don’t feel bad about working on a project all over again or having to cover up some of your mistakes. You can always re-stamp blurry impressions or cover up subtle stenciling mistakes. If that doesn’t work, then take it as a learning experience! Surround yourself with confidence and kindness every step of the way! 

Get as Much Inspiration as You Can

You don’t have to go through your crafty experience alone if you don’t want to. There are so many amazing crafters out there who share their tips, techniques, and experiences that would be valuable to you. Always watch videos, read blogs, and enjoy the multitude of resources and inspiration available to help boost your confidence. 

Let Go of Your Crafting Fears and Enjoy the Process!

If you’ve ever felt like you weren’t “crafty enough,” it’s time to change the narrative. With a few tools, some practice, and a dash of courage, you can turn a blank card into a mini masterpiece. Let your creativity blossom with every stamp press and stencil swipe!

Remember, there are no mistakes in cardmaking—just opportunities to learn and happy little surprises waiting to happen. Stay open-minded and positive to have the best possible experience! If you’d like to get more tips and inspiration, read more HERE. Happy crafting! 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q: What are the steps of stamping?

A: Stamping is fairly easy because all you have to do is apply some ink to your clear, photopolymer stamp and press it to your desired surface to create an image. 

Q: What is the concept of stamping? 

A: The concept of stamping is transferring the image from a stamp to a surface of your choice. A stamp can be used countless times, as long as you take great care of it, and is amazing for making countless crafting designs. 

Q: How to stamp correctly?

A: Stamping is definitely a beginner-friendly technique, but to do it correctly, you’ll need to use ink on every part of your stamp and apply even pressure when placing the stamp on your desired surface. Sometimes the impression won’t be perfect, but that’s what re-stamping is for!