The technique is simple with the right supplies. I created the backgrounds with Ranger Adirondack Inks and stamped the images with Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink. The key is to stamp on regular text weight paper (like the paper you use in your printer) since household items generally carry little ink.
In this first project, you can see the impression of the shell patterned tub mat. The background is filled by repeated stamping with shelf liner, my favorite and most used “found” items. (One pack at the dollar store will yield a life-time supply for you and several friends.) Isn’t the angel stamp great! The stamp and phrase are from Postmodern Design, and the rick rack border is by Hot Potatoes.
For this card, I stamped with a geometric patterned tub mat and then pounced an inked cosmetic sponge over metallic micro-dot ribbon. By turning the ribbon as I pounced, a geometric pattern was formed in some places. Check the skirt of the Tim Holtz “Pattern” stamp for this detail.
The third project published in TRS was this composition book. Interestingly, the back side was featured where I used fewer real stamps. Now you can see the front of the book. I stamped the background with a wavy tub mat, a shell tub mat, my trusty shelf liner, and a diamond patterned fly swatter. The suction cup on the underside of the tub mats leaves a circle print. (Look under the net to see the starfish repeatedly stamped in the background.) All stamps are by Oxford Impressions.
Now you can see the three cards that TRS didn’t publish. I stamped the “Life’s Blessings” card with bubble wrap, a flower fly swatter, and shelf liner before adding the images by Art Impressions.
For a different look, try tone-on-tone stamping as I did with the “Kind Words” card. In this case I added stamping with a small paint container to the shelf liner and bath mat – as before, with the suction cups forming interesting circles. The flower stamp is from Hero Arts and Mother Theresa speaks though a Wisecracks stamp. (I don’t know about you, but I find that amusing!) This card makes me want to jump for joy. Well, at least it makes me smile. I’ve used the small paint container with a twisting motion to apply more ink – some circles with the lid on and some off. You can see bubble wrap, fly swatter, and the ever present shelf liner. The exuberant figure is by Stamp in the Hand and the saying is from Wordsworth.
When I started stamping with household items, it changed the way that I look at my environment. We are surrounded by interesting textures and shapes. I enjoy the challenge of using them.
