Stamps and Card/Paper

 

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There has been a huge increase in amount of choice available to the stamper over the last few years - and not all of it is rubber! In this tutorial I want to take a look at what is out there so that you can make informed choices - you can spend a lot of money then later wish you had kept it for something you know you will use a lot more (been there, done that, bought the T shirt and designed a new 'un!) I can't pretend to be able to prevent you from making purchases that you'll later regret because we're all human and inevitably will buy stamps that we fall in love with only to find that we rarely use them. What I do hope this guide will do, is help you to find the best type of stamps for your needs.

Let's look at the different types.

Wood Mounted: (images numbered 6)
These stamps are sold singly. They are made of rubber (usually either red or grey in colour) and have a piece of cushioning between the rubber and the wooden block. Most have a picture on the wooden block of the image as it will be when stamped. If the stamp has been well etched and properly mounted (very occasionally, a rogue one can slip through the quality control process just like with anything else) the cushioning and support of the wood will give a good quality impression.

The disadvantages of wood mounted stamps are:

• They can take up a lot of space to store

• It isn't so easy to see exactly where you are placing the image

• You can't run them under water to clean without risking them eventually falling off the block!

Unmounted Rubber: (images numbered 2 & 4)
These are becoming more and more popular and are of the same quality as the wood mounted ones from the same company.

The main advantages are:

• They are available in themed plates as well as singly

• They are more cost effective

• You can get far more in the same amount of space

• Because you are cutting them out yourself, you can cut as close to the image as you want to take the time and trouble to, reducing the chance of getting ink where you don't want it. You do need to be careful that you don't cut into the actual image though.

• It is easier to see where you are placing the image especially if you use a clear acrylic block.

• You get to choose how you want to mount your stamp and can even mount several on one block at the same time - very useful if you are creating a background or collage.

• You can choose whether or not to mount them onto cushioning.

• You can use any stamp cleaner on them.

Disadvantages:

• For some people, cutting them out.

Clear Polymer: (image number 3)

These are also becoming more popular. Their main advantages are:

• They are available in themed plates as well as singly

• They are more cost effective

• You can see right through the stamp and therefore can see exactly where you are placing the image

• They take up very little storage space.

• They are self cling and don't need to be mounted onto cushioning.

Disadvantages:

• The image isn't usually as crisp as with rubber so polymer is less successful with detailed images

• You can't use solvent ink cleaners on them (such as the stazon cleaner) because it damages the polymer and makes it sticky. The stamps can still be cleaned in other ways but are likely to be stained. This doesn't affect their use though.

With both the unmounted rubber and the clear polymer stamps you will need something to stick them to in order to make them easy to use. Acrylic blocks are readily available in various sizes and are the easiest way to do this. If you choose to mount your rubber stamps onto cushioning such as eazi mount,(number 5) Kling on or umount, they will cling to the acrylic block for use and peel off easily afterwards. It is possible to use the trimmed stamps without cushioning by using a glue stick (e.g.Pritt stick) to stick it to the block. Both will need to be washed afterwards and it is best to use a stamping mat in order to get a good impression.

Clear polmer are self cling in the state they are bought. If the eazi mount etc or clear polymer begin to lose their cling, just give them a wipe with a damp cloth and leave to air dry and they will be fine again.

There is another method available called Tack 'n' Peel that uses self cling applied directly to the acrylic block and left on there and the trimmed, unmounted rubber stamps will cling to this. There is only a little cushioning with this method so a stamping mat (number 8) would be recommended. I haven't used this method personally but you can find out more about it here.

If you take good care of your stamps they will reward you with long and faithful service.

• Store them out of direct sunlight

• Clean them after each stamping session. To clean them you can use a special stamp cleaner, but I usually use an alcohol free baby wipe for water based inks and a solvent based cleaner for permanent inks such as stazon, except for the clear polymer as mentioned above.
• Do not store your eazi mounted stamps on acetate, they will react badly to each other. You can buy storage sheets or use laminated card such as number 7 in the picture

There are many different types of card and paper available for crafting and not all of them will give the results you are looking for which can sometimes lead people to believe they just can't do it. What I will say here is to experiment. Keep your scraps for practising on and for trying out whether something will work. Some of the textured cards and papers give very poor results regardless but some can work if a different ink or less detailed stamp is used.

The picture above shows the same two stamps, one more detailed than the other, stamped in both stazon, indicated with the s and versafine, indicated by the v, on - from top to bottom, linen effect, hammered and smooth card so that you can see for yourself that sometimes an image will work better using a different ink or card/paper type. All the images were stamped on a stamping mat even though they are mounted on cushioning too - that is my own personal preference. I always use a stamping mat for very large stamps.

 

 

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