Mythical Hare handmade rubber stamp by Noolibird — nature journaling and Christmas card making

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Tips & techniques to get you started

Rubber Stamping Tutorials | Noolibird

Rubber stamping tutorials — from the Noolibird studio

I started making these videos because customers kept asking me the same questions — which ink pads work best for dark card, how to get a graduated sky, how to build a scene from multiple stamps. The tutorials here are my attempt to answer those questions properly, showing you exactly how I make the cards you see on the website.

If there's a technique or a specific stamp you'd like to see covered, leave a comment on the YouTube channel — I take requests seriously and most of my videos start as an answer to a real question.

How to make a Coastal Scene card with the Fishing Village stamp

Using the Fishing Village stamp to build a layered harbour scene — ink pad choices, how to get the best from this intricate design, and composition tips for a finished card.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Choose your ink carefully: A dark navy, teal or graphite VersaFine Clair gives the crispest impression on a finely detailed design like this. Avoid fast-drying dye-based inks — they don't give you the working time a complex stamp needs.
  2. Build your sky first: Before stamping the village, use a blending sponge to lay a soft gradient across the top third of your card — pale blue down to white at the horizon — so it's fully dry before the stamp goes down.
  3. Ink the stamp in stages: For large, intricate stamps, ink in small circular motions across the raised rubber surface rather than a single press onto the pad. This ensures every fine line picks up ink evenly.
  4. Stamp face-down: Place your card face-down onto the inked stamp rather than the other way around. You have far more control over the pressure, and it's the single biggest thing you can do to improve the clarity of a complex impression.
  5. Add foreground detail: Once dry, use a water brush or fine pen to add gentle horizontal strokes of a lighter blue beneath the village to suggest water. It completes the coastal scene and takes thirty seconds.

Browse the Coastal & Seaside stamp collection — and see the full ink pad guide for colour recommendations.

How to make a Sunset Dolphin card

Making a coastal card with the Dolphin stamp — how to build a warm sunset scene using careful ink blending and capture the atmosphere of the South Coast in a single impression.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Build the sunset sky first: Using a blending sponge, apply a warm coral or peach ink across the upper half of the card, blending downwards into a pale yellow. Work wet-into-wet and keep the transitions soft.
  2. Add the water line: Switch to a deeper teal or midnight blue and blend upwards from the bottom, leaving a warm strip where sky meets sea. The gradient doesn't need to be perfect — natural variation is the point.
  3. Let the background dry completely: Any moisture in the card will cause the dolphin's impression to bleed at the edges. Give it at least five minutes, or use a heat gun on a low setting.
  4. Stamp the dolphin: Use a deep navy or black VersaFine Clair. Press firmly and lift straight up — the clean silhouette against the blended background is the whole composition.
  5. Optional finishing: Add a few small seagull impressions or stamped wave marks in the foreground to give the scene scale and atmosphere.

Browse all Coastal & Seaside stamps — and see the ink pad guide for ink blending tips.

Spring Flowers and Jug stamps

A closer look at using the Flowers & Jug stamps to build a favourite spring arrangement — ink colour combinations and how to build something that looks like it took much more skill than it did.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Sketch the composition lightly: Mark where the jug will sit with a light pencil line — everything else builds from that anchor point. Erase any marks once the ink is dry.
  2. Stamp the jug first: Use a warm terracotta, soft blue or sage green — something that reads as pottery. This grounds the whole arrangement.
  3. Add the larger flower heads: Work outwards from the top of the jug, placing the larger blooms first. A mix of two complementary colours — soft pink and lilac, or coral and butter yellow — gives the arrangement a natural garden feel.
  4. Fill in with stems and foliage: Use a lighter, leafy green for any stem and leaf stamps. The lighter the green, the more delicate the finished arrangement looks.
  5. Step back before adding more: It's easy to over-stamp this kind of composition. Fewer elements placed with intention always looks better than filling every gap.

Browse the Flower stamp collection — and the ink pad guide for spring colour ideas.

Folk Flower stamp tutorial

How to Use Folk Flower Rubber Stamps for Card Making & Textile Crafts

In this tutorial, we demonstrate how to use our signature Folk Flower Rubber Stamps to build gorgeous, symmetrical folk-art compositions. These linocut-style designs feature bold, lino cut-inspired shapes that hold ink beautifully, making them ideal for card making, custom gift wrap, scrapbooking, and home textile projects.

Step-by-Step Stamping Guide:

  1. Prepare Your Surface: Place your blank cardstock or fabric on a smooth, flat surface. If you are printing on textiles, place a piece of scrap cardboard behind your fabric to prevent ink bleeding.
  2. Ink the Stamp: Pat your ink pad firmly across the raised rubber surface of the Folk Flower stamp. Ensure an even coating of ink without over-saturating the fine lines. For fabric printing, we highly recommend using VersaCraft ink pads.
  3. Position and Press: Hold the wooden block firmly. Position it over your paper or fabric and press down with steady, uniform pressure. Avoid rocking the wooden mount, as this can cause smudging.
  4. Build Your Repeating Pattern: Folk art designs look magnificent when repeated. Pivot the stamp 90 degrees or use contrasting, vibrant colours to build up a decorative botanical border or patchwork-style layout.
  5. Heat Setting (For Fabric Only): If you are printing on textiles or linen, let the VersaCraft ink air-dry completely, then iron the reverse side of the fabric on a medium setting for 15–30 seconds to lock in the pigment permanently.

Cherry Blossom stamp tutorial

How to Build Layered Cherry Blossom Branch Designs with Rubber Stamps

Capture the timeless elegance of spring with our multi-piece Cherry Blossom Rubber Stamp Set. This tutorial walks you through building graceful, organic branch compositions step-by-step—perfect for nature journaling, delicate handmade greeting cards, and seasonal paper crafts.

Step-by-Step Layering Guide:

  1. Stamp the Main Branch: Select the main twig or branch element from the set. Coat it in a soft charcoal or deep brown ink pad. Stamp it diagonally across your cardstock to establish the organic skeletal line of your composition.
  2. Layer the Larger Blossoms: Using a soft pink or coral ink pad, stamp the full cherry blossom heads along the nodes of the branch. Focus on placing them where a natural bud would sprout.
  3. Add Delicate Buds & Detail: Take the smaller blossom buds from the set. Ink them with a slightly deeper pink or magenta hue, and place them near the tips of the twigs to create a sense of depth, scale, and seasonal renewal.
  4. Optional Multi-Media Painted Effect: Once your stamped ink is completely dry, use a lightly damp watercolour brush or a water brush pen to gently pull a tiny bit of the ink out or apply a soft watercolour wash over the background to complete the artistic, hand-painted look.

Card making with the Hare and Winter Sunrise stamps

Creating a soft, luminous winter dawn card with the Hare and Winter Sunrise stamps — how to build the sky gradient and layer the hare into the scene.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Blend the dawn sky: Using a blending sponge, apply a pale rose or peach ink across the top of the card, blending down into a warm cream or pale gold. The horizon should be the warmest, lightest point.
  2. Add a cool edge at the top: While the warm tones are still slightly fresh, lightly sponge a cool grey-blue across the very top edge of the card to suggest the retreating night sky. Keep this subtle — just a whisper of colour.
  3. Let it dry fully: Use a heat gun or set the card aside for several minutes. A damp background will ruin the hare's impression.
  4. Stamp the landscape: Use the Winter Sunrise stamp in a muted olive or soft charcoal to lay in a treeline or field across the lower third of the card. This grounds the scene.
  5. Add the hare: Ink in a warm charcoal or dark brown and stamp slightly off-centre. Lift straight up for a clean silhouette against the glowing sky — that contrast is what makes this card.

See the ink pad guide for recommended sky-blending inks.

Card making with the Full Moon and Stag stamps

The Full Moon and Stag is one of the most versatile stamps in the range — works for winter cards, autumn scenes, and anything with a wild, atmospheric feel. This video shows how to build the full moon scene from scratch.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Consider dark card for maximum drama: Deep navy, forest green or black card transforms this stamp. Gold or silver pigment inks on dark card are particularly striking — the silhouette reads with a completely different atmosphere than on white.
  2. Stamp the moon element first: If your set includes a separate moon, stamp it first and let it dry fully before layering the stag over or near it.
  3. Ink with restraint: This stamp rewards a lighter hand. A slightly dry impression — where the ink doesn't flood every line completely — often gives a more atmospheric, printed result than a heavy application.
  4. Position the stag off-centre: Dead-centre can feel static. Slightly left or right, with the antlers reaching into open space, feels more alive and natural.
  5. Add foreground texture: A few horizontal strokes of a muted olive or warm brown sponged across the base of the card suggests moorland or grassland, grounding the stag in a landscape.

Browse the Bird & Animal stamp collection.

Botanical wildflower stamps

Stamping with the botanical wildflower collection — how to combine small stems, flowers and foliage stamps to build nature journal pages and delicate handmade cards.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Choose a colour palette before you begin: Two to three complementary colours work far better than using every ink you own. For wildflowers, dusty pink, soft sage and warm white on cream card is a classic combination.
  2. Stamp the tallest stems first: Work from back to front, beginning with the tallest, slenderest elements. These form the background structure of the composition.
  3. Layer in the flower heads: Place larger bloom stamps over and around the stems. Vary the ink pressure slightly between impressions — a lighter application on some flowers adds depth and prevents the composition from looking flat.
  4. Add foliage last: Fern fronds and leaf stamps sit most naturally at the base and edges. Use a lighter green for leaves in the background, a richer green for those in the foreground.
  5. Leave breathing room: Compositions look their best with white space around them. Resist the urge to fill the whole card — a considered arrangement reads far better than a packed one.

Browse the Flower & Botanical stamp collection — and see the ink pad guide for nature journaling ink recommendations.

Card making with Fox and Fir Tree stamps

How to combine the Fox and Fir Tree stamps into a winter scene — ink colour choices for the fox and trees, and tips for layering a cohesive composition.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Start with the fir trees: Ink the fir tree stamp in a deep forest green or rich teal and stamp two or three times across the card, slightly overlapping. Vary the position slightly between impressions for a natural treeline effect.
  2. Add a snow suggestion: Using a clean sponge or a white pigment ink dauber, add a soft highlight across the top of each tree impression to suggest snow on the branches. This small step makes the card look hand-finished.
  3. Decide on your sky: For a daytime scene, leave the background pale and clean. For a night scene, blend a deep navy or midnight blue across the upper portion of the card before adding the trees.
  4. Stamp the fox: Use a warm russet or burnt orange ink — or black for a more graphic result. Place him in the foreground, slightly left or right of centre. Make sure the background is fully dry first.
  5. Finish with a ground line: A horizontal stroke of white pigment ink across the bottom of the card suggests snow underfoot and ties the whole winter scene together.

Browse the Christmas stamp collection — and the ink pad guide for winter colour combinations.

Christmas card making with the Nativity Garland stamp

A step-by-step tutorial for the Nativity Garland stamp — one of my most loved Christmas designs. Covers ink selection, stamping on different card stocks, and adding a second colour.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Choose your card stock: This stamp looks equally beautiful on cream, white and deep navy card. For a traditional feel, warm cream is lovely. For something more dramatic, deep blue with gold pigment ink is stunning.
  2. Ink evenly across the whole stamp: The Nativity Garland has good surface area — take time with the inking, using two or three light passes across the ink pad rather than a single heavy press.
  3. Press firmly and evenly: Place the stamp face-down onto the card and apply steady, even pressure across the back of the wooden mount. No rocking.
  4. Lift straight up: Resist the temptation to peek before you lift. Pull straight up and reveal the impression cleanly.
  5. Add a second colour once dry: Use a fine brush with a coordinating ink or watercolour to add a hint of colour to specific elements — a soft gold on the star, a muted red on the berries — to give the card a hand-finished quality.

Browse all Christmas stamps — and see the ink pad guide for gold and metallic ink options.

Christmas card making with the River Valley stamp

Making a Christmas card with the River Valley stamp — ink colour options for a wintry landscape feel, and how to get the most from the fine detail in this scenic design.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Prepare a soft sky wash: Before stamping, use a blending sponge to apply a very pale grey-blue or cool white across the top portion of your card for a wintry sky. Keep it light — the stamp's fine detail will show through clearly.
  2. Let the background dry: Even a slightly damp surface will spread the ink as you stamp over it. A heat gun on a low setting speeds this up significantly.
  3. Ink with a VersaFine Clair: The River Valley has intricate linework — a warm charcoal, deep brown or forest green VersaFine Clair brings out the detail without flooding the fine lines.
  4. Lay the card face-down onto the stamp: For panoramic designs, placing the card on top of the stamp rather than the other way around gives you more control over even pressure distribution.
  5. Add a snow or frost effect: Once fully dry, use a white gel pen or a light press of a white pigment pad to add snow to rooftops, branches and hilltops. It takes under a minute and transforms the wintry atmosphere.

Browse the Christmas stamp collection.

Hedgehog and autumn stamps

Autumn card making with the hedgehog and woodland stamps — warm seasonal colour palettes, ink layering, and how to build an atmospheric autumn scene.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Build a warm ground layer: Using a blending sponge, apply a soft golden-yellow or pale ochre across the lower portion of the card to suggest fallen leaves. Keep the application uneven for a natural look.
  2. Stamp the foliage elements first: Use the leaf and berry stamps in deep red, copper and dark green. Scatter them loosely across the card — the irregular placement is what makes this feel natural rather than formal.
  3. Vary your ink colours between impressions: Don't use the same colour for every leaf. Alternating between burnt orange, copper and crimson gives the arrangement depth and genuine seasonal richness.
  4. Add the hedgehog: Ink in a warm dark brown or charcoal and place him in the lower portion of the composition, surrounded by the leaf scatter. He should feel nestled in the scene, not floating above it.
  5. Unify with a light amber haze: A very light sponge of warm amber ink across the whole card, applied once everything is dry, gives it the golden-light quality of an October afternoon.

Browse the Autumn stamp collection — and the ink pad guide for autumn colour combinations.

Summer Meadow stamp tutorial

Making a summer card with the Summer Meadow stamp — how to layer warm colours and build a soft, sun-filled impression from this detailed wildflower design.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Build the warm sky first: Blend a soft pale blue across the top of the card, transitioning to a warm cream or pale yellow towards the horizon. Keep the blend smooth and light.
  2. Add a golden ground strip: Use a warm golden-yellow or ochre sponged lightly along the bottom of the card to suggest sunlit grasses before you stamp the meadow impression over the top.
  3. Ink the stamp generously but not heavily: The Summer Meadow has a lot of surface area — use a slightly larger ink pad or daub evenly across it in sections. Too little ink and the fine wildflower details won't print; too much and they'll fill in.
  4. Stamp face-down for better control: Lay the stamp face-up on your worksurface, place the card face-down onto it, and press down evenly with your palms. The panoramic format of this design is easier to control this way.
  5. Finish with a sun glow: Sponge a pale golden-yellow pigment ink lightly from one corner to add the suggestion of sunlight angling across the scene. It takes thirty seconds and transforms the atmosphere.

Browse the Spring & Summer stamp collection.

Card making with the Snow Hare and Winter Landscape stamps

How to build a snowy winter scene with the Snow Hare stamp — ink choices, the graduated sky technique, and how to layer the hare over the landscape for a finished card.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Build the sky gradient: Using a blending sponge, apply a pale lavender or soft blue-grey from the top of the card, blending down into white at the horizon. The more gradual the transition, the more luminous the wintry light feels.
  2. Suggest a low winter sun: Use a nearly-dry sponge or a piece of tissue to lift a slightly lighter, softly circular patch near the horizon line — a hazy winter sun low in the sky. It's a subtle detail that makes a big difference.
  3. Stamp the winter landscape: Use the landscape stamp in a muted charcoal or grey-green across the lower third of the card to lay in a treeline or snow-covered field. This grounds the whole scene.
  4. Let everything dry completely: The Snow Hare's pale tones disappear into a damp background. Full dryness here is non-negotiable.
  5. Add the Snow Hare: Ink in white pigment ink or a pale stone grey and position him slightly off-centre in the mid-ground. Lift straight up for a clean impression and enjoy the result.

See the ink pad guide for recommended sky-blending and white pigment inks.

Freshly picked spring flowers

A spring flowers arrangement using the Flowers & Jug stamps to build a freshly-picked floral scene — how to combine multiple flower stamps in a single composition.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Plan a triangular composition: A triangular shape — wider at the base, narrowing towards the top — is the easiest arrangement to make look natural. Lightly mark the outer edges with a pencil before you begin.
  2. Lay in the foliage base: Stamp the greenery and stem elements first, fanning out from the centre. These form the structure that the flowers will sit within.
  3. Add the larger blooms: Place the main flower stamp impressions across the mid-section of the arrangement, varying the ink coverage slightly between impressions for depth.
  4. Fill in with smaller details: Use bud and smaller flower stamps to fill any awkward gaps, and to overlap the edges of larger impressions — this makes the arrangement feel denser and more natural.
  5. Finish with a single accent colour: One stamp in a contrasting colour — a deep coral amongst pinks, a deep violet amongst lilacs — draws the eye and gives the arrangement a focal point.

Browse the Flower stamp collection.

Sunflower & Bee stamp tutorial

How to use the Sunflower & Bee stamps to create fresh summer cards — inking technique, colour choices, and building a botanical composition from scratch.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Get the yellow right first: Sunflower yellow is tricky — too pale and it looks washed out; too orange and you've lost the freshness. A warm golden yellow ink pad applied in two or three light passes gives the most accurate result.
  2. Stamp the sunflower head first: This is the dominant element and anchors the composition. Stamp it slightly off-centre for a more natural, botanical feel.
  3. Add the stem and leaves: Use a rich forest green for the stem and leaf stamps. Angle the leaves slightly — real sunflower leaves don't grow perfectly symmetrically, and this irregularity is what makes it feel alive.
  4. Stamp the bee: Use a deep amber or warm brown ink for the bee. Place him near one of the flower heads — as if he's just landed or is about to. This small detail gives the whole composition a sense of movement.
  5. Optional background wash: A very light sponge of pale golden-yellow across the whole card, applied before you begin or once everything is dry, gives the finished piece a warm, sunlit quality that perfectly suits the subject.

Browse the Spring & Summer stamp collection — and the ink pad guide for yellow and botanical ink recommendations.

General technique tips

Whatever stamp you're working with, the fundamentals are the same. Here's what I'd tell anyone just starting out.

Getting a clean impression

Press the stamp into the ink pad gently two or three times, rotating slightly to pick up ink evenly. Press down onto the paper steadily — don't rock the stamp, as this blurs the edges. Lift straight up. For larger stamps, try placing the paper face-down onto the stamp rather than placing the stamp on the paper — you have more control over the pressure that way.

Choosing the right ink pad

The most important thing is matching the ink to the surface. For detailed stamps on card, VersaFine Clair gives the crispest impression. For fabric, use VersaCraft and heat-set after stamping. For dark card, pigment-based inks or metallic pads work best — dye-based inks disappear. See the full ink pad guide for a complete breakdown.

Paper makes more difference than you'd expect

Always use uncoated card or paper. Glossy or coated card prevents the ink from drying properly and the impression smears. Smooth uncoated card absorbs the ink cleanly and gives a sharp result every time. Ecocraft card blanks are my personal go-to.

Always do a test print first

Test on scrap paper before you stamp on your good card. It takes five seconds and saves a lot of frustration — especially with a new stamp or a new ink colour.

New tutorials are added to the Noolibird YouTube channel regularly. Subscribe to be notified when new videos go up — and leave a comment if there's a technique or stamp you'd like to see covered.

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