The Nail Stamping Thread

[Beadshopgirl]

I thought it would be fun to have a thread dedicated to nail stamping. Are you a veteran stamper, or just wanting to get started? Let's share our love of stamped manicures! Post your stamping plate collections, your stamping successes and failures, and favourite polishes to stamp with. 

[RaeRae3235]

Help, please....... Anybody!!!

Where do you suggest I buy a good stamping kit to get me started??!! 

[aylinnnnnn]

Amazonn

[tammyyim1]

Where can you buy good nail polishes for stamping in stores? Help!

[JoSometimes]

Beauty or nail supply shops should have what you’re looking for @tammyyim1. You might also be able to get by with an old polish that has thickened up a little. 

[Beadshopgirl]

I’ve been seriously neglecting my nails the last few months. Jewellery-making has been trashing them. I did manage to do a shimmery blue this week with gold stamping. Sort of Eastery, even though the stamps are jellyfish. 😂

[CookieGirl1]

@Beadshopgirl you did a great job!

[angel7594]

So pretty!! ❤️

[PrettyPaint]

Wow! So beautiful @Beadshopgirl

[RGbrown]

@Beadshopgirl

Those are so lovely! Making me wanna pull my stamps out again soon 😄

[Beadshopgirl]

Thanks @RGbrown! It’s so easy to fall out of the stamping habit, and I forgot how much I enjoy it!

[veronika23]

test

[MonicaYS]

I hope you like my pink snowflake nails! I wanted to do some double stamping but realized halfway through I liked the single white on pink better! What do you think??

[Anonymous]

@MonicaYS

I LOVE your snowflakes! I want to do that!! Seriously, I've been looking for a good snowflake plate, which one did you use?

I notice your copyright says MonicawithRA, you have RA, too? I do, along with PsA and OA, and sometimes I wonder how much longer I'll be able to do my nails. I already hesitate to show pictures because my hands don't look so good.

[Anonymous]

I'm still trying!

@Beadshopgirl, @RGbrown and anybody else who comes this way, here's my latest attempt.

 I know they're a little messy but I learned something, or half of something maybe... I used a Messy Mansion plate, it's a thin, round plate, but well-engraved, I think. And a MoYou clear stamp (I'm not ready for Big Bling). But here's what I learned - if the plate jiggles, you'll have a hard time scraping! THAT's why, in all the videos, the person has a work pad of some sort. Now, can someone tell me what that thing is and where you get one? I've looked and searched various places but since I don't know its name, I'm not having much luck finding one. It looks like a placemat? But I'm sure it's something made for this, so the plate is cushioned and you won't have messy results like this.

[MonicaYS]

Oooh! I love the colors you used for this look.

Stamping just takes practice. I know a lot of people recommended the silicone baking mat already. You may also need to try a new scraper. I use an old gift card. I don't like metal scrapers as they start to scratch the plates over time.

Good luck!

[Beadshopgirl]

@Anonymous Messy Mansion are some of my favourite plates! I always cover the back of my metal plates with card stock, both to help with the slipping situation, and to avoid cutting myself with the sharp edges. I use double-sided tape to attach the card stock, then I trim around it. If you don’t want to purchase a nail mat, vinyl contact paper is an excellent non-slip surface, or a silicone baking mat, like @RGbrown suggested. 

Make sure you’re floating your top coat over your design to avoid smearing it. 

[Anonymous]

Thank you @Beadshopgirl !

The smearing is from the wobbly scraping. I had the plate on a metal table and I was trying to hold it down to scrape, and that didn't work out well. That's when I realized I needed a different surface. I couldn't see the smearing on the stamp but it is on some of the nails. Some of them came out clear but have glare lines in the photo. I'm getting better! That's a good idea, to put something on the back of the plates. The Caption plates come on a really nice backing and you know the MoYou plates come mounted. So until I get something I'll stick to those plates. Or I could just use a pad of yellow paper, that's something I have on hand.

[Beadshopgirl]

Backing your plates really will make a world of difference! I often recycle old greeting cards this way. They get a bit messy from the nail polish, but they don’t slide around. These are all Messy Mansion plates.

[Anonymous]

@Beadshopgirl

Yes, especially with my metal table! I was looking around at Amazon for an idea, and I came up with two things: rubber shelf liner and rubber tool box liner. I think they're the same, they just charge more for the tool box liner. One roll of shelf liner would cover more plates than I'll ever have (I hope! The expenses are mounting...) and I could cut a piece to cover most of the table, too. It's a cute table but not a practical surface to work on for anything, not just this.

[RGbrown]

@Anonymous

I love that design; your nails look awesome!

Instead of buying something "special" that would likely be overpriced for what it is, I'm using a silicone baking mat designed to line cookie sheets. I had one in my cabinet that I've never actually used in the kitchen, so it was nice to put it to use. It helps holds my plate in place, and it works just fine for practice stamps, testing colors on top of each other, etc...just wipe with polish remover when done and it's good as new!