Tips and Techniques for Using ArtFoamies

ARTFOAMIES 101

Hooray! Let's have fun!

ArtFoamies are foam printing artist stamps made of thick, cushy, dense foam. This foam is made into a variety of designs from a variety of artists, and they are compatible with a wide variety of mediums and surfaces!

WHAT WORKS ON ARTFOAMIES? 

All the fun mixed media mediums! All brands of inks, watercolors, water-soluble sticks, watercolor crayons and acrylic paints. Please note that ArtFoamies DO hold some color in the foam as they are just a bit absorbent. To avoid any muddying or transfer of unwanted color, you may want to clean your AFs between color or media changes. If you use acrylic paints or any mediums that dry hard, we recommend that you clean your AFs right away to ensure better life and future stamp quality of your ArtFoamies.

HOW DO I CLEAN MY ARTFOAMIES? 

A clean ArtFoamie is a happy stamper! Begin by off stamping/firmly blotting your AFs onto scrap paper until most of the paint or ink is gone. Use baby wipes or semi-wet rags or paper towels to gently wipe away all residue and leftover color. For any staining or resistant color, you may use rubbing alcohol. You may also wash under running water with a bit of soap (KP uses Dawn powerwash and also sometimes scrubby soap - but always gently, do not use harsh chemicals or abrasives!) Blot again to dry and let air dry fully. 

HOW DO I INK UP MY ARTFOAMIES? 

Even coverage is key! There are so many ways to apply color to your AFs! Here are our favorites:

• 1 - Ink up in a traditional way with a regular inkpad. Tap, tap tap and/or gently rub with an inkpad onto your AFs. (We recommend off- stamping a test print on scrap paper to see the quality of print before adding to your art in progress.)

• 2 - Use a StampBuddy or ScrapBuddy to apply your ink or paint. - A StampBuddy is a piece of rigid plastic covered in a layer of sponge. It can be loaded with ink or water soluble paints of any type to create your own ink pad/applicator. These are great to use with ArtFoamies - just be careful to not overload. A note about buddies: You may store your Stamp/ScrapBuddies in a plastic baggie and reuse with the same inks. Stamp/Scrapbuddies are disposable with acrylic paint. Please note; it is NEVER recommended to rinse acrylic paint down your drain.

• 3 - InkFoamies - these are foam applicator made by and for ArtFoamies and come in two sizes. They are used to load up, push-around, daub, smudge, ink-up and colorize your ArtFoamies. Add the medium and use it like an inkpad or similar to a gel plate. Tap and rub your color to the raised portion of your stamp.

• 4 - Apply color to your ArtFoamies with a watercolor/ water soluble paint stick or watercolor crayon. To do this you must spritz your ArtFoamies with a light spray of water and rub the stick sideways onto the raised surface of the image.

• MORE TIPS for applying inks and paints TO YOUR ArtFoamies - Do not overload your ArtFoamies with ink or paint or make them too wet. Tap and rub the pad or sponge to the raised up portion of the image only. Try to avoid getting the ink or paint onto the recessed part of the foam. If your image is a solid one - try to get even coverage by tapping, patting and/or rubbing the color all over until you have a nice overall application. Test stamping helps you to see where to apply more paints or ink and also where to apply pressure when stamping.  Test stamping is always recommended.

HOW DO I STORE MY ARTFOAMIES?

Loose and free is best! Store your ArtFoamies with no obstructions or anything pressing on them. Do not smash. Tips for organizing: Stamp out your images on paper and make an "index" sheet. Put your ArtFoamies in a zippered clear bag with the index sheet facing out. Store your bags in clear bins or drawers.

WHAT DO ARTFOAMIES WORK ON?

A better question might be “What don’t ArtFoamies work on?”

ArtFoamies work on so many things! Paper, canvas, wood, fabric, glass, plastic, clay, metal…pretty much any surface! Great for arts and crafts of every level. Art Journals. cards, scrapbooks, coloring pages, T-shirts, shoes, sweatshirts, jackets, altered art. Fodder and ephemera, mobiles, magnets, shrink art, soft sculpture & dolls ...Your imagination is the only limitation!

MORE TIPS

• Put a layer of padding (towel, felt, thick scrap paper) under fabric before stamping.

• Make sure walls and furniture are clean and dry before stamping.

• Take care not to rock the ArtFoamies stamp so images remain crisp.

• Don’t forget to heat set fabric paint per paint manufacturer’s instructions.

• Make sure to pre-wash any fabric you wish to stamp (do not use fabric softener when preparing fabrics)  – natural fibers like cotton, smooth linen, or dye-ready silk are best. For best results, iron fabric before stamping.

• NOT recommended: solvent based inks or enamel paints. Always use the manufacturer’s directions for your paints, inks and mediums when using with your ArtFoamies, InkFoamies and Stamp/ScrapBuddies. 

• NOTE: You may use glue or masking fluid with ArtFoamies but you are risking longevity and usability of the image.

WE HOPE THIS IS A GREAT RESOURCE! PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE!! xo kp ArtFoamies