Digi Stamps what are they and why oh why do you need them??

In my quest to reduce the clutter in my house. With the help and a push from a good friend Robin I have begun a to learn to Digital scrapbook.  Not that I have yet to find a reason for my scrapbooks to outlive let say my son.  Much beyond him I am sure those great grand kids are going to look at them as .... who the heck are those folks. In the journey I have found Digi Stamps.  Oh no here yet again is something for me to collect. They appeal to me on so many levels. They are simply black and white images you can download for free sometimes or purchase at different digital and paper scrapbooking sites on the net. Many artist also are now adding lines of digi stamps of their patterns and work. Such as Cindy Trombley  her site is http://www.paintingonjars.com/.  In a resent newsletter she sent a free digi stamp. Isn't she cute??

With her free and any digi stamp you can pretty much use them as you would a old fashion rubber stamp. The bonus to a digi stamp is you can print them multitude of times, they come out perfect every time. No more worrying about how hard you are pushing or if there was enough ink on the stamp. There are many different papers to try in your printer from card stock to photo papers. I have even had success with a pad of water color paper I bought that was 8 ½ by 11. You can store countless designs without having to find a way to store them and having all that bulk a stack of rubber stamps can create. If you have Photoshop or even Microsoft word these stamps can even be created in layers to make your own design. Now that you have a stamp printed out you can use them much as you would a traditional stamp. Color them with pencils, markers, pastels or even chalk. Add embellishments, cut layer and even add to cards, pages and even print them on printable fabric and vellums. Here is how I used Cindys, I was able to make 4 quick tag like cards to add to my Zentangles I sent out for a swap. I printed all four on the same cardstock saving paper!

Bottom Line the good about digi stamps:


They are often free and when they aren’t they are on the cheaper side. I find them much easier to store on my spare drive (no more boxes and notebooks of lose stamps to store) and hey when you list them alphabetically they are easier to find! I love being able to download them in the comfort of my home and let’s face it most sites even the ones you pay for will allow you to download in the middle of the night when all the stores are closed and you need a image to finish a project. Then there is the plus of being able to select print lets say a 100 and walk away from the printer and do something else while they print. Get your surface ready or even dinner.

There isn’t much to the down side of digi stamps:

Other than if you have problems opening your email and sending a reply. You might find using digi stamps on the challenging side. You are limited to the paper your printer will print on and the cost of the ink for your printer. If you think you will use digi stamps a lot… get a Kodak printer. The black in cart is only 10 dollars and to me it seems like it last forever! If you are into heat embossing you will need to purchase a embossing marker with a very fine tip and trace the image to add embossing powder. There are going to be images that you won’t be able to do this with due to the small nature of the lines of the designs. Digi stamps seem to be either for personal use or commercial use. The commercial use will cost more and each artist usually has a licensing agreement you must adhere to.

Zentangles .... Oh My!

Here are my Zentangles... well my version of a Zentangle.  I think the real deal is more to keep with just shapes not making a shape of a animal or flower or such.  But hey if we all stuck to the rules we would never have any fun or have anything different.  I am in Group D on the yahoo group Art for the creative Mind. It is a wonderful group that was created by Tolegranny and she pushes not only herself I am sure but all of us to dip our toes in waters we would otherwise not have tried.  Zentangles was my water of the month that I would have not tired without a push.  I have found they can be stressful if you let them. But the point is more to allow yourself to relax and doodle.  Once you can do the relax part they are fun.  But as in my floral painting and adding leaves... I found myself adding just one more shape... one more line.  I have to have a border on my tangles, oh don't ask why.  I haven't got a clue. Maybe it is I wanted them to look well framed? I have come to the thought I don't like the heavier lines I made.  Next time going to leave them out I think.