soft swirls and checkerboard; can't ink these things up!!

[WLC GRAD]

I'm having a tough time with these bigger background stamps and before I buy anymore, does anyone have any tips on how to ink these stamps up? The middle always seems to be bare and the corners and sides are all properly inked. I had a decent time working with soft swirls but I couldn't do much of ANYTHING with the checkerboard stamp. Its a tad frustrating!

[gapeach30120]

I think you can use a brayer

[Soozie4Him]

I had trouble too. I ink my up brayer and put the stamp rubber side up and the brayer coats it VERY evenly - no un-inked spots, and no marks from where you rubbed the pad on it (and no fringies for your inkpads either!).

After it's all inked up, take your 1/4 sheet of cardstock and put it on top of the inked stamp. Put a piece of scratch paper (bigger than the 1/4 sheet - I use copy paper) and walk your fingers over the whole area. I've had PERFECT impressions since I started to use this technique!!

Have fun with your background stamps!!

Susan

[noblerubies]

Another thing to keep in mind when stamping with background stamps is the surface you're stamping on. I work on a plastic fold-out table, and because it's plastic, it "gives" when I stamp, resulting in the outsides of the stamp showing up on the paper, and the middle being blank. I learned that I have to take my background stamps in on my solid wood dining room table when I want to use them. ;) Much better results! Good luck!

[Bambi]

I use a hard surface and press all over the stamp, making sure that I press hard in the middle. Some people use the 'butt stamp' method :twisted: , I believe it involves sitting on the stamp.

[Penny Hall]

I don't know if this will help, but is it because you aren't getting enough ink on the center of the stamp or just when you stamp the cardstock that you can't get the ink even on it? Did you try to lay your BG stamp on a table rubber side up and take your ink pad and blot it all over the stamp until it is completely covered. Then take the cardstock you want to stamp on and lay it on top and use a scrap piece of paper to lay over that. (So you don't get ink all over your fingers.) Use your fingers to rub all around evenly while you use your other hand to hold it securely in place so it doesn't move and when your sure you did that enough, gently lift the scrap paper and cardstockup off of the stamp. HTH! good luck.

[lweller]

brayer works great! just use caution using it with the black classic pad - i had a problem with the black stain (i knew it would stain the brayer) leeching out when I used it next with another color.