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I know a lot of people who are going unmounted, & the other day I wondered what would happen if I developed something like arthritis in my hands ~ would it be easier to continue stamping if I had the wood blocks to hold on to? Would UM be more restricting in a situation like that? Does anyone else think about things like this?
I think it would be easier to use the UM stamps. TAC sells the Block Buddy and the Double block Buddy. They are handles that attach to the acrylics with a suction cup. I like them for the end of a long day, or when I am doing a bunch of one design.
__________________ Lisa -
Married my sweetheart 1-26-02 Mommy to Hunter 9-3-04 & Hailey 7-26-06
I also have arthritis in my hands I have found no difference in the stamps being on the wood block or using them without the wood block. I do find I have trouble when any stamp is too large. An example would be a background stamp. In that case I buy those unmounted and lay them on my counter and place my paper on top of the stamp. Just picking up a wooden block background stamp hurst my hands. Hope this helps.
One stamper here on Splitcoast took a bunch of wood blocks off my hands because she said that the acrylic blocks were too thin to grip. I couldn't figure out what she meant until I came across some rather thin acrylic blocks at a friends house.
If you want to plan ahead for the eventuality of a hand problem, make sure you get the acrylic blocks with grooves (finger holds) along two sides.
I was recently diagnosed with RA, and even though I haven't noticed any trouble with blocks yet, I know I have trouble with holding pens, pencils, etc. I loooooooove to color. I have serious issues holding a Prismacolor pencil and then color in an image with it. Markers are a bit easier, but I am not as neat and precise as I used to be.
At times, I can barely sign my name with a pen.
I have RA and AS and it really affects my hands. I have a hard time signing my name also. I have no trouble using my acrylic stamps and blocks and so far, no problem using my wood stamps, so right now I don't foresee that as a problem. What has had to go are things like my Quickcutz (too painful to press the handles together). Tools that have helped are things like my Crop-A-Dile because it's so much easier to set an eyelet.
I was recently diagnosed with RA, and even though I haven't noticed any trouble with blocks yet, I know I have trouble with holding pens, pencils, etc. I loooooooove to color. I have serious issues holding a Prismacolor pencil and then color in an image with it. Markers are a bit easier, but I am not as neat and precise as I used to be.
At times, I can barely sign my name with a pen.
I bought the rubber things that go on pencils to make mine fatter. I'm sure there is an official name for them, but I can't remember it. That helps a bunch.
Okay...I have RA...To the point that I have to stop stamping about 2 hours in...
I prefer the wood mounted stamps because I get a better grip. HOWEVER, (this is a HUGE "however"), I mount my unmounted stamps onto the wooden blocks with a product called Tack N' Peel...
I am NOT promoting a company I design for, HOWEVER, (oops, another "however!"), I have found this CHEAPEST at:
I suggest you try it! I LOVE it!!!! I use 3 sheets and have been using them for over a year. They are mounted to the, *insert audible gasp here, back of RETIRED SU! stamps of various sizes! That way I have a large GRIP, and still am able to have the space saving luxury of unmounted stamps!
I have arthritis in my hands - especially my thumbs - and stamping doesn't bother them at all. I use UM and the acrylic blocks are fine for me. I seem to grip the wood mounts harder so my hands then hurt. I guess because they are a little bigger than the acrylics.
CYMH sells an acrylic block that has the grooves of a wooden block- I love the few I have.
that said.. If I stamp too long or multiple images my fingers will freeze up and I have to stop- maybe I should mention to my doc the next time I see her. No clue what that's all about!
Thanks for all of the useful feedback ~ it sounds like different things work for different people. I don't have serious issues yet, but am questioning whether I am at the beginning stages of arthritis. I wondered if it would be a challenge to peel small unmounted stamps & position, etc onto acrylic & then reposition again, especially the small ones. I hadn't thought of the fact that handling a large piece of wood might be a challenge too. Oh, I don't want to have to stop doing this craft!
Have you thought about this?
