Is Stamping Becoming A Lost Art?

Stamping is where I fell in love with cardmaking. Give me a stamp set and a buffet of colorful inks and I can happily random-stamp my way through an afternoon, letting images dance across the page like confetti caught in a breeze. But lately, I’ve been noticing something stirring in the paper crafting world, and I can’t help but ask the question:

Are we quietly letting stamping slip into the background?

Walk into any craft store, scroll your feed, or open your favorite YouTube channel and you’ll be greeted by a tidal wave of layered stencils, innovative dies, 3D embossing folders, hot foil plates, and hybrid products that blur every line. They’re clever, they’re gorgeous, they’re fast, and they open the door for anyone to create detail-rich projects with almost no learning curve.

As a maker, that excites me.
As a stamper at heart, it makes me pause.

What’s Actually Happening?

This isn’t a disappearance. It’s a shift.

We’re living through a season where tools that once supported stamping are now becoming the headliners. Stencils are no longer simple silhouettes; they’re layered systems that deliver botanicals, backgrounds, textures, and typography with precision that rivals screen printing. Die sets have grown from simple outlines into full-blown scenes. Foil plates deliver instant luxury. And 3D folders can make a plain piece of cardstock feel like sculpted stone.

These aren’t replacements for stamping…
but they’re absolutely stealing some of its spotlight.

And maybe that’s okay. Maybe it’s cyclical. Maybe it’s progress.
But it raises a bigger artistic question.

The Heart of It: Do You Love Stamping?

Be honest with yourself for a moment:

Does stamping bring you joy?

Do you love the subtle pressure of the block, the crisp reveal of a perfect impression, the way images build rhythm and personality through repetition?

Or… was stamping always a struggle?

Blotchy impressions. Misaligned layers. Smudges that appear out of thin air.
For many crafters, stamping felt intimidating long before stencils and foiling entered the chat.

So when innovative products came along that offered beautiful, low-effort results, it felt like the clouds parted.
A sigh of relief.
A “finally, something that works for me.”

There is no wrong answer here. Just an honest reflection of how we create, and why.

Stamping Isn’t Old… It’s Foundational

Stamping is more than a technique. It’s a teacher, if we let it!

It teaches:
• spacing
• composition
• rhythm
• pattern
• color harmony
• pressure control
• sequencing

Those skills don’t expire. They quietly build every other technique we love.
Every stencil artist who understands visual flow?
Every die-cut scene maker who knows where to pull the eye?
Every foiling enthusiast layering shine with intention?

They’re using skills rooted in stamping.
Whether they realize it or not.

My Personal Stance (and a Love Letter to Random Stamping)

I’ll always believe stamping has a pulse worth listening to.
There’s something deeply human about it.
Something meditative.
Something playful.

One of my favorite techniques— random stamping—is stamping distilled to its purest joy. It’s the art of letting go of the plan and trusting your eye:

Color.
Movement.
Repetition.
Balance.
Your hands creating rhythm across the page.

It’s messy in the best way. And it’s a reminder that crafting is supposed to feel like joy, not performance.

If Stamping Felt Hard… Try These Quick Fixes

These tiny shifts make a big difference:

• Use a stamp platform for repeat impressions
• Stamp off the edge to avoid trapped white space
• Try second-generation stamping for soft transitions
• Stamp images in clusters of odd numbers
• Pair one main image with one tiny filler
• Choose three inks (light/medium/dark) for instant harmony

Stamping doesn’t have to fight you.
Sometimes it just needs a gentler starting point.

Your Turn to Weigh In

I want to hear your heart on this:

Where do you stand today?
Are you team Stamp & Ink, teamStencil/Die/Foil, or team All of the Above?
Does stamping challenge you, soothe you, frustrate you, or inspire you?

Drop your thoughts in the comments. Your voice matters to the evolution of our craft.