It used to bother me when a clear stamp would not deliver an evenly inked image. Clear stamps, also known as acrylic or photopolymer stamps, tend to leave a softer image on the paper than rubber stamps. Ink tends to bead on the stamp’s surface, however, which leads to an uneven stamped image.

Rubber stamps leave a crisp image, but I often find that I wish I could see through them to tell where I’m stamping, as I can with clear stamps. And though I have a sizable collection of block-mounted stamps, I’ve always preferred the compact storage of cling stamp sets. Cling sets also are cheaper and can offer several stamps per set. I guess you could say I cling to clear stamps. I couldn’t pass up a chance for a bad pun.

To combat ink beading on a clear stamp, gently rub an eraser over the stamp. Or, you can skip this step and embrace the stamp’s imperfections.

The unevenly inked chevron line breaks up the balanced appearance of the card and softens the boldness of the neon-orange ink. I wanted the zigzag to be the focal point, so I kept the rest of the elements all close to the same light-blue tone.

Here’s how to make it:

Make a card from a 5-by-10-inch piece of light-blue textured cardstock. Cut a 5-by-1 1/2-inch piece of light-blue, foiled polka dot cardstock (mine’s from the Couture collection by SEI), and adhere, centered, to the card’s front.

Attach two light-blue, checkered brads (such as from the On the Edge collection by Teresa Collins) to the upper-left corner of a piece of cardstock that features typing images and phrases in light blue (mine’s from the 9 to 5 collection’s “Miscellany” pack by October Afternoon). Adhere the cardstock half an inch from the card’s right edge, lining up the top edge of the piece with the top edge of the polka dot cardstock.

Stamp a chevron image (I used a stamp from the Chevrons Two Step collection by Technique Tuesday) in neon-orange ink (Hero Arts) onto white cardstock.

Trim this piece to 5 inches by 1 inch. Stamp “hello” (mine’s from the Chelsea Sentiments collection by Brenda Walton for Inkadinkado) in black ink (such as Versafine in onyx black) 1 inch from the right edge of the cardstock, close to the top edge.

Adhere this piece over the typing piece, tucking it under the brads.

Adhere a small acrylic tile that features squares in light blue, gray and cream partially over the chevron piece and close to the right edge.