Who doesn’t love a new toy, amiright?  I recently got a new Silhouette Mint machine, and while I’m not a big scrapbooker or paper crafter, this little guy has been one cool addition to my crafting arsenal.  I’m already head over heels in love with my Cameo, so how could a Mint not knock my socks off too?

I mean, who wouldn’t love being able to create their very own completely customized stamps in no time at all?  So neat, indeed.

Just like with any new gadget, there’s a bit of a learning curve, but I’m here to give you the 411 on how to use a Silhouette Mint and create a super fancy (yet still really simple) multi-colored stamp!  It’s truly a breeze.

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How to Use Silhouette Mint & Make a Multi-Colored Stamp

If you’re a faithful reader (thanks!), you know I am totally in love with my Silhouette Cameo.  It’s my #1 all-time favorite crafting tool in the history of forever, and it’s actually what inspired me to start this very blog!

This ‘Hello Summer’ stamp was my very first time using the Mint Studio software and the Mint machine along with all its toys.  This goes to show just how easy it is to make a cute and colorful stamp in no time!

 

Supplies

Here are the supplies I used for this particular stamp:

• Silhouette Mint
• Mint Studio software
• Variety of Mint ink colors
  • I used red, blue, yellow, green, & black
• 45 mm x 45 mm Mint stamp kit
• Stamp design

 

The Stamp Design

I spotted this cute and colorful ‘Hello Summer’ design from the Silhouette Design Store (and it was on sale too, woot!), and it would work perfectly for jazzing up some utensil holders I’d been planning on making for an upcoming picnic.

This design would also work great for a multi-colored stamp because none of the elements overlap.  Since we’ll be applying liquid ink in a bit, if the different inks were to touch, they could potentially start to mix with each other instead of remaining solely on their intended elements….not good.

***SUPER IMPORTANT***: If you want to make a multi-colored stamp and keep control of your inks, look for designs that don’t have overlapping parts!

 

Customizing the Design in Mint Studio

Once my newly ungrouped design was opened in Mint Studio, I went to the Stamp Settings page and chose the 45 x 45 stamp, which is the largest square size.

 

Next, it was time to customize the coloring!  This step is completely optional, but I’m very much a visual person and need (yes, need) a virtual mockup to see what my finished project will look like.

Along the bottom of Mint Studio, you can see all the ink color options available (all those tiny colored squares).  I first selected each design element individually and then colored them with my various virtual ink options by selecting my chosen squares until I was happy.  As you can see, I’m going for a mostly primary color scheme with this picnic decor.

I also stretched the entire design up a tad so it filled up more of my stamp….gotta get the most bang for my buck!

 

Making the Multi-Colored Stamp

Now it was time to actually make the stamp!  Here’s how you work this magic:

1. Plug your Silhouette Mint into an outlet and also connect it to your computer using the respective power cables and then press the power button to turn it on (the blue circle will light up).
2. Click on the leaf icon in the top right corner of Mint Studio, which will then turn your design to black and white and also mirror it onto a virtual stamp sheet.
3. Don’t worry about checking filters with this project, so skip Step 1 (but depending on your design, you may want to play around here).
4. Click on Start Mint, which will cause the blue circle light to start flashing and let you know the Mint is ready.
5. Insert the stamp sheet face up into the back of the Mint.
6. In just a few seconds, the stamp will be ran through the Mint and ejected out the front….quick and easy!

 

Tada!  Like magic, the stamp is made in mere seconds.  Pretty neat, indeed.

 

Now it was time to apply the stamp to the block so I could, ya know, stamp with it.  This is also super simple:

1. Remove the paper backing off the stamp block to reveal the sticky surface underneath.
2. Crack the stamp sheet along the perforated line and peel away the cardboard backing.
3. Peel away the remaining plastic sheet off the front of the stamp sheet.
4. Apply the stamp face up on the stamp block.
   1. In the bottom right picture below, you’ll also notice the storage cap and label you can stamp and apply to the cap for easy storage and identification!

 

Adding the Mint Ink

The next step is to add the ink to the stamp….also way easy!  Simply remove the cap from the bottle of ink and start adding some color to the stamp in all the places you’d like.  The ink will flow out of the bottle on its own, so no squeezing necessary.  Just let it do its thing.

You can either add one color at a time, wait for it to absorb (around 5-10 minutes), blot away the excess, then repeat until all colors are added.  Or if you’re like me and don’t handle waiting very well, you can add all the colors in one step, then allow time for absorption.

Just pay extra attention to not add too much ink because this could cause the colors to mix.  Once again, that would be very bad!  Unless you’re going for a marbled effect, which might actually be kinda cool.

 

Here you can see how the stamp looks during the absorption process: some of the ink has been fully absorbed and some will need to be blotted away.  And you can of course always add more if needed….but err on the side of caution first!

 

Blot Away the Excess Ink

Speaking of blotting away….here we go!  I grabbed a sheet of regular printer paper and got my stamp on like crazy.  Do this until you get a nice, crisp image.  It’s also a nice way to practice how firm your pressing needs to be so you don’t mess up on your actual project.  Because that would suck.

You can also stamp the design onto the included label for the stamp’s cover for easy identification….but try to do it more centered and evenly than I did here.  Whoops!

 

Stamping My Summer Picnic Utensil Holders

Now that my stamp was ready, it was time to put my utensil holders together for our picnic.  One stamp on the front of white paper bags added the perfect handmade touch for our little gathering!

The little cap can be added on top of the stamp to keep it nice and moist (and mess-free) until I’m ready to use it again.

Another awesome factoid about creating your own stamps with the Mint: you can stamp up to 50 times before needing to reapply more ink.  Fun indeed!

 

If You Enjoyed This….

Make sure you check out my Project Gallery for lots of other crafty creations, including tons’o’fun with Silhouette!

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Stay crafty!