stamping on photos: tips, tricks, and ideas

Today I want to share a kind of stamping I don’t do nearly enough: on photos and in my scrapbooks. For 2016 my scrapbooking basically didn’t happen. In order to get some stories told while I remember them and have an album made I’ve decided on simple. Pocket pages that I filled (over the course of two evenings as I sat in bed enjoying TV shows) and now just need to add embellishments + stories as I have time.

I’m featuring a few sets from Sweet Stamp Shop – a California based stamp company that is new to me and so fabulous. You can win some of their great products – stay tuned for that opportunity later in this post.Β  There are many ways you can stamp onto photos (and scrapbook pages) including:

  • stamp onto cardstock or sticker, then add to page
  • stamp directly onto photo
  • stamp and heat emboss directly on photo
  • stamp at the corner or edge of a journaling card
  • on top of letter stickers (for title)
  • as background/subtle accents

In short, there are MANY ways! I’ve created a YouTube video – it’s a bit of a long one but this is a topic I really wanted to dive into for those of you who want detailed info and ideas. You’ll hear about my 2016 scrapbooking plan a bit as well as seeing stamping in action.

The challenge today (should you want one) is to stamp in some way you don’t normally. I’ve not embossed on a photo in a really long time and I had a lot of fun doing so.

One thing I touch on in the video is stamping with images “where do I put that”. I believe you should treat all craft supplies the same. What I mean is, if for example you’ve got a cute little trailer… you can treat it with the same general “rules” if it’s a rub-on, stamp, sticker, or die cut. It’s a shape and you want to see it in some general place or area. So place it there. Now you may want to color or alter it in some way first – but I encourage you to stamp outside the box and see all the potential in your supplies.

Speaking of potential – I see so much for the stamps, stickers, dies, and more that this sweet little company makes! I have a whole lot of ideas and I know you’ll be seeing more of their stamps in use with me.

I’d like to thank Sweet Stamp Shop for supporting Camp Scrap – and for providing a prize to share!

These great stamps (and stickers and dies!) could be yours. Simply leave a comment on this post for your chance to win! A winner will be randomly drawn from the comments and announced on the final Camp Scrap roundup post. Good luck – and thank you again to Sweet Stamp Shop!

65 thoughts on “stamping on photos: tips, tricks, and ideas”

  1. I would have never tried to stamp on a photo. I had no idea it was even possible. Now I am itching to try it. I find that I barely use my white pigment ink as well. I did not find your video long at all! It was quite helpful and informative. Thanks Sweet stamp shop for a chance to win.
    I need to think outside the box again.
    Camp scrap has been so great. I had been in a really bad creative funk and by trying some of your ideas I am finally creating again. I am so happy I am able to sit in my craft room and actually create again. Thanks so much May!!!

  2. I would not have thought to heat emboss on my photo. What a cool idea. Now on to those stamps and dies!!! OH my how cute are those. I love them and I am off to check out there store!

  3. Heat embossing on a photo?!?! Wow! I see foxes on these sweet products — my daughter’s favorite!

  4. Im following the trend of the other commenters. Ive stamped and brush lettered onto a photo but had no idea you could hear emboss!!? Does it work for photos printed at home? Hmm might have to experiment πŸ™‚ thanks for the great tips as always!

  5. Camping with kids and it would be neat to let them color some of the stamped images to use on the layouts.

  6. Love love love the idea of stamping on a photo! I have stamped for 25+ years and have never entertained that idea! Thank you!

  7. Just watched your video, a lot of great tips! I really like the one about stamping on cardstock and taking that instead of stamps to a crop. Thnaks for a chance to win!!!

  8. Thanks for sharing this. Im always scared to stamp on my photos but it always looks so cool when others do it. I need to try it.

  9. WOW! I was brought up that pictures were to be revered because they were expensive to develop and cherished because there was only ONE of them! πŸ™‚ How times have changed and I guess I need to change my attitude towards pictures! LOL Anxiety will have to be abated to be able to stamp and *eek* heat emboss ON a PICTURE. Are you kidding me? Am I the only one who has this problem with the actual pictures. I will probably need to have 2 copies of the picture so I don’t freak out! LOL HELP ME!!! I know I have a problem! LOL.
    Thank you for the opportunity to win the stamps. My Daughter LOVES the fox! πŸ™‚

  10. WOW! You have opened a whole new avenue for my scrapbooks These are great ideas and could be used for card making too. Thanks so much!

  11. I love your pocket pages! Great way to put together these special memories! And the Sweet Stamp Shop’s stamp and dies are fabulous… so many fun designs!

  12. I’ve only started writing on my photos so stamping would be mindblowing!! These are cute stamps. Looking forward to the video.

  13. Like some of the other people who posted, I don’t think to stamp in my scrapbook pages or on the pictures. What a fun way to finish off pages. Thanks for helping me to rethink how I Scrapbook. By the way, SSS has the cutest stuff!!

  14. I would never have thought to stamp on a photo. Your ideas are wonderful and so useful. Thanks for sharing these great ideas!

  15. I LOVE the Sweet Stamp Shop! Thanks for the great idea of stamping on photos. Gotta try it.

  16. Great tips on stamping on photos. I love the look of the white embossing on the photos, that looks really cool. I have not heard of Sweet Stamp Shop before, I will have to go check them out. Those were some cute stamps!

  17. Heat embossing on a photo? Who knew? May, I just finished watching your second lesson in your Photo class. Yes! It made me want to scrapbook again. Thanks for all the inspiration. Oh, and thanks for introducing Sweet Stamp Shop. It was new to me too and it has adorable products.

  18. I’m another one who had no idea about stamping and even heat embossing on photos. The things you teach us! πŸ™‚

  19. Thanks for the reminder, I tend to forget about stamping on ‘completed’ things like stickers, photos, etc

  20. Yet another thing Ive not really done! Youre filling me with new and exciting ideas to try!

  21. I have never thought to stamp on a photo, let alone heat emboss. I’m going to have to check out this stamp company. The stamps look really cute. Love the campers.

  22. I’m a travel journal junkie; it’s just so much easier (for me) to make the book before leaving home, adding to it on the way, journaling the journey as we go, and adding photos after arriving home. This stamp/die collection is so cute! I’d use it all the time.

  23. Oh my goodness those stamps are adorable πŸ™‚ I would have never thought of embossing on a photo, such a cool idea, thanks for all the inspiration May!

  24. I would never have thought to emboss on a photo but love the way it looks so definitely going to give it a try! Thanks for the inspiration and for introducing me to a new stamp company! I live in California but haven’t heard of them so going to check them out! Love supporting new companies!

  25. Like everyone else, I didn’t know you could stamp let alone emboss on a photograph. Thank you so much for sharing that. I will certainly be trying that.

  26. Lots of great info in this video! Thanks, so much! I have often stamped on tags and attached them to photos as you did with the camping on the brown cardstock. But I have never stamped or heat embossed directly on photos, nor did I know that you could remove ink with a paintbrush! Who knew?

    I do have one question, do you have to use a low temp heat gun? I only have the old blue heat gun and I think it uses a higher heat?

    Also, just curious, did you remember to go back and color the tail of your firefly?

  27. I stamp on photos all the time, but like a lot of others, wasn’t sure I could beat emboss, this is awesome! Thanks so much for sharing, and for the chance to win. Michelle t

  28. thank you for your great ideas and inspiration! Also, thank you and Sweet Stamp Shop for a chance to win those great sets!

  29. I wouldn’t have thought to heat emboss on a photo, I’d be afraid of making the photo melt!! But now I can try as you have proved it’s possible! Good tip to use a photo that didn’t make the cut to practice on. Beautiful stamps too!

  30. Ive never embossed on a photo!!! Why have I never thought to do this. I love stamping on everything.

  31. I love this idea! I am terrified of it but I love it and will try it!

  32. Cute stamps!! Love the idea of stamping on photos, will definitely have to try this out!

  33. I have stamped on photos before but never knew that you could Heat emboss on a photo. I will definitely be giving that a try.

  34. I’m challenging myself to get out my stamps and use them. I’ll have to try them out on a photo.n

  35. I have never stamped on a photo but what a fun way to embellish a simple pocket album. Thanks for your tips and hints, and for giving me a new way to use stamps! I started out as a scrapbooker but haven’t done much scrapping in over a year so this new idea is motivation to get back to my photos and layouts! My love of stamping can cross right over to my scrapbook pages

  36. I would have thought heat embossing would ruin a photo, but now I can’t wait to try it. I take a lot of photos of my kids and they would probably love having a little album of their own with stamping in it, and on the photos. Thank you for all these fun ideas on how to use my supplies.

  37. I will have to try stamping on a photo. I love that idea. Cute stamps too.

  38. Wow! Stamping on photos, i have to try this. I’m not big on scrapbooking, but this helps do SOME! Thanks.

  39. Stamping on photos is a great idea! I have never tried to emboss on them, so this will be for sure the next challenge for me!

  40. Love all the tidbits and goodies you give in this video!! I haven’t stamped on a photo in a LONG time. It must happen again. πŸ˜‰

  41. Oh I love my opaque white ink. I use it all the time. I haven’t stamped on a photo in a long time and I’ve never heat embossed. I’d worry it’d warp!

  42. what a great idea to stamp on photos. I love those little stickers too. Could be a great way to get youngsters interested in scrapbooking, etc.

  43. I checked out their site and they have the most ADORABLE stamps !! I like everyone else had no idea you could do all that to photo’s, I have been scrapbooking for over 20 years, so cool to learn something new, Thanks May.

  44. Thanks for encouraging us to use our stamps in different ways. Also thanks for introducing me to a new to me stamp company.

  45. i spent many, many nights living out of a tent. many good memories of camping and sitting around a campfire, some of my best memories there. These are such cute stamps. Thanks for teaching that you can stamp right onto pictures.

  46. thanks for all those great tips – I stamp on scrapbook LOs nowhere near as often as I planned to when I bought stamps for scrapbook pages!

  47. STamps are my favorite part of paper-crafting, so this lesson/challenge is right up my street! Thank you! And thanks for the chance to win, too!

  48. I am definitely going to try stamping onto a photo ! Now is the perfect time for me to give this a whirl !!

  49. I have never tried to stamp/emboss on a photo, but it’s something I definitely want to try. I love those stamps. We camp a lot and they would be perfect.

  50. I have tried stamping on photos and ruined them. I used staz-On ink, but it still smeared. Am looking forward to watching your video and trying again. Too bad this week is so busy. I just told my husband I need more time!

  51. I haven’t stamped on a photo in years – great reminder to do so. The Sweet Stamp Shop stamps look like lots of fun – off to check them out!

  52. I love the idea of stamping on a photo…now if I’m only brave enough to try it!

  53. I’ve been away this last week so I have so many things to catch up on. I’ve seen you stamp on a photo but never heat emboss! Oh wow that is going to take some nerve for me to try! Those stamps are adorable

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