Investing in stamp sets and punches can get expensive so you want to take care of them.
Cleaning
- For most of them just a simple lukewarm water bath and drying will work. What gets tricky is when you use Versamark or darker inks.
- Some say using a soft scrub brush such as a toothbrush will be all you need to get it off.
- Versamark will not harm your stamps and some say that it conditions them. If it bothers you then you can check into the products that Stampin’ Up! has to clean them.
- First, use the Stampin’ Mist (101022) by spraying a few pumps and then use Stampin’ Scrub (126200) a couple time and this should do the trick.
- When you do not have any and you are in a pinch the following recipe will work as well. I do not recommend you use it all the time but it does work when you can not get to your Stampin Up! stash.
- The Recipe (All supplies found at the drugstore, just ask the pharmacist)
1 Cup of Distilled Water
1 A teaspoon of Baby wash
2 Tablespoons of Glycerin
1 A teaspoon of Rose Water ~optional
Storage
- Make sure you store them in a container that keeps them flat and away from direct sunlight and heat.
- I do not suggest to store them in wire baskets or wicker baskets or any other strange places. Unless they are in their original hard cases that you purchased them in.
- Just a simple box or plastic box will work to keep them safe and from being bent so that the design does not become unrecognizable. Of course if you bought them from Stampin’ Up! you are provided a great box to keep them in.
How to Sharpen your Punches
Do you have punches that are dull and need to be sharpened? Check out this site by Noreen Doll. She shows you how to use aluminum cans or foil to sharpen up those punches that have gotten dull on you. Check it out.
How to use your Stamps
There are several different types of Stamps. I will explain what they are and how you use them. Saving them and saving your ink pads at the same time. Through teaching classes I have found that everyone needs a bit of reminding every now and then. Including me. During my classes, I have watched people struggle with getting a good image stamped. All the while they have the acrylic block so loaded down with ink it is on all the card stock and them.
Three types of Stamps from Stampin’ Up!
1. There are Rubber Stamps on Wooden Blocks. These are your traditional stamps. Made of rubber and glued to a wooden block. When you go to ink these guys up there are good ways and not so messy ways to ink up your stamps. Just place the stamp on the ink pad gently tapping it around on the ink pad. There is no need to push and grind it into the stamp pad. If you feel you need to do this maybe you should refill your ink pad. You do not need to rock it either. Just tapping it a few times will be enough to load the stamp pad with plenty of ink for a proper image. Below is an example of a Wooden Block stamp.
2. “Clear” stamps are made of rubber and a cling foam on top of them. They are called “Clear” because you use a clear block to stamp the image onto your cardstock. These are pretty much the same as the Rubber Stamps on Wooden Blocks. I have found if you have trouble keeping your stamp on your clear block, do not put the cling with the image on them. This seems to help them hold much better.
3. The next ones are Polymers. These get confused with the “Clear” all the time because they are actually clear. You use a clear acrylic block with them. The polymers are a bit different. They will pick up all the ink they need just by sitting them on top of the stamp pad. There is no need to tap them or grind them or rock them. They are amazing in the fact that they suck up exactly what they need for a perfect image. When you use polymers make sure you use a foam pad. This helps to get a complete image without skips or light spots that you can get sometimes with these type stamps. They need a bit of giving underneath them that the rubber stamps have with the foam that is attached to them.
I find that if you have a hard time getting a clear image without marks around the image, stand up to stamp your image. Rub it and talk nice to it. This should help get a clear and perfect image.
Check out this video on how to care for your stamps.
or you can check out a prior post on the style of stamps here.
How to store your dies
I store my dies with my stamps. Check out the photo below. I use magnetic sheets for the dies and place the insert with the dies in the case as well. Keeps it organized and I know how many belong in my case.
Please always feel free to ask a question should you need help. You can follow me on Facebook at Stampin’ with a Heart by Amy Kinler Designs.
Thanks for stopping by,
Amy
