| Welcome to Kimberly Crick's instruction page for decorating dominoes with rubber stamps. I'll cover the basics for markers, paints, chalk coloring, Adirondack alcohol inks by Tim Holtz / Ranger Ink and other coloring products that help make domino art easy. All of the stamp images used on this page are available here: unmounted rubber stamps. |
| I work on the domino straight from the tin (no bleaching or sanding.) The only time you may want to lightly sand the surface is if you are painting a coat of acrylic paint on it and want to make it gritty to hold the paint better. Otherwise I have not had problems working with the dominoes the way they come. |
| Creating colored backgrounds before stamping: In addition to using blank white dominoes (then just coloring over your stamped image with permanent markers or chalk) you can also make a variety of fun backgrounds for your stamp art. #1,2 & 3: were created with Alcohol Inks. #4 is a blank domino stamped with color box chalk ink using a crackle pattern rubber stamp (from this stamp sheet.) #5 used the same crackle rubber stamp over a few coats of green acrylic paint. #6 is a brush on glitter paint. #7 has a few coats of gold acrylic paint sealed with one-step crackle glaze. #8 has a base coat of green acrylic paint, a layer of "weathered wood" crackling medium and a light green acrylic paint top coat. Last is covered with a few coats of plain olive green acrylic. |
| Chalk color over light tan dominoes, stamped with black StazOn ink. Most dominoes come white, but you can also rub any sort of ink into the surface to colorize it before you start stamping. |
| Left 3 dominoes were painted with acrylic paints, stamped with StazOn ink. Third was colored with chalks. Last is embossing powdered diamond pattern over a blue alcohol ink background. |
| Left and bottom used alcohol inks, stamped StazOn, colored with chalk. Right and top used sharpie marker backgrounds, stamped with chalk ink pads. |
| Gold spray painted back, alcohol ink backgrounds on front. Wire wrapped, added color using sharpie markers. Added beads and hung from ribbons. |
| Sharpie markers, StazOn ink, gold leaf, Aleene's Paper Glaze as sealant, 24 gauge copper wire, beads, ribbon. (For long term stability you may want to use thicker wire, such as 18, 20 or 22 gauge. The lower the number gauge, the thicker the wire.) |
| Place your rubber stamp (image side up) on a sturdy table. Ink it with StazOn black ink pad. Grab your domino, and position it above your stamp (with the blank side down.) Press firmly, in a straight down motion, taking care not to wiggle or smudge the ink. Lift straight off. |
| Step 1: Rubber stamp onto your domino using StazOn ink. I find it easiest to lay your rubber stamp image side up on a table, ink the stamp, press your domino down onto it and lift straight up. |
| After StazOn stamping your image, tap your Perfect Medium (or VersaMark or any clear ink pad) over your domino. This makes the domino surface wet and tacky enough to hold chalk color. |
| Once you've gathered some color onto your applicator gently tap it onto your domino. The more you press the lighter your colors will become. Rubbing too hard will result in removing the clear ink keeping the chalk in place. Blending should come effortlessly with practice, this type of coloring is very soft-edged. You could also add metallic mica powders (such as pearl-ex or perfect pearls brand) in this step. |
| To add more intense colors to lips or eyes, use a water based marker. You can also use an ultra fine point sharpie marker if you are careful to color between the lines. |
| Step 3: When using chalk you have the widest options for sealers, since most will not disturb your coloring. (Many will make other sorts of ink or markers bleed though, check the sealer descriptions below. I use Krylon spray for everything.) You'll want to seal your domino right away since the embossing ink will never dry and attracts dust. If you prefer a brush on sealer instead of sprays: Generously coat a soft sponge / cosmetic wedge with your sealer of choice. Wipe it onto the domino taking care to get most of the surface covered within 1 to 3 passes. Use just enough pressure to allow the sealer to glide over the surface. Most dry clear, so it's usually ok if some parts look slightly thicker. |
| Each of the sealers I tested has it's own pros and cons. Here is my personal experience using these products, if you happen to have something on hand, please don't let me deter you from experimenting. Here's a little about what I learned from each try: 1) DecoArt Multi Purpose Sealer: This turned out better than expected. It's thin, much more liquidy than the other sealers, and very clear when dry. It left a thin layer of protection with very little sponge/brush stroke marks left over. By far the smoothest finish for brush-on sealers, you may want to add a second coat for durability. I recommend this if you are only planning on using chalk for coloring (it smears alcohol, pigment or water based inks and you can't use it like a glue for other projects.) 2) Aleene's Paper Glaze: Very clear and thick sealer. Will show some sponge/brush stroke marks after it is dry. However, this is usually only noticeable when the light hits it from an angle. Be sure to apply this in a thin coat, as I have had some minor bubbling in thicker applications. Personal Favorite: 3) Mod Podge: I used "matte" in the photo, but I think "glossy" may be the better choice. It will provide a more crystal clear shine. You will see some sponge/brush stroke marks afterwards, but this is only noticeable when the light is hitting it at an angle. Depending on your taste, this may be a good thing. I think it makes the domino look even more original - hand painted. You add a few drops onto your domino surface. As long as you gently glide it around with a flat broad tip soft paint brush or a cosmetic sponge, it will not disturb your inks, paints or chalks. Thin layers are best, to avoid creating potential bubbles in thicker glazes. Mod Podge also has other perks, including being able to use it for sealing alcohol ink projects, decoupage and a general glue for your paper crafts. It's also cheap, dries fast, and is readily available in the glue section at Michaels craft stores. 4) Glossy Accents: While some may appreciate the thick glazed look, I found this very difficult to use on plastic. It took hours to dry and you have to be careful not to let the tip hit your artwork as you squeeze it out. Since the applicator tip is tiny, you have to blob it out back and forth across your surface trying to get it to settle in an even coat. I think this product is better suited to adding "wet" looks to paper or for adhering acrylic pieces/marbles to stamping projects. I was careful but still ended up with some small bubbles. Additional Cons for using these sealers with coloring methods other than chalk: The Multipurpose sealer makes alcohol inks bleed. Mod Podge and Glossy Accents made my pigment inks and water based marker coloring bleed. There are a lot of other clear drying paint-on finishes/gloss/sealants, but many will smudge your artwork while brushing it on. All acrylic paint on sealers I tried (including "triple thick" and other deco art / apple barrel acrylic brand products) distorted my alcohol inks. |
| Attaching a pendant bail, magnet or pin back with glue. Here I used large silver or gold plated bails that measure about 8x24mm (just under 1" long.) I have found these on ebay, and also have other bails and jewelry making supplies here. I've had good results with E-6000 brand glue, but you can use any glue that is rated for metal to plastic bonding. |
| Above stamps from sheet # Tile-120, chalk coloring, markers for the lips and eye color, white gel pen highlights. |
| Multi-Purpose Sealer -- Aleene's Paper Glaze |
| Mod Podge Matte -- Glossy Accents |
| StazOn Ink Pads: Here's the easiest, quickest method. Decorate your domino in 3 minutes or less! Overwhelmed and not sure where to start? Or limited on time and looking for the quickest way to decorate your dominoes? By using one or two colors of StazOn ink pads you can achieve a simply bold domino just by stamping. Plus, it is not totally necessary to do a sealing step with this method (unless you plan on dipping your domino in alcohol, it will be water resistant.) |
| Most of the supplies used here are available on this site, or your local Michaels craft store. The white 1" x 2" dominoes are "double six" size and can be found at your local Toys R Us, Target, K-Mart or Walmart stores, or individually on the jewelry making supplies page. They make great fridge magnets, key chains, belt loop, purse or scrap book charms, pendants, pins, bracelets, belts, mosaics etc... don't let me limit your creativity :) Domino sizes vary depending on brand and type (mini, travel, double six, nine or twelve, etc.) I have tried a few brands and have found that the most common, and least expensive, is the "double six" sets which usually measure 1" x 2" and typically come in packs of 28 for $4 to $8. |
| 2) Stamp your main image with a darker ink over your colored background. (These stamps are from sheet #Bold-121) Optionally you can keep going and add additional accents like rubber stamped patterned edges, use a sharpie marker to color the edges, add glitter glue, rhinestones, pearls, stickers etc. |
| 1) Pick out a light ink pad color and rubber stamp your background pattern. Optionally, before stamping, you can colorize the domino surface by randomly dabbing on the StazOn ink. Use a q-tip dipped in alcohol to lighten the ink and rub it into the surface. This ink is usually dry enough to move onto the next step within a minute. |
| Gold leafing foils ("variegated leaf" made by speedball/mona lisa,) glue and embossing powder. |
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I own a dremel hand drill and a mini-vice clamp for the side of my craft table. This should make drilling holes into your domino very easy (a
mini-vacuum is handy too, for the mess.) You can put more time into elaborate designs by using craft wire in many holes, or simply tie a
ribbon in a single top hole. If you do not have a hand drill, you can also glue flat sided beads or pendant bails (a bale with a loop and an
extended flat piece to attach to the back of your pendant) to your domino with a strong jewelry glue (such as "E-6000" brand.)
I drill prior to decorating when using thicker media such as gold leaf or embossing powders. If you are using the chalk method and spray
sealing you should be able to drill afterwards if you want to use your artwork as a guide for hole placement.
I only drill front to back, short ways. I use a few of the smallest drill bits (depending on the wire size I'm using)
which came in the smallest package of 7 drill bits by Dremel. This set is called "Precision Drill set #628" and
includes sizes 1/32", 3/64", 1/16", 5/64", 3/32", 7/64" and 1/8".
mini-vacuum is handy too, for the mess.) You can put more time into elaborate designs by using craft wire in many holes, or simply tie a
ribbon in a single top hole. If you do not have a hand drill, you can also glue flat sided beads or pendant bails (a bale with a loop and an
extended flat piece to attach to the back of your pendant) to your domino with a strong jewelry glue (such as "E-6000" brand.)
I drill prior to decorating when using thicker media such as gold leaf or embossing powders. If you are using the chalk method and spray
sealing you should be able to drill afterwards if you want to use your artwork as a guide for hole placement.
I only drill front to back, short ways. I use a few of the smallest drill bits (depending on the wire size I'm using)
which came in the smallest package of 7 drill bits by Dremel. This set is called "Precision Drill set #628" and
includes sizes 1/32", 3/64", 1/16", 5/64", 3/32", 7/64" and 1/8".
| Drilling, wiring or bail loops for turning your domino game piece into a pendant: |
| Chalk Coloring - Using chalk palettes or soft pastels in compressed stick form: For this technique you need: dominoes, Stazon ink pad, any clear embossing ink pad (such as VersaMark OR Perfect Medium,) coloring chalks of your choice and applicators (typically eyeshadow makeup sponges or a q-tip.) |
| Water Based Markers (This method is quick and easy, I recommended it for beginners.) I use Marvy LePlume II or Tombow markers. For the purpose of this tutorial I also tried out cheaper markers, such as Crayola, which do work - however for the most professional looking project I would not recommend them due to the limited color range and hard tips. The Marvy or Tombow markers are much nicer because they have flexible brush tips that allow you to blend colors easier, apply the color more smoothly and are available in more natural color selections. |
| What chalks do I buy? Any chalk/soft pastels as sticks, or palette form will work. The main difference between these is that the palettes are not as dense, they are air fluffed and often have tiny little bubbles of space in them so the chalk cakes are ready to have the color wiped up with your applicator. Since colors are easily mixed on your applicator, and the shades are so pastel on a domino, there is no real need to have more than basic colors. If you buy chalks in stick form, you get more for a lower cost, but they are compressed and need to be scratched to loosen up the powder. This is a really simple and quick matter of just keeping a needle/sharp tool nearby to scratch at the stick every once in a while when you are picking up powder on your applicator. |
| Shading and blending tips: Your marker coloring will only stay wet for about a minute or less. Immediately after coloring you can use your finger to dab, blend, or lift and lighten color you just put down before it dries. This is helpful when your marker coloring came out streaky or left a small dot of concentrated color. You can also use a lighter color marker to lighten or remove color. To achieve monotone shading (the above pinkish-red rose) color your selected area with one color and allow to dry. Then go over the areas you wish to be slightly darker with the same marker. Alternately (as shown below) you can achieve shading by using two markers - a lighter and darker color. |
| Step 3: Sealing: I use Krylon's Gloss "UV-Resistant Clear Acrylic Coating" in a spray can for this coloring method. Water based markers and inks are VERY sensitive to most sealers. This one disturbs the coloring the least, and is very good when applied in about 3 or 4 lightly sprayed coats. See the sealer section towards the bottom for more info. |
| Alcohol Based Markers: I use Sharpies and Copic brands. Copics are higher quality with better brush tips and come in hundreds of colors, but are expensive (typically $4 to $6 per marker, but last forever and are refillable.) Vs. Sharpies that have harder tips, get thrown away, and are available in less colors, but only cost about $1 per marker. |
| StazOn is needed for all projects on this page. |
Step 2: Coloring!
| The domino magnets above use Marvy LePlume II markers, Tombow 's "912 - Light Cherry" for the skin tone, Tree-125 and Tile-120 stamps, sealed with clear gloss coating by Krylon. |
| You can use these to create background color, or to color in your image. Be aware that you must color within the lines of your stamped image or you will smudge the StazOn stamped ink. One way around this is to stamp, then seal your domino, then color, then seal again. Unfortunately, depending on your sealer, this makes the coloring surface less absorbent and sometimes bumpy. |
| *NOTE: Alcohol based markers are my least favorite domino coloring method. You have to be extremely careful to color between the lines or your markers will erase your stamped image. All alcohol based markers will ruin stamped images using ANY kind of stamping ink. You might be able to really gently touch the stamped line, but go over it enough and poof it erases. It is time consuming to be this careful. I think these markers are better suited for paper coloring. |
| Adirondack Alcohol Inks: These are SO FUN! I love them so much that I am working on an entire page all about alcohol inks with color charts, combinations, tutorials and idea gallery!!! |
| Sharpie marker background coloring with Stazon stamped mushrooms. Use a lighter color marker, colorless blender, or rubbing alcohol to erase, lighten and even blend the edges of your coloring. You can use these markers to trace an outline around the edges of the domino or to completely color the sides for a more finished look. |
| Other coloring techniques, paints and things to try: |
| Sealing your alcohol inked dominoes: I have had good luck with applying 3 to 6 lightly sprayed layers of Kylon's Gloss "UV-Resistant Clear Acrylic Coating" on my dominoes. If you are looking for a brush on sealer, a similar product is "DuraClear Varnish" by DecoArt, or any "Polyurethane" sealer from the hardware store. |
| To see more domino art and other example work created with my rubber stamps, check out the color project pages by clicking any black and white sheet preview on the rubber stamps page. --- Was this page helpful? Still need more info? Ask Kimberly to add more to this page or show me the awesome stuff you made using my instructions to my email: EnchantedGallery@gmail.com If you'd like to use my instructions or pictures on your website, please link back to my home page at: www.TheEnchantedGallery.com Store Index: pg.1: The Enchanted Gallery's Rubber Stamps, pg.2: EZ Mount Cling Cushion Mounting Foam, pg. 3: All Other Stamps, pg.4: Polymer Clay & Tools, pg.5: Jewelry Making Supplies, pg. 6: Terrarium craft, Flower-Soft, Containers and More! pg.7: Mold Making Compound, pg.8 Face & Button Molds, pg.9: Nature Spirit Molds, pg.10: Goddess & Mythology Molds, pg.11: Fairy, Angel & Mermaid Molds, pg.12: Ink, Coloring Media, Embellishments, Stencils., pg.13: Handmade Jewelry, Artwork, Gifts and Clay Face cabs, pg.14: Miniature Food & Doll House Supplies. Gallery, Tutorials & Information Index: pg.1: Shipping & Store Policy pg.2: Flexible Push Mold Info & Instructions, pg.3: Kimberly Crick's Art Gallery, pg.4: Friendly Plastic Jewelry Tutorial, pg.5: Rubber Stamped Domino Jewelry, Pg.6: Paper Art Dolls with a Template, Pg.7: Other Ways To Use Domino Size Stamps, Pg.8: Stamp Positioning With Die Cuts (Nestabilities & Cuttlebug.) Pg.9: Coloring Options (Media & Techniques.) Pg.10: Creating Miniature Food with Polymer Clay. Pg.11) Making Miniature Gardens and Doll House Scenery. Pg.12) All About Alcohol Inks - Color Charts, Ideas & Projects. Shipping/Payment Info Summary: Orders ship via USPS 1st class or Priority mail depending on weight to the United States only (policy), estimated delivery time is 7 to 14 business days. Quantities of 3 or more of the same item may delay shipping about a week, large quantity orders will receive an email within a few days to notify IF there will be any delay. Shipping info and optional insurance available here. I accept online payments only (US based credit cards/e-checks) through my PayPal shopping cart. You do not need to be a PayPal member to pay with my secure shopping cart system. (After you click "proceed to checkout" on the cart page just click the "Don't have a PayPal account? Use your credit card or bank account" link to the left of the PayPal log in box.) All orders over $100 ship free! My "Angel Company Policy" applies to The Enchanted Gallery's exclusive rubber stamps and molds only. For other rubber stamps, check with the manufacturer for their individual company's copyright policies. Comments/Questions? Check Q&A before you Email: EnchantedGallery@gmail.com - Want to know what's new? Check blog updates! |
| Spray Sealers & Recommendations: I have had good luck with Krylon's Gloss "UV-Resistant Clear Acrylic Coating" available at most art supply stores, and have also used Varathane "Polyurethane - Interior Water Based" spray (with the same results) which can be found in the paints and wood sealer section of your local Home Depot or Lowes hardware stores. You would lay out all your domino pieces on a cookie tray, or something like a flattened cardboard box, and take them outside or into your garage to mist them lightly with the spray. Wait about an hour, or as long as the directions on the bottle say, before returning and giving it another spray coat. You may do this 3 to 6 times until you are happy with the thickness of the sealant. Troubleshooting: If you have any ink bleeding problems you may also want to pre-mist it with something like Kylon's workable fixative, or use one of the brush on sealers before adding a final spray coat. IF you prefer to use a brush on sealer instead of sprays, check out the options below. The following sealer example pics were taken at their "worst" angle, where I captured the light hitting the sealed surface to give you a better idea of the texture: |
| Add a couple drops of your favorite alcohol ink colors onto the felt applicator. Dab it onto your domino repeatedly until you achieve the coverage and pattern desired. The more you pat, the more marbled the pattern becomes. Allow to dry (about a minute) and then rubber stamp over it with a StazOn ink pad. |
| Tip: Use the colorless blender in an empty marker or on a q-tip to lighten and erase areas. |
| After your stamped image has dried, tap your domino onto a "VersaMark" (or any clear) ink pad. This creates a slightly sticky clear layer on the surface to hold the chalk color. Use the chalk palette brushes (usually soft tipped eye shadow swabs or Q-Tips) to gently pat color onto your domino. Don't rub it too much or you'll remove the thin coat of versamark that is keeping the chalk in place. The harder you press the lighter your colors will become. Blending will come naturally with practice. Move onto the sealing step asap. Versamark will stay sticky forever, which will attract dust to your art unless you seal it within the day. |
| Alternately, a Perfect Medium ink pad and a chalk palette work the same way: |
| Paper Backgrounds: Tissue paper can be stamped and colored with colored pencils (or other materials you'd like to use that can't be used on a slick domino) and then attached to the domino surface using a clear drying glue (such as mod podge.) |
| Note: Gold leafing can be tricky and I only suggest experienced crafters try it! Otherwise, spray painting your dominoes with silver or gold paint is a much easier way to get a metallic base effect. Gold Leaf: Various colored metal leafing sheets/flakes can be applied to your domino using the popular "Mona Lisa" brand glue pen or their paint-on adhesive that stays tacky when dry. Since some of their products contain harsh chemicals, I work with a stamp-on glue pad instead. I found an ink pad adhesive called "Palette - Stamp & Stick Gluepad" at my local Jo-Ann Crafts store. In addition to using the pad to directly cover your domino's surface, you can also use it on your rubber stamps for holding powders, glitters, chalks, metallic pigments and metal leafing. Once you stamp the image you just quickly pass a heat gun over it to make it tacky. Explore your options, there are many glue pads on the market, some do not require heat to activate. Metal leaf sheet/flakes will stick to the adhesive. Then gently rub off the excess with your finger/small paintbrush/cloth for a metallic background to stamp over. If you're worried about lifting the metal you can seal it or emboss it in place before stamping. For my examples I tapped versamark clear ink (any clear embossing ink) over the metal, coated it in detail clear embossing powder and melted it. You will need to seal this thickly to prevent the metal leaf from chipping off your slick domino surface. Double sided tacky tape cut to the shape of your domino can also be used in place of adhesives. I have found that tapes and the glue pens are not heat resistant though (so don't emboss over those because it might bubble/peel off.) The Palette gluepad seems to hold up well under repeat heat. I haven't tried flocking/sticky embossing powders yet, but those seem like a good option as well (if you can find them.) |
Acrylic: Painted solid color, crackle and weathered wood effects can be placed on dominoes using multiple layers of acrylic paints. Your first one or two layers will look uneven as you build up the base coat. It is optional to lightly sand your domino prior to painting to help the paint stick to the slick surface. I do not recommend sanding or bleaching dominoes for other techniques since it leaves behind tiny scratch marks, but in this case your thick paint will cover it. Your surface should be ready for stamping after 3 or 4 coats, allowing to fully dry between thin layers. Acrylic Crackle Paints: There are at least two types of crackle acrylic paint by DecoArt (I used those roughly $1 a bottle paints along with apple barrel acrylics, but you can also get different results from nicer paints such as Lumiere or Dr. Ph. Martins which are popular among stampers depending on your budget.) One type is a "One Step Crackle" which is essentially a glossy top coat that has tiny internal cracks when it dries. In addition to creating an interesting effect, this can serve as a sealer to your base coats and make the surface smooth for stamping/coloring with a different medium (such as chalk.) The second type of crackle paint is "Weathered Wood / Crackling Medium" which cracks the layer of acrylic painted ON TOP of it. In order to use this type you put your background base color down first, then apply the crackling medium, then another coat of paint in a different color than your background. The top layer separates randomly exposing the background color. This type of paint will produce a different effect each time, depending on types of paint used and crackle medium thickness. Practice and luck create a vintage paint feel. Acrylic Glitter: There are many types of paint-on glitter, for a background layer I suggest finding a bottle of the clear drying kind with light glitter. This way you end up with a pretty sparkle that doesn't dominate over your stamped image. |
| NOTE: All chalk coloring will be very light (think porcelain pastels.) If you are looking for intense color I would try alcohol inks or markers. |
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| 3 |
| Sealed with clear Krylon Spray. |
| Combination of alcohol inks and chalk coloring method:. |
| This is my personal favorite. I love the look of alcohol inks, and with chalk I can give the image some specifically colored areas as well. Finished with Krylon clear gloss spray sealer and glued on pendant bail. |
| Krylon's metallic spray paints are a great way to give your dominoes a finished look. |
| Create an accordion book by gluing a strip of decorated paper between two dominoes. Optionally attach a ribbon to keep the book closed. |
| Keep in mind that the color you are using will appear lighter on a domino than it does on paper. |
| <-- Experiment with different color combinations. Here i outlined with pink and filled in with yellow creating a yellow to orange-ish pink flower. |
| I color the outline with a dark color first, then fill in the area with a lighter color to blend. |
| Similar stamping surfaces: Keep your eye out for any type of flat beads, stuff from the hardware store, or other game pieces that could be used for rubber stamping. Lexigo letter game tiles are also great for the same techniques used on dominoes. I have individual domino, Lexigo hexigonal pieces, and domino shaped silver pendant trays available in the jewelry making supplies section. |
| Using the Lexigo hexagonal tiles with your domino size rubber stamps will leave a little space on both sides of the tile blank (since these tiles are about 30mm wide instead of the 25mm domino size.) One way to cover this up is to create a border around the image using a marker, or dabbing the StazOn ink pad along the edges as I have done here. I then colored the tile with water based markers. |
