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Just wondering if I am the only one who struggles with this?
I buy SU...then I UM them....have all this extra wood that I paid for...then I have to buy an Acrylic Block and EZ mount or whatever....
Don't get me wrong...I love SU Products and it is MY choice to UM...so I am not complaining...I am just wondering at my thought process in going through all this extra time and expense? I like working with the UM but to buy something and pay extra for the wood and then discard it?
I say this as I plan to buy my first wheel and UM it!
I hear you on that one! I actually really think before I buy a set from SU! because of that very thing - I'll only buy if it's a set that I really really love and can't find anything similar from any of the unmounted companies. The expense of the EZ Mount is a non-issue, because I use TackItOver glue right on the back of the SU cushion. And the acrylic blocks are now a non-issue because I have every size I can ever imagine needing, and extras of my most favorite sizes.
If I look at an SU set and love it so much that I would pay SU!'s price even if it was an unmounted set in the TAC catalog, then I buy it. I try not to think of the wood as an extra unnecessary expense - if I like the set enough, the wood's a free bonus
Have you tried using the SU stamps you have w/ the wood blocks? Are you just not "as comfortable" with this style as you are w/ the UM's?
If space isn't an issue perhaps you could begin using your SU purchases wood mounted. Use your UM as you enjoy them, perhaps this way it wouldn't seem so wasteful to you!?!?
I mainly use WM but do have some UM too, sometimes I almost think its how you begin stamping that you feel most comfortable with.
Location: prolly in my 'rubber room'... in the mid-west
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i actually prefer wood mounted, so when (rarely by the way) i buy an un mounted stamp i have to buy wood mounts for them. and adhesive and make a label...
i guess there are 'issues' for both who like mounted and un mounted stamps.
i have the same issue.
not the price of the ez but i feel bad.
i just started to mount my stamps (new ones on ez) but iam sooooo worried that i will later not be able to trade my sets or i loose value!
i leave the stamps on the su cushion and bought the thin ez mount, but the storage is driving me insane!! any good ideas??
__________________ My SCS Gallery My blog : Pretty Pressings
Designer for Magnolia, Sweden, Lili of the Valley and Sir Stampalot
Well, I'm like Cheryl. The blocks are not a recurring expense, so that's not an issue for me. I have TONS of them, lol! I've never added cushioning to um's, and don't use a cling method, either, so there's really no added expense for me. Before I became a demo, I seldom mounted my SU stamps. Maybe the ones I used very frequently, but normally I didn't, especially the backgrounds.
If I liked the stamps, I purchased them in whatever form they came in. (Still do, lol!) I guess it's just a matter of how much you like the stamps, lol, kwim?
Claudia, my collection of non-SU stamps (10 years' worth!) are stored in acrylic trays by theme. I used to keep my um's in a binder until I realized I hardly ever used them...out of sight, out of mind, kwim? Now I keep my um's in the same tray as the mounted stamps. I do store them in a layer on the top so they don't accidentally get creased by the weight of wood mounteds.
With the advent of the clear stamps, I have added cd case storage. If your ums are too thick, perhaps you could look at the cd cases that hold two cd's? I'm not sure if they are much thicker, but it might be an option. Otherwise, maybe just keep them in trays.
Ahh, but I believe Claudia is trying to keep the blocks so that if she wants to sell or trade later, she doesn't lose value on her sets.
Claudia - are you in Germany forever or will you be moving to the States? Because I'm thinking all that wood would be very pricey to bring with you and if it's causing you stress trying to store it, you might want to let some of it go. If you don't need to worry about shipping it, and you're only trying to figure out what to do with the wood, I'd get some big ol' plastic totes and store them in the basement, the garden shed - anywhere that I didn't have to look at them every day! It probably would be wise to make a note of which tote you put the blocks in, though, and keep it with the matching set so that if you do need the blocks, you don't have to go thru every tote you own trying to find it.
the reason why i went unmounted is cause i absolutely have no space!
my stuff is is cramped in a linnen closet in my babys nursery and if i want to work i need to use the dining room table which needs to cleaned up EVERY time.
it sucks
so i got such binders and such sheets to put them on ... but hey... i can only put like 3 sheets in a 3" binder cause with the su cushion and the thin EZ mount it is not closing. the cd option obviously doesnt work eigher.
Disclaimer: I've never ordered from this company, but someone on ASB did. Here's a link to her blog page with a picture of what she got and how she used them:
I do struggle with what to do with the wood blocks. I have given some away. I tell myself that I am going to use them for craft projects but they are piling up & I don't think I am going to do THAT many craft projects. I just can't bring myself to throw them away. Still, I like the quality of the rubber stamps from SU so I keep buying them. I am going unmounted because of space issues & because I like being able to see through the acrylic block. I mount mine on EZmount & store them in CD cases.
I guess mostly what I was trying to figure out is the silly process of buying then umounting....not complaining...but if you stop to think of what we do for our hobby it is sorta silly. Thats all.
I hear you on this one. I've written to SU over this issue...they never answered.
I buy SU's inks and papers almost exclusively, but I RARELY EVER buy rubberstamps from them. There is a vast ocean of unmounted rubber companies on the web to buy from and most charge about half of what you would pay for wood mounted.
I have also recently gotten cattys from CTMH (Close to my Heart) and TAC (The Angel Company) both of which sell unmounted.
I do believe eventually SU will catch up to the rest of the world and give people the opotion to buy their rubber unmounted, but I don't think it will be anytime soon.
__________________ He set His STAMP of ownership on us, and put His spirit in our hearts as a deposit 2 Cor 1:22Jan
i just bought some too!!
wow thanks so much for the link... but i can not believe it that those cases are expensiver here than in europe.. especially since the euro is so much stronger than the dollar at the moment.
oh well... i just got 10 and see how these work for me
__________________ My SCS Gallery My blog : Pretty Pressings
Designer for Magnolia, Sweden, Lili of the Valley and Sir Stampalot
That's exactly why I don't buy SU stamps anymore- but I manage to spend just as much money on "stuff" from SU. I don't even let them tempt me. I'm unmounted only. All my SU stamps have stayed on their wood mounts, however.
I am just wondering at my thought process in going through all this extra time and expense? I like working with the UM but to buy something and pay extra for the wood and then discard it?
I think it is worth it. I basically buy what I like - Stampin' Up, TAC, whomever. If the company offers their stamps as unmounted, I definitely go that route. I like the space savings the most. I have a big basket full of wood blocks. When I originally unmounted a bunch of my sets, I was just tossing them. I know they will eventually break down however I suppose that since they are in plastic garbage bags, that slows the whole process down. I suppose I could burn them in my parents' burning barrel. Hmmmm...
Kimberly
__________________ "There is a very fine line between hobby and mental illness." -- Dave Barry
I have the same concern- I want to buy some of the new SU sets, but when I totaled the cost of the 2 sets I really want plus shipping and EZmount to unmount them- it took an already expensive set to a ridiculously high amount. So, I decided not to get it :( and took the money I saved (?) and bought 6 unmounted sets instead... which is great and I love my new sets too, but I still wish I could get the SU set. I imagine that I'll buy less and less SU sets- it does seem silly to pay extra for the wood and extra because of the wood.
If I understood your previous post- do you leave the foam on the SU set and then add more EZmount foam on top? My unmounted sets seem to fit ok in a standard CD case (not the slim one), but I had my Aunt over to "help" unmount some sets and she just added foam over foam... those sets don't fit! lol! But if that's what you're doing the rubber comes off the SU foam really easily and then you just tack the rubber to the new ezfoam and it should fit in the CD case.
__________________ Amanda Allison - TAC angel #3779
Lovin every minute of it! www.amandaallison.ismyangel.net
EZMount makes a new, thin foam that's only about 1/16" thick that you can stick right onto the SU cushion. It works great, but it makes the stamps just the tiniest bit too thick for cd cases. Whether you pull off the SU cushion and use thick EZ Mount or leave the SU cushion in place and use the new thin EZ Mount, it is still an added expense. But you can get around that by using the Tack It Over and Over on top of the existing cushion.
I am saving a lot of my new, unused wood blocks for some craft projects. My SU demo wants some of them. Saw a really cute photo holder on here. I tossed the gooey,sticky blocks. I use the method kphorse uses, and use no ezmount. TIOAO directly on the rubber. Saves even more room than the CD cases!
__________________ Sally Taylor, Fun Stampers Journey Coach #1118
On the other hand there are people like me who believe that every piece of rubber NEEDS its own wood block...
so i actively look for SU blocks on ebay... ( like the alphabet sets to use on the other half of the big phrase sets) I wont double mount anything...
one more thought though, i recently bought an auction of "used wood mounts" and I wont do that again... still sanding goo off of them ( tried, magic erasers, goo-gone, Un-Do etc) the only thing thats working is sand paper and a pampered chef scraping tool... and its a slow painful process when you'd much rather be stamping...
so, if you have naked new wood blocks you may as well sell them and recycle the funds into new rubber.
Thanks for posting the link on the Sleevetown Source for the Jumbo DVD cases. I've been trying to find something for my larger unmounted sets. This will be perfect!!
I agree wholeheartedly with the OP. I also buy SU stamps, put them on EZ mount, toss the foam, and give away the wood. It does seem absurd that I pay so much for a stamp set, just to discard all but the images. But that doesn't usually discourage me from buying a set that I like.
That's why I recently became a TAC demo. If SU offered a no-wood option, I would have become an SU demo. But as it stands, I can't demo SU if they're unmounted.
I just have to stick my foot in my mouth here again, why do you keep using the cushion?
Have you really tried just stamping with the rubber? Really, it works, saves money and *more* space.
I'll go back in my closet now
Karen:
I agree with you (come on out of the closet!....). I use Tack it Over and Over with the rubber only and it works great. I usually work on a piece of fun foam - but often forget and it still stamps fine.
I was told once by a vendor that uses just the rubber that the cushion is really there to make up for any irregularities in the wood mount - or to compensate for warping as the wood ages. Acrylic blocks don't have this issue so cushion is not needed. (Thats what they said anyway...)
I've tried it and like it and save a bundle. I index my stamps by stamping on the outside of the CD case w/ Stazon - then I stick the stamp inside over the image. This really helps with sets with a lot of small words - you don't have to read mirror image to find what you want.
I like my SU stamps the way they are. I just accept them as wood-needy and go with it. But, for example, my Bellas, I just take them as they are, put some double sided tape on an acrylic block, stick them on and away we go! No trouble, no expense. They stamp GREAT for me.
I struggle the other way.... I have purchased some great unmounted stamps from places like Rivercityrubberworks and love them. But alas... I buy double stick foam and mount them on wood blocks. Mostly SU blocks that my mom who does unmounted shares with me. I have found my favorite method of getting the image on the wood is to use craft ink and clear embossing powder then I mount the rubber on the block.
__________________
~~~ Barbara~~~ ~~Case me if you please~~100% great trades~~
I hear you, OP, about feeling wasteful -- both of $$ and materials. The money isn't so much of an issue, because I no longer buy sets that I'm not planning to use a LOT -- and I still think that the price-per-stamp of most SU sets is certainly better than buying them individually. Not as good as a straight UM price, of course, but still not too bad. I feel a bit wasteful even with my TAC sets, since I don't use the EZ Mount cushion that comes with them. I don't use most of the plastic boxes, either -- I store my UMs in 4.5x6" paper envelopes which, in turn, live in photo boxes. I save them, though, because I do use them for storage from time to time -- especially the SU ones. There is a limit to how much empty potential storage stuff I can store, though! ;)
I have sold SU plastic boxes on various stamping forums, and often give away wood blocks for the price of postage. Haven't yet found a home for the ever-increasing stockpile of the EZ Mount, though! Anybody have any ideas? I tried offering it to my husband and father for Garage Projects, but they don't have a use for it either. Maybe we should start a section for supplies like this in the BST section, if that would be possible. I'm happy to work a trade for boxes or blocks or EZ mount -- just don't really have the time to cruise the boards looking for people who are looking for the stuff. I suspect there are others in the same boat -- just a thought. :mrgreen:
If you have a bunch of these blocks and don't want to keep them for any reason, and don't feel like working to sell them on ebay, give them to a young child! My son has literally built a path around our entire great room with SU! wood blocks. I would never think to throw them away since he gets so much joy from them, plus I do use a few of them in craft projects and they will make great hand carved stamps. I love those blocks, just not for stamping. But give a little kid a wonderful gift, if you can!!
I have unmounted all of my stamps and do not regret it at all, as a matter of fact I love it. In two weeks I start babysitting a 4 and a half year old and immzw4 I was just wondering if I use the blocks for him to play with how do you get rid of all the stickies on them??
On the other hand there are people like me who believe that every piece of rubber NEEDS its own wood block...
so i actively look for SU blocks on ebay... ( like the alphabet sets to use on the other half of the big phrase sets) I wont double mount anything...
one more thought though, i recently bought an auction of "used wood mounts" and I wont do that again... still sanding goo off of them ( tried, magic erasers, goo-gone, Un-Do etc) the only thing thats working is sand paper and a pampered chef scraping tool... and its a slow painful process when you'd much rather be stamping...
so, if you have naked new wood blocks you may as well sell them and recycle the funds into new rubber.
just a thought,
When I get a good supply I sell mine on SCS for $5 a box (about 15-17) + shipping. Usually comes to about $10. But I won't sell used up gooey ones. Mine have never been mounted.
__________________ He set His STAMP of ownership on us, and put His spirit in our hearts as a deposit 2 Cor 1:22Jan
I bought a bottle of Goo Gone, though I've heard Undu (sp?) works really well, too, to get that gooey mess off. But I used goo gone - it takes a lot - some hot water, and a scratch pad to my wood blocks. Then I rinsed them very well several times. I don't know if it leaves a residue, though, so I'd probably run them through the dishwasher before letting a child play with them. My sticky blocks are all cleaned and in a box for craft use. I don't mount any of mine now, so I have a pretty big supply of blocks that never saw a sticky piece of foam.
To answer the OP: no, I don't struggle with it. I buy the SU sets I like knowing full well I will unmount. I unmount and give away the blocks.
Also, I don't really feel it's much different prep time to prep my SU stamps for mounting on wood or on EZ foam. Either way, I have to prep them, and it doesn't really bother me.
Does anyone else struggle with this about UM????
