23 February 2014

Back To Basics - Stamps

Hello there, for my Back To Basics episode today I am talking about stamps. There are three main commonly used types:
 
Wood Mounted Stamps
These were the stamps that I first started out using. They were more popular then and the easiest to get hold of. Sounds like I am talking about ages ago but back then clear and cling stamps were very few and far between. There is something nice about stamping with wood mounted stamps, it has a nice feel to it. The downfall to wood mounted stamps is that they take up a lot of room to store. They can also be a lot more expensive. Wood mounted stamps consist of the rubber impression, a layer of foam and then the wood. They work well with all types of ink and clean easily.
 
Cling and Un-Mounted Stamps
I do really like these stamps, they are basically the same as the wood mounted stamps but without the wood. Cling stamps come with the foam attached and the clinginess to be able to mount directly to an acrylic block. They often have the picture on the other side too which helps a little to line up where you are stamping. You can also buy some stamps completely un-mounted, so just the bare rubber. There are a few ways you can use these; you can use a removable or repositionable glue on the back to mount them to an acrylic block or you can mount them yourself. I like to use EZ-Mount for mine. One side is the sticky side to attach the stamp to (you can then cut around it) and the other side is the cling to be able to stick it to an acrylic block. These stamps can also be used with all types of inks and clean easily.
 
Clear Stamps
Most companies make clear stamps now. They have the benefit that you can see through them so great for lining up stamps but also they can be stored easily as they are thin. There are mainly two types - photopolymer and silicone or acrylic. The majority of companies - Clearly Besotted Stamps, Lawn Fawn, PTI, Mama Elephant, Paper Smooches, My Favorite Things etc. use photopolymer. They are very good quality, give a good impression and can be used with all types of inks. They do often stain (especially with dye inks but this does not affect their use) and sometimes go yellow too. Ideally they should be kept out of sunlight. Silicone or acrylic stamps do not work as well with dye ink, it often pools on the surface and does not give a good impression. They can be sanded down with fine sandpaper or by using an eraser over the surface which helps or also stamping with VersaMagic ink first too. They do work much better with pigment ink however.
 
Here is the video:
 
 
Thank you so much for watching, I hope that has helped some of you. have a great day!

1 comment:

  1. Hi Michelle, was useful to know that Penny Black clear stamps aren't photopolymer- this explain why I've never really got on with them. See... You learn something new everyday! Rebecca x

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting my blog today! Please feel free to leave me a comment. I really appreciate receiving them. Please see my Privacy Policy for details on how your data is used when leaving me a comment.

Please note that if you are commenting as 'unknown' there is no way for me to contact you in the case of you winning something from a blog hop.

Thank you so much :)

End of code