Mirror Image Stamping

The mirror image stamping technique, also called reverse image stamping, is a wonderful technique for your image stamps. The technique requires no extra tools, just a bit of transparency or wax paper. This technique works well when you have an image that you prefer to have facing the opposite direction.

1. Stamp your image onto your cardstock or other paper. Use a freshly inked pad, or one that is more wet.
2. Ink the image again and stamp onto a transparency or wax paper. Special stamps are also available for this technique, from companies such as Rubber Stampede. These stamps are basically a flat sheet of rubber.
3. While the ink is still wet, flip the paper and use it to stamp your mirror image. Rub slowly with your fingertips, or use a brayer to transfer the ink, being careful not to shift the paper. This image will be slightly faded and not as crisp an image as the original. If the reverse image is too much lighter for your design, stamp your reverse image first and without re-inking, stamp your image onto cardstock. With this method, both images are second generation and they match more closely.
4. Enhance the image with color ink, chalk or other medium.

Journey Card:
leaf: Fred Mullett
acorn: Close to My Heart
quote: A Muse Art Stamps
inks: Colorbox Chalk Ink in Dark Brown and Burnt Sienna
ribbon
wax paper

Pennsylvania
stamps: Stampin' Up, A Muse Art Stamps
chipboard: Basic-Grey, Heidi Swapp
fonts: CK Easy Goin' and EmmascriptMVB
ribbon
chalk
brads
ink

Some other ideas for using this technique:

• Stamp a flourish stamp on metal. Reverse stamp the same image. Repeat process for a longer border. Using a stylus, deboss the metal along the stamped lines, flip over and rub StazOn or paint lightly to make the embossed side more clear.
• Reverse stamp a text stamp onto metal. Deboss the image, and flip to the other side for a perfect embossed sentiment in metal.
• Who remembers making a name look backwards or upside down in elementary school art class? Do something similar with this technique. Stamp a word vertically down your page, and then place the reverse image next to it. Stamp horizontally, then add the reverse image, shifted to the right or left, to create a shadow.
• Stamp your image in one color, and the reflection in a different color.
• Stamp a second-generation animal image. Ink stamp again and create a reverse image that faces the first animal image, but keep a bit of distance between the two images. Stamp a heart or other image to be "held" between the two images.

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