• Fine-tune your skills and learn new ideas by taking a rubber stamp class.Jonnie Miles/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  Rubber stamping is a versatile and creative way to make personalized cards and gifts, and to embellish scrapbooks and photo albums. Most people start working with rubber stamps by purchasing a set of stamps and some ink. Rubber stamp enthusiasts have developed many artistic techniques that can only be learned by attending a rubber stamp class. Classes are designed to accommodate beginning, intermediate and advanced rubber stamp artists.
  
  

Beginners Class

• An introduction to rubber stamp art and decorating is a good idea for the first-time rubber stamp artist, or as a refresher course for experienced stamp artists. A basic rubber stamp beginners class should include instruction on proper inking of the stamp, how to dry-emboss a project, how to heat-emboss a stamped project, mounting and layering effects in stamping, and proper placement of the stamp on a card. A beginner-level class should also include how to mask and make reverse masks, how to design winning layouts for cards and how to use decorative papers. Students who complete a beginners' rubber stamp class should be able to create their own designs after instruction.
  
  

Mixing Inks and Paints

• The next step in rubber stamp classes should be a thorough instruction in how to mix inks and use a variety of paints and varnishes when creating stamp art. Quick-drying paints and different color inks can work well together on a single project. Combine metallic inks and pearl inks with dye inks and paints for diverse colors. A rubber stamp class on mixing inks and paints should cover mixing primary colors to achieve all the colors of the rainbow, using color palettes and complementary colors, and combining inks and paints. The class should offer additional instruction about the best surfaces and papers for rubber stamp art.
  
  

Carving Stamps

• More advanced students may want to begin making their own stamps. A rubber stamp carving class should begin with the types of tools that are used to carve stamps. Rubber stamp carving tools are often sold as a set with some minimal instructions included. Carving classes can more thoroughly explain how to use each tool, the type of cut that it makes, and the result that will be achieved in the final product. Carving class should continue with stamp designs prior to trying to cut the stamp. Draw new designs on tracing paper and then transfer them to the rubber block for easy carving. By the end of a carving class, students should be able to design and carve their own stamps for art projects.