Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Quick Stamping Process Post

For today's post I am going to be showing you a bare-bones stamping process overview.
A big thanks to Rebecca at Rebecca Likes Nails for teaching me the ways of the master stamper.

The Tools
First of all, you will need plates! There are tons of plates out there. I particularly like the designs that I've seen from Vivid Lacquer and Nailz Craze, but there are many more fantastic brands including Bundle Monster, MASH, MoYou, Winstonia, Messy Mansion...the list goes on!


You will also need a stamper. This little doodad is also from Amazon. It has a larger end and a smaller end. The ends are rubbery, and I filed mine a tiny bit with a rough nail file to get them to pick up the image better.


You will need a scraper. There was a metal Konad brand scraper included with the stamper, but I learned from the pros that an old, empty gift card or something similar works best. The Konad metal scraper can scratch the plates, too, which we don't want!


You will also need stamping polish. Rie from Nails and Noms reminded me of this great tip and I wanted to make sure you guys read it: if a polish goes on opaquely in one coat, it will probably make a good stamping polish. Most metallics work well, as well as most Sally Hansen Insta Dri polishes.

The Process
Paint your polish over the stamp stencil that you want to use. Make sure that you cover all of the stamp! I use a pretty generous drop.


Take your scraper or old gift card and scrape off the excess polish. I learned that a 45 degree angle is best for this! Do a smooth, fluid scrape, and don't press too hard. You may have to experiment to get the pressure right.


Grab your stamper (work as quickly as you can!) and roll it over the image on your plate. Only do one pass, rolling from one side to the other side.



Using the same rolling motion that you used to pick up the image from the plate, press the image on to your nail. Add topcoat and you are done!


To clean your plates, take a Q-Tip dipped in 100% pure acetone and rub the plate with it to remove the polish. It will leave some streaks on the plate but it will not damage it. I clean my plate every few stamps to keep the transfers clean, and then obviously when I am finished.

Hope that was helpful for those of you that aren't familiar with stamping. If you want further tips and tricks, check out Rebecca's stamping FAQ post.
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19 comments

  1. Great post. I'm really intrigued by stamping and do not
    Own any plates or have done any before. This post is helpful as I do want to get some plates and I'm pleased at how straightforward it looks! Thanks!

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  2. Man I guess I need to not post my stamping tutorial on Sunday!

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  3. @Fingers - My intention was not to "scoop" you or anything. I just had a reader request for it and wanted to make sure I did the best post that I could. You should still make your post.

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  4. thanks for this post! I have a doubt: how do you clean the plate and the stamping tool (stamper) after every nail you done? o you just have to clean when you finish all them?

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  5. @Julie - OOPS! I totally spaced on that part! I have edited the post to reflect my answers. Thanks for the heads up!

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  6. Oh my God this post is so thorough! The photos and step by step instructions are much appreciated, thank you Sarah! xoxo

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  7. Beautiful stamping Sarah! Also another tip, I usually wait a good 3-5 minutes before I add my top coat. Otherwise the stamped design has a tendency to streak if it's still a little wet when you apply your top coat. ^_^

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  8. such great photos girly!

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  9. Thank you for this, lately I've been seriously considering trying to do some Konad-ing, but I seem to avoid it :D

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  10. I bought these awhile ago and just did not get the hang of it. I keep trying it again and again but still have problems. The image is either so faint you can't see it or a big blob. dose the polish make the difference. What about the consistancey. Yours came out so detailed and clear and bright. Please help.

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  11. I got the one form the infomercial and it isn't working. No matter what kind of polish I use or how much pressure I apply, when I scrape over the image the paint wont stay in the design. It all comes up. I have tried applying less pressure but then it doesn't even get the excess up, it just smears it.

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    Replies
    1. Well I'm not sure how to help you here, unfortunately. Maybe try using the scraper at a different angle? It could be that the plate is just of a bad quality. I haven't used those plates myself so I can't say for sure.

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    2. I had the same problem the first time I tried it. I have the same set you have. I played around with it trying different angles & pressures until I found what worked. Once I eased up on the pressure & found the right angle it worked great. My only regret is not reading this first & using an old card. The scraper that comes with is scratches it every time you use it.

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    3. debbie,
      have you removed the plastic protective coating from the disc?

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  12. Very creative work on nails.... Thanks for the pretty post.
    ---------------------------------
    cheap term paper

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  13. Just letting you guys know that at Claire's they have stamping kits and all the cosmetics are buy one get one 50% off!

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  14. I detest stampers! I bought a cheapo kit from amazon [which is probably why I hate them so much and is totally my fault] & it didn't work, I probably need konad polish and better stamping plates but I'm just so put off of the idea entirely that I don't think I will be entering into the stamping world again, no matter how beautiful the designs.

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  15. My stamping tip is to use a sticky lint roller to clean your stamper between stamps. It will remove all traces of polish and give you a clean, lint free stamper to work with. And you must work fast after scraping the polish!

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  16. 👍👍👍👍 thank you! I have struggled with stampers for a long time!

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