My take on wood, unmounted and clear stamps

I have more unmounted stamps than any other kind. Coming in at a close second is clear stamps. I have the least amount of wood stamps because of storage and cost. All of my craft stuff and my computer is in a spare bedroom. I have a 6’ fold away table (that rarely gets put away) in the middle of room to work on. All of this “stuff” has to fit into the closet or a computer credenza that has been overtaken by craft supplies.

I buy wood stamps for two reasons: I REALLY LOVE the stamp and can’t find it unmounted, or I got it REALLY CHEAP. I have them stored in 2 gallon Ziploc bags with a big piece of cardboard in as a stiffener. The stamps are stored on top of the cardboard and then inside a box. I saw this tip on the Carol Duvall show. The best part about wood stamps I can use any type of ink with these stamps.

Unmounted and clear stamps are basically the same with some minor differences. They both take up minimal space and are cheaper to buy since you don’t have the cost of the wood. I went to a stamp show a few years ago and bought a group of acrylic blocks in various sizes and can use these blocks with every stamp I own. I can use any ink with an unmounted stamp but find that chalk inks work the best with the clear stamps. Distress Inks don’t work too well in my opinion on the clear stamps. Sugarloaf See Dee/Inque stamps are basically rubber stamps with their own stick backing. Other unmounted stamps need to be attached to your acrylic block somehow.

Here’s how I attach unmounted stamps to acrylic blocks. First get your unmounted stamp and cut away the excess. You might buy them pre trimmed but if you buy a whole or half sheet you will have some waste. I use Tim Holtz scissors for this trimming. Buy some Graffix Cling Vinyl and some 8 ½ x 11” page protectors at an office supply store. Trim the Cling Vinyl to 8 ½ x 11” (for some reason it comes as 9x12 sheets). Do a dry fit and arrange your unmounted stamps on the Cling Vinyl. When you are happy with your arrangement turn them upside down and apply a VERY SMALL amount of Aleene’s “Tack It Over & Over” glue and cover the entire back using your finger. If you have too much it will be white so spread it out so it is pretty clear. Wait overnight and then apply the tacky backed unmounted stamps to the Cling Vinyl and then insert that sheet into a clear plastic page protector and insert into a 3 ring binder. Now when you use your stamps you just remove the stamp from the Cling Vinyl and attach it to the clear acrylic block.

Until my next post,

Diane