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Hi, my name is Lisa and I', a background-aholic! I own 7 of the 20 current SU! background stamps, and I'm planning to order 4 more on my next order! Is there anyone else out there in this same boat?! Are there any backgrounds you didn't initially like and ended up loving? Any you have and wish you didn't? Any must haves? I can't seem to get enough! HELP!
When I first saw canvas in the mini-catty, I said, "Yuck, looks like a dirty window screen." Now I'd recommend it first.
Houndstooth is really growing on me - the look is so rich! So are weathered and cheesecloth- I thought they were both good, but resistible. Thought the same thing about print pattern, and now it's on my list to buy this month.
I'd give up just about any set before I'd give up a background.
Biggest background regret: not getting antique before it retired!
__________________ Malinda
Why did she make things? Well, she enjoyed it, of course; it also somehow helped her remember who she was and where she came from.
I agree. SU is one of the few stamping companies who make background stamps big enough to cover a quarter sheet of paper. French script, print background are my favorites. Enjoy!
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
Just last week I got addicted to French Script and I have had this stamp for months. Right now I was planning my christmas card and I am definately using Holiday Print. I plan on ordering more BG stamps--where have they been or should I say where have I been. I sold the victorian lace background stamps last year because it just sat there!
Placing a SU order today & at this point I'm thinking of ordering (2) BG stamps. I have several, I'm considering houndstooth & weathered. For some reason I feel these two are "under-rated" by our SCS members!! HA!
I can't seem to quite get on board w/ the print pattern that everyone else just LOVES!!!!! I liked it muted, I'm sure I would enjoy it versamarked just not me, with the bolder tones. Oh well to each ......
Love the canvas & french script, also enjoy the retired ticking & script (The Irish Blessing).
The one I do have a can't quite figure out is the Just Jeans. Perhaps I just need to play with it some more. Any tips?
Well it sounds like you ladies are the queens of backgrounds. So I have a question if you don't mind.
How do I stop my canvas background from looking like a hot mess when I use it. I have tried inking it lightly or heavy it doesn't look even. And when I press down hard it looks like yuk.
what am I doing wrong? I want to buy more backgrounds but I guess I need a 101 lesson.
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Lori -- the way I use my backgrounds is to ink it up and leave it rubber-side up, then gently put the paper on the rubber and with a scrap piece over that rub it all over. Then I gently pull the paper off (or just turn the stamp over and let the paper fall off). This method gets me great coverage.
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I too love backgrounds! I have at least 14 of them -- most of them retired ones. My favorite is Antique Cracking (which I bought and then they came out with Weathered...but they are simliar enough I won't but Weathered) and Filigree.
I wish I had bought the large paisley print from last year's catalog, but I didn't...*sigh*.
Another addict here! I bought Canvas last year from the mini and that was my first. When I discovered all the things I could do with it, I ordered 4 more last month: Print Pattern, Fine Lace, Weathered, and an older one, Safari. I won't be placing another order until after the first of the year sometime, but I'm planning to get Crosshatch and Just Jeans for sure, and I'm really on the fence about Floral and By Definition. I don't like how Houndstooth looks in the catty, but I've seen some great things done with it, so I might want that one too.
__________________ Julie my gallery
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Phillippians 4:13
I am getting my first background stamps on Wednsday when my order arrives! I think I will be addicted immediately! I have always liked them but always bought sets instead. So when I had a party last week, I decided it was time, I am getting Itty Bitty Backgrounds, we used that at the party and I decided it would very useful. And for my first Big Background stamp I am getting Floral. I know it is a very bold choice but I am so excited about it, I also picked the hostess set that matches up with it.
Other ones I would like to get soon are Print Pattern, By Definition, French Script, Fine Lace, Cross hatch, and also, maybe canvas, Ephemera, Bitty Blossoms and Soft swirls, that should keep me busy for a while!
I think it is good to stamp for a while before getting the big backgrounds, the you know your style.
I LOVE background stamps. Can't get enough of them. It took me a while to see how much of a MUST they were but now I seldom make a card without a background stamp!
Oh, I have a LOT of BG stamps! My retired ones are Paisley and Filigree (I bought Filigree after the retiring list came out - I needed to get that one even though I can't demo it!). I have most of the favorites listed here, and just ordered Weathered and On the Spot. I'm thinking about Crosshatch.
The only ones I *don't* want are Ephemera (I just don't do much vintage stuff) and Cheesecloth. I chose to get Houndstooth over Linograph, and I think it is the more versatile of the two. My favorite new BG stamps are Fine Lace, Floral, and Print Pattern. I use my brayer to ink my BG stamps, then put the cardstock on top of the inked stamp, put a piece of printer paper on top, and rub. Perfect results every time!
I don't own a bunch of BG stamps, but the few I own I use all the time. I just finished decorating my z becky brown purse and I used 3 different bg stamps on it.
So is weathered really a horizontal (side to side) pattern or a vertical (up and down) pattern? I never did get the final verdict on that. It looks vertical in the catty but I heard that it's not.
Weathered is opposite of what it shows in the catty. I just got that background last week. I never thought I would want it. NA dcanvas I just thought was ugly as soon as I seen it in the mini. And don't get me started on cheesecloth.
But now I have Paisley, On the Spot, By Definition, Canvas, weathered, and print pattern. ANd I want Word by Word, Cheesecloth, Crosshatch, fine lace, french script, just jeans, oh I could be here all day... I want them all.
I never thought that I would totally dig BG stamps until I ordered two at one time! I have print pattern, canvas, word by word and soft swirls.
Wishlist:
Weathered
Cheesecloth
Bamboo II
By Definition
I never really used the BG stamps much because the only way I could get good coverage and even inking is to use a brayer, and it's messy and a pain to change colors. Then I saw this post in the forums by Lana about a year ago, and it's changed the way I feel about BG stamps!! I tried this technique (and her additional tips on inking) and it works perfect evey time! I now have 7 BG stamps, and I ordered print pattern this week! I love the texture that they add to a card.Forums at Splitcoaststampers
Seriously, I think I have 8 new ones since the new catty!!
Print Pattern - ABSOLUTE MUST HAVE!!
Canvas - love it!
Linograph - it's on my ok list
Crosshatch - ya gotta get it straight, but it looks great!
Floral - ANOTHER MUST HAVE!
I also got On The Spot, but it's not as fun as I thought it would be. It does go great with that new tag set though so it'll probably be in the catty next year.
Fine Lace - Thanks to Texasjodylynn's swap card, I'll be ordering that this week!
If there is a card in the gallery that catches my eye enough to comment, you can bet it has a bg stamp on it. I have paisley print and canvas and love them but on my wish list is
print pattern
word by word
floral
on safari
bamboo II
Crosshatch
Houndstooth
Weathered
But I must admit I don't get the attraction of Linograph, Fine Lace or Cheesecloth, that is what is so great about SU, it has such a wide range available there is something to appeal to everyone.
Lori, I never get an even coverage with canvas, but I love the effect it gives, the shabbiness of it really appeals to me.
I am just getting into the bg stamps. My favorites are:
French script
Canvas
Print pattern
Fine lace
Paisley
I have a few others, including Just jeans. I haven't used Just Jeans much. I think it is because it is so much like Canvas. I don't do the Butt-stamping, but I found that leaving the stamp rubber side up, inking and using a piece of paper over my cs works best for me. I just couldn't get even pressure on it with it rubber side down.
I would like to get By Definition, but do you think they will retire it next year? How long has it been around?
__________________ My newest toy- Harley Softtail Deluxe
Okay, girls. I can't get Just Jeans to ink up evenly. I love the look when I only use a small piece--usually I do just the pocket in "Pocket Pals." What's the secret?? Now, I also have an old background stamp I'm thinking of getting ride of--Country Plaid. Same problem---I cannot get it evenly inked. I turn it upside down, and use the scrap piece of paper. I haven't tried the brayer. I'll try that before I let it go. Any other ideas??
Thanks for starting this support group, I am also BG addicted. Maybe we could start a new medical term called BGA. "Hello, my name is Debbie and I have BGA", everyone else goes, "Oh, I'm so sorry!"
Anyway, I have several BG's, and last month added Just Jeans and Fine Lace. I haven't tried Just Jeans yet but I LOVE Fine Lace. I used the new Bravo Burgandy ink and stamped it on Sahara Sand paper, that is a beautiful combo.
Another tip I read on here that works well for me, when inking up the BG stamps is to use the Craft inks. Because they are stickier, they seem to cover better, this works especially well on the Canvas one, for me anyway.
__________________ Debbie
I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end. - Margaret Thatcher
I'm being drawn to background stamps like a moth to the flame!! I would say they changed my whole way of thinking about stamping! My big AH Ha, totally due to SCS, is that using a BG with tone on tone or similar tonal values makes all the difference!!! It was the paisley samples that taught me this valuable lesson! I just don't think I 'got' it until then! I had a background, it was the older lace background. But for some reason I always wanted to stamp it with a contrasting color, which just looked garish.
Now my world is a little brighter! I am a newly crowned background diva!
I have paisley (let's not go there again, simply criminal to be disc, I know, move on) canvas (the absolute must have), the birthday one, love it! The classic 'french script'. Just got word by word and by definition. Next order will have print pattern and floral. And thanks to this thread... I just checked out the just jeans and I'll have to have it too....grrr!
BACKGROUNDS ROCK!
I think background stamps are my favorites. LOVE THEM. I have several (8 perhaps, haven't counted), but my favorite is probably canvas background. If you all can figure out a way for me to steal just jeans from my sister so that she won't notice, let me know!
__________________ Life is too short: eat chocolate and stamp up a storm. It will come out OK in the end.
Another addict checking in. I can hardly make a card without one. I think I have 13 or 14 (going back several years so lots of them are retired) and it's not nearly enough! Current fave is Floral.
I've only recently gotten more into stamping more than scrappin. I never really thought that I "needed" the background stamps. Until I found this website--what a difference the BG stamps make!! I have Canvas. I want the Floral, French Script and Harlequin? stamps.
In the beginning, I just couldn't see paying the price of $16.95 for one stamp, but OH MY! Once I tried it, I'd never go back! I LOVE my backgrounds, and my collection is growing!
I'd have to say the classic, must-owns are French Script and Canvas. I have six others, including the recently purchased Crosshatch and Print Pattern, and as of just yesterday, Floral. I didn't think much of Floral until I started seeing more and more samples that I liked, and realizing they used the Floral background. (And, like Ibirus said, my favorite way to use them is tone-on-tone for that subtle look!)
I don't see the attraction of Linograph. In fact, in reading the title here, I had to go back to my catty and look up which one was being referred to. Ephemera, I think, has great potential, but I've not branched out much into the vintage/collage area that it seems to go with, so it's not on my purchase list right now. Maybe someday!!
__________________ Cindy
"Just when I think I have all the stamps I need... I get a new catalog in the mail!"
I'm so glad I'm not the only BG addict out there! I have finally (I think) decided to add Houndstooth, Weathered, Print Pattern, and Fine Lace to my collection. I mean, who needs food when you can have background stamps, right?
I'm well on my way to being a BG addict myself. My latest, Ephemera..and on its way is Print Pattern. I just uploaded 2 Ephemera cards into my gallery and I'll tell ya, I like them. I never thought I'd get into the vintage thing, but WOW, its fun!
I hope they never invent a 12 step program for Stampers. I'm an addict and don't want help.
Hi, my name is Sandi and I too am a BG-stamp-aholic. But I have no desire to stop - no interventions necessary. I have a script (not SU, but very similiar), filigree, canvas and print pattern. Plus sometimes I use my Itty Bitty BG stamp allover the paper. So - 5 of my 20 stamp sets are BG's. And I plan to get Floral at some point soon. And I'm considering Houndstooth. And if they put even more in the mini-catalogs, I'll probably buy some of those.
Addicted to BG stamps!
