About Clear Stamps

You know what? Let me get this out of the way right up front.

I've been converted!!

I have a new appreciation for clear stamps. Yes, they have their benefits for card making and stamping on paper things, but I'm more impressed with being able to stamp them on three dimensional items and actually see where you're stamping. I don't seem to have a problem positioning stamps on cards. I have a knack for it, evidently. But I'm a little more cautious about stamping on boxes and things that I've taken hours to paint and prepare.... When I pulled out the clear stamps to work on a project-- that started out as an unfinished craft wood piece. I painted two coats of acrylic paint, sanded and painted another coat or two-- and I was able to position the images with no guessing I was sold!



Sigh.... Because one of my biggest problems with unmounted stamps is storage, I guess it's time to come up with a solution.

I mentioned before that I was working on some gifts all week. I still can't show them because the recipients read this blog. The one pictured, however, is for the Events Coordinator at Michaels. She doesn't do computers and Internet and all that stuff, so I think it's safe to show you hers. As for the rest, if I can get everything dried today, I'll head out to the post office and get them sent off.

This little piece is 2 inches wide and 2 1/2 tall at it's widest points. I bought them from Creative Xpress on clearance (by ProvoCraft) a few years ago. As far as the stamps go, I love this set! ( and they do not pay me to say that!) I especially like the font, but I like the rounded happy in the stamp on the first picture. The words are one stamp and I added the butterfly and flowers. ( Both projects were done with this Hero Arts clear set called Heartfelt Messages )

What I've learned about clear stamps in the last few days...

1. Stamp cleaner is a good idea, but DO NOT USE STAZON STAMP CLEANER. You can use the StazOn ink, just not the cleaner. Evidently it disintegrates the stamps. I'm a baby wipes person myself, but have you ever tried cleaning a tiny unmounted stamp? It's gets lost in the wipe. Hero Arts sent me their cleaner and it seems to have a conditioning agent in it? (I'll find out) I do know that it cleaned off everything I stamped with--even craft paint -- without a problem. A couple of the stamps are stained from the Brilliance ink (I think), but the stamp is clean. Actually used white ink on it after it had been stained and it worked perfectly.


2. A clear stamp made in China is a bad idea. I know Hero Arts are made in America, I wonder how you can tell where other stamps are made. I'll have to look into that. I've heard a lot about ink beading up on their clear stamps that were probably made in China


3. You can use any ink or paint. I had no trouble using any and all kinds of ink I own. Craft or pigment, dye, Brilliance... But if the ink beads up when the stamps are new, you can wipe it with a baby wipe to clean off the release agent that's used in the manufacturing process-- just like with rubber stamps. With paint I always clean my stamps immediately. I keep an old soft toothbrush in my room for places on the stamp where paint can go to get stuck.
4. You can see where you're stamping!
5. Obviously they are less expensive than wood mounted rubber stamps so you know what that means.... MORE!!!

For those of you who already know all this stuff, I hope I didn't bore you too much. I have a feeling there is at least one person besides me who didn't know this.

On a Personal Note:

I went back to Archivers yesterday. I met Dawn there and she let me meet her friend Stacy, another scrapper and mom. I found the storage boxes I was looking for. I want to keep the Hero Arts stuff organized so I needed new containers. OK, I'm not fooling you. You know I'll make any excuse to buy new containers. You have me all figured out right? I am so excited that I found a 7/8 " circle punch!! I could find 3/4" and 1" but evidently 7/8 is hard to come by. I was so excited when I found it there. I can finish by embossing folder storage now. I like Archivers...

Wow, I just looked at the clock! I've got to go and do something!