9 - Stamping Pointers

1. Tooling leather does not stamp well when too wet. When you stamp a design on moist leather, you should get a GOLDEN BROWN COLOR. This golden brown color indicates proper moisture content in the leather. Plastic squirt bottles or sponges work well for dampening your campers' leather projects.
2. Have some examples or samples to show campers what they can build and how to do it. Display boards can show step by step directions.
3. Double impressions are MISTAKES that can be CORRECTED by rewetting the leather (in this case quite wet / soggy). Then smooth the impression with a modeling spoon or pear shader tool. Let the leather dry out a bit before re-stamping.
4. An Alpha-Imprinter Machine is great for stamping the 3-D large stamps and letters. This machine virtually eliminates young campers' double impressions, and is a worthwhile investment for your camp. Mount on wood frame so that it can easily be moved, or C-clamp to a table in the handicraft area.
5. Stamp names and LARGE impressions (8300 3-dimensional stamps) FIRST. Then add other stamps to create border designs.
6. A HARD SURFACE such as marble is the best surface for campers to stamp onto. This will improve the quality of the campers' efforts and projects.
7. PUNCH HOLES only using poly punch pads or rubber "poundo" boards underneath, to protect marble, tables, floors, and tools.

DISPLAY BOARD IDEAS