Clear Stamps Question

[Tommi]

I have never used stamps before and ventured to Target to buy my first stamp!

Can someone tell me what gives on the clear stamps? They seem so small and hard to use. Please share your experience with me!

Heading to Hobby Lobby tonight...everything scrapbooking is half off!

Thanks

[PaperBouquet]

You have the acrylic block to mount them on, right? You may wish to purchase a couple of different sizes, depending on the scale of the stamps you are working with.
I personally prefer to work dye-inks with acrylic stamps, but then I never was terrible fond of pigments, so it may just be a matter of personal preference.
For storage, I keep mine in CD cases.
Hope this helps.

Olivia

[NoraCH]

While I'm not going to pitch the clear acrylic stamps I already have, I will think twice about buying more in the future. I have heard (and others on here agree) that you shouldn't use solvent inks like Staz On because it destroys the stamps over time. So it would be tough to stamp on nonpourous surface with them.

While it's tempting to buy the $1.00 sets at Michael's or Archivers, I have already had to spend 10 minutes hunting through my cat's dry food when I dropped a tiny heart stamp I was cleaning at the kitchen sink when the phone rang. Oh yeah, don't forget to plug up the drain before washing those tiny ones or you'll lose them period.

Since they aren't rubber, you can't do certain techniques like velvet embossing with them. The heat would destroy the polymer. Depending on what you like to do with your stamps, this may be an issue or not.

So I just see the acrylics as being less versitile and less useful as rubber. Yes, they take up less storage and are cheaper, but so is unmounted rubber (and you can unmount mounted stamps). So I think I'd have to really be in love with an acrylic set to actually buy now that I have played with them some. Not that that may never happen lol. Hopes that helps you.

[PandaGirl]

I loooooove my acrylic stamps! So far I only have two alpha sets, but have plans for many others!

They come in a variety of sizes just like regular rubber- just poke around and you will find some larger sizes.

[Tami Mayberry]

They come is a variety of sizes depending on what you get and where. I've found that the main thing to keep in mind is not all clear stamps are created equal. Some of them are of really nice quality and others are very cheaply made (hence the cheap price). From what I have heard, for the most part the ones made in the US tend to be the best quality and made with the better materials.

[Acceber]

I like to think of them differently than rubber. They both have their pros and cons. Honestly though, I'm more apt to grab a clear set than rubber if I had to choose. I like the fact you can see exactly where you're stamping, great for detail work and adding little elements to larger designs. You may also have to have a different touch when using acrylic, a little touch goes a long way.

They do come in every size, the little ones are just popular and cheap. They're really easy to use, dont be intimidated. Just pick your stamp, peel off the sheet, put on an acrylic block, ink it up and have fun. Clean off, peel off, and put back on its sheet.

[JulieHRR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tommi

I have never used stamps before and ventured to Target to buy my first stamp!

Can someone tell me what gives on the clear stamps? They seem so small and hard to use. Please share your experience with me!

Heading to Hobby Lobby tonight...everything scrapbooking is half off!

Thanks

I'd advise any beginning stamper to find an independent demonstrator for a direct sales company, such as SU! (WM rubber) or TAC (UM rubber) or CTMH (clear photoplymer), and either host an in-home workshop yourself and invite all your friends who may also be interested in learning about stamping, or request to attend an upcoming one the demonstrators has on her calendar!

This is a WONDERFUL way to learn basic skills and information about stamping in general. It is also a wonderful way to connect and meet others who enjoy art stamping!

Or, consider enrolling in a Stamping 101 or Basics class at your local stamp store.

While you will learn TONS about art-stamping here without any doubt, I still think beginning stampers can gain so much valuable information in a very condensed and specific way in a live classroom situation, with a knowledgeable instructor/demonstrator.

They can teach you which inks work best for which purpose, or with which types of stamps (rubber vs. polymer), and how to use certain basic tools, etc.