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I recently got "Greenhouse Garden" by SU because I just love the flowers in this set but I am having the worst time getting the stamps to line up correctly to get the inner part of the flower to stamp in the correct place on the larger flowers (both larger flowers in the set) ......:confused: I went ahead and mounted them on the wooden blocks even though my gut instict told me to just mount them on cling.......and I think I would have better luck if I did go ahead and switch them to cling (that way I can see better as I'm stamping, not all that wood in the way). Has anyone else had problems getting these stamps to line up nicely or am I the only idiot? Anyone have any hints to get them to line up better? (Secretly I wish these stamp were clear......then I would have no problem getting them to line up correctly).
Anne
90% of correctly stamping 2-step stamping is in how they are mounted. If you have already mounted these on wood and would like to keep them that way here is what you do. Remount your stamps in the following manner. Heat a stamp, rubber up in the microwave for 5 -6 seconds. This loosens the adhesive, leaving it on the stamp and the wood. If you are right handed, mount the larger of the two stamps (more solid image, the one you stamp first) very carefully in the lower right ahnd corner of the block...as low and as far to the right as you can. With the second part of the two step, and remount in the same manner...only this time, place the wood blocks one above the other on a flat surface. Closely look at your two step against the first step...it should be inset slightly to the left and up from the bottom of the first stamp (maybe 3/8"). Bring it straight down and mount it about the same distance on the wood block from the lower right corner opf the wood block. I mount all my wood mount stamps in the same manner...low and to the right. When I turn them over, I can see the bottom and the left edge of the rubber as I am stamping and know exactly where the image is.
I'm about ready to throw the whole set in the trash! I use them unmounted, which I guess is part of the issue because I never know what side is "up" so it takes me twenty minutes to figure out how to line up the petals. And the solid image portions stamp horribly (yes, I've tried sanding, but maybe not enough?).
I wouldn't give up. Mount your stamp on your acrylic block, then use your stamp-a-ma-jig (hopefully you have one) as you would with a mounted stamp. I can't use 2 step stamps without a stamp-a-ma-jig - even on the mounted ones that I have (which are to soon be unmounted). Give the stamp-a-ma-jig a try and I'm sure you'll be happy with your results.
well, I use a stamp-a-ma-jig but I still can't get them lined up perfectly all the time ... so I just throw my "perfectionism" to the wind because some 2-step stamps are not necessarily designed to be perfect!
I am stamp-a-ma-jig challenged too, I can not get it to line us very often. I am probably in too big of a hurry, or something "moves" before I am ready to overstamp the next image. Try Try Try again!
I'm about ready to throw the whole set in the trash! I use them unmounted, which I guess is part of the issue because I never know what side is "up" so it takes me twenty minutes to figure out how to line up the petals. And the solid image portions stamp horribly (yes, I've tried sanding, but maybe not enough?).
You know, I was using this set the other night and getting frustrated a bit. I tried so hard to line everything up and always wound up with it being just a wee bit off. Then I quit worrying about it and just concentrated on getting the stamp squarely on top of the first image without trying to "line things up." Surprisingly, the outcome was identical! I'm just not sure they are meant to line up perfectly, as Renee was saying. A lot of 2-step sets are this way, I think.
I use the SAMJ also, but a customer of mine has told me that she prefers to kiss the stamps together and just has to stamp once. I have tried it and it works well, but I am a perfectionist so SAMJ all the way for me. Just thought I would throw the idea out there in case anyone wants to give it a try. Don't give up on the set, it has a lot of uses (imho)
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Originally Posted by meginma
I use the SAMJ also, but a customer of mine has told me that she prefers to kiss the stamps together and just has to stamp once. I have tried it and it works well, but I am a perfectionist so SAMJ all the way for me. Just thought I would throw the idea out there in case anyone wants to give it a try. Don't give up on the set, it has a lot of uses (imho)
This is a good idea...going to have to try it out.
I may just have to break down and try the stamp set out again with your suggestions (yes, I was using a SAMJ before, too). Anyone have any great example cards they'd like to share? (that's my other problem--figuring out what colors I want to use!)
I don't have any advice previously offered, (I use a SAMJ also), and this is kind of a lame way of showing you this card, but the one done in curry/rust/durango was done with Greenhouse Garden.
My explanation for the triple-card picture is that I just got a new printer and was trying a feature that was supposed to scan the items, but save them separately. I obviously don't have it figured out yet.
Thanks for all of your suggestions ladies! I don't have a SAMJ (I never needed one) so I will try the kissing technique and play a bit more.......I will probably end up mounting them on cling. I just wish there was a line or dot on top of the stamps (the clear label you put on top of the wooden block) that would show you how to line them up correctly one on top of the other...this would make it so much easier! :rolleyes:
Actually I think I will stamp the flower images on the back of some new cling in black Stazon, then mount them as exactly as I can to the image.......then I can kind of "see" the image as I stamp it......maybe this will help?
OK, that kissing idea sounds great! I'll have to give that a try.
Cathi, I used to do this when I scanned cards, too (now I use my camera). Actually, I do still do this when I'm taking pictures of boards with lots of pictures on them. All you need to do now that you have this 3-card image is now open that image in a photo editing program and crop out pictures. For instance, select the Greenhouse Garden card and delete (crop out) the other two (don't panic! It's not a permanent thing...). Save the now cropped image as "GreenhouseGarden.jpg" or whatever name you want to give it. Now that that one's saved, DON'T close the original image...undo the crop you just did and select the next picture...crop the rest out and save that one, etc. Once you've got three separate images, you can then actually delete the first image with the three cards.
Omgosh, thank you SO much Betsy! I have got TONS of cards done in the last several years that I really need to add to my gallery, and this will make it so much easier! Just might start working on that tonight. Thanks again.
I'm stamp-amajig challenged (I can never find the sheet, and when I do, it moves around). I recently got the Position-It by Cathie Allan and it is absolutely wonderful. No more problems position, ever. And there are some great new techniques I've tried with it too. For example, on one card I was able to stamp over 20 times in the exact same spot to create a really neat effect.
Having problems with a stamp set......
