I'm eggggcited...

[tookiepie]

to use my 2nd EVER SU stamp set. It came in the post today, it is Cool Cat. BUT trouble is....I can't make the cat stamp nicely. I have tried sanding it with the lightest sandblock DH had (he is a trade dude)....but is that gonna work? It started to look a little better each time I tried, but I gave up for the evening as I just didn't feel like it tonight.

How do you guys make the cat look so good and solid on your cards???

[stimchack]

I've found in the past that if I rub the stamp set on a brown paper bag it sometimes roughs up the stamp. If that has been tried already, you might want to see if maybe it's your ink pad. It may need to be reinked. Also, I often give the stamp a little twist on the ink pad to try to moisten it up nicely. I hope one of these techniques will help. Keep me posted!

Susan Timchack, Manager, SU

[julia_s]

I always have to press this one down firmly on the pad, then gently rub it back and forth (not too hard or you will cause the pad to fray eventually), then tap down again to remove any "motion marks". I also stand to stamp with the cat, so I can press down more evenly! HTH

[tookiepie]

Well I actually gave it another go just now...but it still didn't look very good. I rubbed it on my skirt (cotton) and sanded it many many times and it isn't the ink pad, as I bought it brand new yesterday morning from my local stamp shop.

I have been so excited to use it, so I am pretty dissappointed that I am not having much success with this set so far...

I have also tried just one tap on the ink pad then sliding it across then another tap and I have tried just sliding it blah blah blah...nothin is working .. waaaaaaa:confused:

[lindylou1220]

Try inking with your brayer.

[shecooks]

Are you using a dye ink or a pigment? Sometimes the solid stamps ink up better with a pigment ink. The pigment ink just gives it better coverage.

[Judy Tulloch]

I find going over the big area stamps with a pencil eraser helps. I think I read that hint on SCS. I also do better with a well inked pad.

[birdbrain]

Try Judy's tip w/ the eraser, then clean it really well. I initially had the same problem w/ it, but now it works great. Don't give up.

Lisa

[emilymomto3boys]

ugh....mamak and I have tried everything and can't get this one to stamp well either. Well, yesterday she was over and used black craft ink and it was perfect! Hope that helps!

[BasketMom]

One other thing to try if you don't have craft ink - HUFF on the image really well before stamping - that's what I do with all of my bold print stamps. I agree with previous posters that rubbing your stamp with a pencil eraser and then cleaning it should do the trick.

[laxeash]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stampinwyoming

Try Judy's tip w/ the eraser, then clean it really well. I initially had the same problem w/ it, but now it works great. Don't give up.

Lisa

what she said for dye inks. Else craft inks are wonderful for solid stamps.

Easwari
p.s : I use eraser+dye inks most of the times.

[darleenstamps]

You might also want to try Stazon Jet Black - it's the best!! It's the cleanest, crispest black I've ever used! Hope this helps!

[AndreaSophie]

What kind of paper are you stamping on? Are you using the whisper white ultrasmooth cardstock? I've tried to use this stamp on other cardstock and it just wont stamp beautifully like the whisper white ultrasmooth.

[MSBetsyZ]

The other thing that SU actually recommends is stamping on scratch paper a few times and reinking until the ink actually "builds up" on the stamp. Rubber needs to be seasoned sometimes, like a good cast iron skillet, lol.

I do agree with using pigment ink though...that makes for the best image as far as I'm concerned.

[tookiepie]

Well unfortunately I don't have a brayer, so I cannot try that trick. I have been using a dye ink as the only pigment inks I have are gold n green and I don't think they'd make for a nice looking cat card. I mite give the eraser trick a go and see what happens...or the stamp on other paper and build up the ink. Sigh......hopefully I will get there in the end, cuz it's such a cute set.

Thanks for all your help guys!

[mastamper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndreaSophie

What kind of paper are you stamping on? Are you using the whisper white ultrasmooth cardstock? I've tried to use this stamp on other cardstock and it just wont stamp beautifully like the whisper white ultrasmooth.

I've also decided that the type of cardstock you use makes a big difference with the solid stamps. I found that my non SU white paper had one side that was much smoother than the other which made a big difference in how the image came out.

Guess who has SU vanilla and white cardstock on her SAB wish list? :razz:

[dinagriff]

If all else fails, touch it up with a black marker after you stamp it. I often do that - I'm too lazy to stamp the image a second time.
Dina

[LuvMyZoo]

Did you try rubbing it on your jeans? (un-inked of course!!)

[SunnyStamper]

You could also try stamping it in a versamark pad first then stamping it off on paper. Versamark seems to "prime" the rubber when I'm having trouble getting a solid image to stamp perfectly.

[Sereikastamper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunnyStamper

You could also try stamping it in a versamark pad first then stamping it off on paper. Versamark seems to "prime" the rubber when I'm having trouble getting a solid image to stamp perfectly.

Yep this too is a good tip....