This is what my hands looked like after class last week. I’m still trying to find a way to persuade one or two people that they really don’t need to press the stamp into the inkpad *that* hard! If there is ink on the edge of the rubber, then it’s a little too much pressure. If the whole of the background rubber is awash with ink, then it’s a lot too much pressure. If the entire wood mount is also covered…well…the person cleaning up after you will end up looking like this!
It’s quite a difficult thing to teach someone. I can demonstrate my own technique, ‘til I’m blue in the fingers face, but you have to find the right pressure for yourself. I’ve described it as a tapping motion, rather than a pressing one. Suggested building up the colour gradually, by using two or three gentle taps, rather than trying for even coverage in one firmer push. If an inkpad is particularly ‘juicy’ I sometimes just rest the stamp on the surface and that can be enough. You know it’s level and you won’t get that irritating ‘ghosting’ from inky edges. If you’re a stamper, do you have any other handy hints that I could suggest? I want everyone to get the most from their experience and go home with something they are proud of.
While we’re on the subject of teaching…..I’ve written a few tutorials, to share here on my blog, over the past couple of years. I always use the same format: a photograph of each step, with an explanation underneath. A few people have commented that I should make Youtube videos so I thought I’d ask the question. Is that how you prefer to view tutorials?
I do watch them myself, to get an idea of how to do something. If I was going to follow the directions, I would have to keep stopping and starting the video, while I made my own ‘copy’ of the project. Personally, I prefer to have the directions in a series of images and instructions, that I can have open on my laptop screen, or print out to refer to.
I’m going to make a tutorial for the “Card in a Box”, as a few people said they would like one and I have all the “Blue Peter” bits ready to photograph. It will be in my usual style of words and pictures this time, but I might rethink for the future, depending on feedback.
One last thing, before I go. Abi opened a discussion, about replying to blog comments, last week. A couple of people commented that they didn’t know if they were “no-reply” bloggers. I thought I’d direct you to my own post on the subject from last year. It includes a link to instructions for finding out and fixing, if you’d like to.
Oh, I know I said that was the last thing, but I wanted to share this little teaser. Something that I got very excited about on Friday night. If you’re a Facebook friend you’ll already know, but if you’re not…..can you guess what it is? I’ll tell you the whole story later in the week. Hope you’ve had a great start to yours.
PS Links to the tutorials pictured above can be found here:
5 comments:
Grrrr that would drive me mad to see people overinking their stamps and it is such a shame if you have shown them how to do it correctly that they persist in over inking - they must waste so much cardstock as I imagine that they stamp a lot of stuff that has to be discarded as it has come out blobby or has the edges of the stamp on it.
Love all your tutorials and they are always very clear and concise. I use both photo and video tutorials, both have their pros and cons.
Hi Fiona,hopefully they are going with the inkpad to the stamp method, rather than the stamp to the inkpad, other than that I don't know what to suggest. I do understand your problem with teaching people that here- we grind bolts, and have to train new operators. One thing that is vital is that they do what they have to do gently! Have you ever tried explaining 'gently' to someone? One persons version of gentle is way too little pressure, the next one way too much! Oh well, possibly the most help I can give is suggest you get some disposable latex gloves for stamp cleaning, lol. Have a good week, Hugs, Shaz xx
I have to say that I like your style of tutorials...like yourself I find you tube can be a nuisance to stop and start !
Alison xx
Hi Fiona, I'm catching up today and had to stop at this post to say that I'm definitely a blog post reader rather than a you tube watcher
haha! I'm no good with inks. I get in a terrible mess, so much so that my sister commented the other week on my grubby hands! I'm waiting for your box tutorial. After trying one of your other tutorials i know they are easy to follow x
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