Stamped Foam Cards

Materials:

polyurethane foam sealant *
8-1/2" x 11" card stock
aluminum foil
nonstick vegetable spray
deep rubber stamp
silver metallic spray or acrylic paint
card stock for embellishment
latex or rubber gloves
something heavy for weight

* like Dow's Great Stuff or similar

1. Put on protective gloves. Dispense a glob of insulation foam onto a piece of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with vegetable spray. Dispense foam directly from the white nozzle, not from the thin applicator provided with the product. Try to match the size of the glob to the general size of the rubber stamp (figure A).

2. Let the glob air dry 20 to 22 minutes. A longer "cure" time will not allow the image from the rubber stamp to transfer crisply and a shorter time will make the finished piece too thin to be successfully removed from the aluminum foil.

3. Spray the glob with vegetable spray. Push the rubber stamp down into the glob firmly until the foam compresses completely (figure B).

4. Put a heavy, stable weight like a heavy book or an iron, etc., on top of the stamp and let it sit for about 10 minutes (figure C).

5. Remove the weight and lift the stamp out of the foam. The stamp will come out easily and it will not be damaged in any way. Clean the stamp off with a mild detergent or commercial stamp cleaner.

6. Peel the hardened foam away from the aluminum foil. Let it dry bottom side up for about 15 minutes.

7. When the foam piece is completely dry, wash it with warm water and a little dish detergent. Dry it with a paper towel.

8. The piece can now be cut with scissors to remove the parts of the foam piece that didn't receive the stamping treatment (figure D). You can trim it with a paper cutter if you want a more uniform look. The extra foam can also be left on to resemble sealing wax.

9. Paint the piece with spray paint or brush on acrylic paint (figure E). Note: Acrylic paints work best because they will not form cracks and will adhere to the foam well. Metallic spray paint will give the piece the look of precious metal.

10. Attach the painted piece with double-sided tape to the front of an appropriately sized card made from sturdy card stock (figure F).

Tips:

This process works well substituting the bottom of a deeply etched cut crystal vase or bowl in place of a rubber stamp.

The pieces can also be applied to small cardboard boxes as embellishments, or pierced and tied with ribbon and used as Christmas ornaments.