| Lesson Nine Using a Stamp Positioner |
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| Someone recently asked me to explain exactly how to use a stamp positioner. I realized that it would be easier to explain with pictures, hence this lesson. |
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| There are several different kinds of stamp positioners available. Mine is a simple L shaped one (from Close to My Heart) that comes with a separate piece of plastic. In this photo you see the L piece with the plastic nestled into the corner. This is how you need to begin. |
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| After making sure the plastic is in place, ink a stamp (don't use permanent or pigment ink! One will stain the plastic, the other will not dry and may smear) and place it in the corner as shown. The easiest way to be sure the stamp is snugly in the corner is to hold the mount by the upper edges, so your fingers don't get in the way. As you can see, a typical wood mounted stamp is taller than the L shape, so there is room for your fingers to grip the edges of the stamp. |
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| A close-up of the photo above. Note how the edges of the mount are snug in that corner. (stamp by Art Impressions) |
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| Here is the image, stamped in red on the plastic. I put a piece of white paper under everything so it would be easier to see. |
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| After stamping the image of the tourist (All Night Media) on a piece of brown paper, I put the plastic with the red tree stamped on it over the tourist, moving it around slowly until I found a placement I liked. |
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| Without moving your plastic, slide the L shape of the positioner up to meet the corner of the plastic. Be careful not to jar or move the plastic, or your image won't end up where you want it. This just takes a bit of practice - once you have the hang of it, you won't have any mishaps! |
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| Carefully slide away the plastic, and insert your inked stamp into place in the corner of the L. Once the stamp is in place, you can either remove the L, or stamp the image with the L still in place (I usually do the latter, so I don't risk bumping the stamp). |
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| Remove the stamp and L shape, and admire your handiwork! As you can see, I have replicated the kind of photo I often take - with a tree growing out of a person's head! |
| Using a stamp positioner isn't hard, it just takes practice. Once you have the technique down, you'll wonder how you ever managed without a positioner. Enjoy! |