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I am just going to be honest....I cannot afford all the size blocks. Is there anything I can put my stamps on that are cheaper? Thank you for your help. It is so much fun to be here and enjoy you all.
Dollar store sometimes has clear stamping blocks. You can also get them inexpensively on eBay or **********. Personally I bypass the blocks completely for the most part and use a CD case (DVD cases and hinged photo frames with glass tops are also popular choices) to make my own re-stamping platform.
You don't need every size, not by a mile. Just get one that fits most - if not all - of the stamps you have and go from there. Direct from China, it'll cost you a buck or two and a bit of patience.
Last edited by Embri; 11-03-2018 at 10:56 PM..
Reason: Missing punctuation!
You don't by any means need all the sizes. I started out with maybe two. You just need to more careful to make sure you don't have any ink smudges on the block that might transfer to your card when you use smaller stamps on a large block.
a great tip someone somewhere shared for when you're using a smallish stamp on a larger block is to use a small stamp on the other end of the block to keep it level ... saved my stamping many a time!
Tim Holtz has a great set of 9 thinner acrylic grid blocks that are great for the traveling stamper and might be a way to see what sizes you use the most and then get those in the regular sized blocks. they're not as hard to get used to as I thought they might be, and fabulous to cart around. Depending on where you pick them up, prices vary from under $20 to mid $30.
here's one link: Tim Holtz Acrylic Grid Block Set-9 Pieces | JOANN
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
When I first started I took a good look at what size stamps I used the most, and bought a block to fit them. There's no rule that says you need every sized block, my medium one I used (and still use) for almost every stamp I have. I purchased one at a time and made use of Michaels, Joann's and Hobby Lobby coupons to make it more affordable.
__________________ "I have cats, but they don't smoke or associate with dogs...."
Most of us cant afford "all of a thing" in one swoop. We get it!
I agree with the above. I think my first one was ...4 x 5?
My advice though is I like the ones with a grid on them so I can line up stamps. I cant eyeball them straight on the block but dang if I don't instantly see the millimeter it is off on the paper. :rolleyes:
What an interesting idea about a second stamp to keep the block level.
Anyway, another choice of what you can use...those small plastic boxes my generation grew up with....they come in a lot of colors but for this you would want clear. Gives you something you can really grip too. They start at 1.59 here but could be less elsewhere...you just dont lean on them hard.
If you have any craft store around you and look in the plastic shapes section you might see blocks-if they are not called "stamping blocks" they could be a lot cheaper.
If you can find clear glass tiles...a subway one would probably cover it all...like home depot or a hardware store. It might distort a bit...
If you don't care about seeing thru the block (I know, that's one of the best things about the unmounted system, but . . . ) you can put packing tape on a regular wooden block and the stamps will cling to it. In a pinch, I've used a flat-bottomed drinking glass; the dollar tree sometimes has glass cutting boards and coasters that work as well. They're more awkward and you can't see thru them as well, though.
Sis, if you PM me your mailing address, I'd be happy to send you some clear blocks. I have a whole bunch I'm purging from my stash. Tell me the sizes you'd like, and I'll send what I have.
Thank you for such great information....and I sincerely want to thank scrapjanny...your kindness touches my heart....I will get this done but you are such a sweetheart and wanted to make sure I say this.
Thank you for such great information....and I sincerely want to thank scrapjanny...your kindness touches my heart....I will get this done but you are such a sweetheart and wanted to make sure I say this.
Aww, that's kind of you to say. The offer still stands if you'd like them. Have a nice holiday!
Maybe three is enough, small medium and large. A couple extras are nice to have if you sometimes want to leave a stamp on one for awhile when making a batch of matching cards. The 2” round one with lines and ruffled edges is easy to pick up. Great idea about putting a stamp on the other end for balance.
You could use the Big Shot cutting plates to hold your stamps. I use them when using my unmounted regular and jumbo wheel rubber as I do not have a large enough block to hold them. Hope you find an economic solution.
If I could only have three, I’d have smallish/medium rectangle, fairly large, and a long one since I have border stamps and long sentiments that sometimes have lines on both sides.
For full coverage (background) stamps, a block isn’t needed - many people put the stamp face up on table, ink it up, put cardstock on the stamp and press all over or brayer it.
I like blocks with lines, don’t care much about thickness, but don’t like the wavy scalloped ones, just uncomfortable for my hands, but many people like them.
So, I stamp on a glass mat.
and the other day I just stuck my big background stamp to that rubber side up, inked it and then placed the paper on top of that and rubbed with my fingers without sliding the stamp.
( I think the only clear blocks I really use anymore are a couple of small ones for sentiments)
if you are making a list for Santa, a Misti that could do all the sizes is probably cheaper than buying a lot of blocks in various sizes.
Sis, if you’re near a Tuesday Morning, the Tim Holtz travel size platform - which is the one I use most at home - has been on sale very inexpensively. There were still some at a TM not far from me recently. It can handle large paper too because it has two open sides.
The clear blocks for stamps
