for Rubber Stamper Magazine (Sept/Oct, 2003) using what she called a “palette” stamp to make monoprints that incorporated several stamp images. I was inspired to experiment and thought the technique might look good using ColorBox Chalk inks instead of the pigment inks used in the article. I went back to the studio to play, and this article is the result.
You may wonder what a “palette” stamp might be. Basically, it is more commonly known as a shadow stamp - smooth rubber with no image and a finished edge. There are many possibilities for palette stamps, and you may even cut your own from a sheet of cured rubber, some heat-moldable foam, fun foam, etc. Jessica is threatening to explore these possibilities in a future issue.
Card Stock: White Glossy for print and Cream matte for background
Color Box Fluid Chalk ink pads:
Alabaster, Bisque, Warm Red, Warm Violet, Deep Green, Olive Pastel
Memories ink pad: Crimson
Acrylic tube paints:
Alizarin Crimson, Cad Yellow Medium, Burnt Sienna, Hooker's Green, Raw Sienna
Stipple brush
Palette knife
Pearlescent Liquid Acrylic (for splattering): Genesis Green, Silver Moss
Stamps:
Hot Potatoes large circles
Stamp in the Hand Pomegranate H-1986
JudiKins 2450 H large palette stamp
The Moon Rose Circle (no number, but it is 3/4" in diameter), Lines (no number, it is 1 1/4 X 2 1/8 and has thin broken lines running horizontally)
Post Modern Design BL1-101-B Stamp: Strength Is Delicate,
Stamp Francisco Word Stamp: Fragile (no number)
Pat Alabaster, Bisque and a touch of Warm Red Color Box Chalk inks onto the palette stamp, beginning with the lightest color first and proceeding light to dark.
Lay the inked palette stamp on the table, and place a clean bold stamp on top of it (I used the Hot Potatoes circles). Press firmly.
Sometimes I will slightly twist the stamp to pull off more ink as I lift it off the palette stamp.
Ink The Moon Rose circle stamp with Warm Red and stamp off once on scrap paper so the ink isn’t so intense.
Stamp it several time on the rubber without reinking.
Repeat with The Moon Rose line stamp. Set palette stamp aside.
Tap Bisque ink over the bottom half of the pomegranate stamp. Tap Olive Pastel over the leaves. Tap Warm Red on the base of the fruit. Finish by adding a tiny bit of Deep Green on the edges of the leaves as well as a tiny amount of Warm Violet on the edge of the fruit. Blend slightly with a stipple brush.
Stamp this image on the palette stamp, and press firmly, but be sure the stamp doesn’t slide. Remove the pomegranate stamp from the palette stamp and stamp it once on scrap paper to remove a bit more ink. Now stamp it again on the palette stamp to achieve a shadowy pomegranate in the background.
Without reinking, stamp it a third time over on the edge to fill in the composition.
Finally, place the palette stamp on the glossy white cardstock, press firmly and print. These inks are so juicy, that there is no problem with the ink drying before all the steps are completed.
Stamp FRAGILE with Memories Crimson ink and the STRENGTH stamp with Deep Green Color Box ink on the printed paper. Splatter with Pearlescent paint.
Squeeze small amounts of acrylic paint onto a palette. Pick up some of the lightest color with a palette knife and spread on the JudiKins palette stamp.
Repeat with a few or all of the remaining colors (you can print a few of the colors in separate passes, or print once using all the colors).
Blend slightly with the palette knife, but don’t over blend or you will get mud. Print this on the paper.
While the paint is still wet, quickly press a bold stamp into the paint, press firmly and remove. This will remove some of the paint and give your background a dimensional look. Be sure to clean your stamps immediately after using acrylic paints.
