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I clipped my classic pads with a pair of sharp scissors to clean up the edges. It worked fine - occassionally I still need to clip a loose thread but it's better than letting all the ink wick out onto the wood parts of the ink storage thingie.
I get loose threads too, esp. the ones I use most. But I got this with the old pads too, even worse. Or maybe it just seemed more because they were well used....
I hope this isn't a big issue. I'm curious to see if others have this, and consider it normal or not.
__________________ Kathy Wrose "Fun must be always." - Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks "It was fun." - Kirk, Star Trek: Generations
I've heard a lot of complaints from stamper friends about the SU "new" pads. That is why I only use the stampin spots and reinkers. My friends tell me they sag, fray and generally are a poor design. I find the spots are all I need, although occassionally I wish I had the larger ones for braying.
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
I read once that the pads curl slightly on the outside when you use the middle all of the time for inking your stamps. The suggestion made was to make sure you're applying pressure to all portions of the pad when inking your stamps so that they won't curl. So far, this has been a huge help !!!
I've also found that if you rub your stamps on the pad while inking, it causes the fibers to fray. Sometimes I can't help but rub certain stamps, but if I cut any strings away, then the pad works (and looks) perfectly fine !!!
Mine have frayed too. But I use them a lot for the DTP technique. But I have also used several brands of ink pads - and they all fray with time and especially with the DTP tech. - Especially the Distressed pads. So from what I can tell I think it's a commen effect.
I just got my first set of the big pads, The Rich Regals, and I have used only one and that was Baroque Burgundy to make some Christmas cards for the 2005 challenge and it frayed on the ends! I was so surprised as I thought SU quality was better than that. I used it for a background stamp and did not twist it at all. Any suggestions?
__________________ Just Plain old "S/talkin' Pinky"/
The way they are made is there is a layer of felt and on top of that a layer of linen. It is not finished around the edges, since that would create a bulky edge...it has to be as flat as possible, right?
So when you do anything that causes friction on the edges, naturally the threads on the edge will ravel. The linen is there to keep the felt from pilling up...much better to have a few ravelling edges than a pilling pad!
Just trim the threads off...if they stick out outside of the case the ink will wick outside and not only make a mess, but your pad will dry out faster.
As far as the sagging goes, if you sleep in one spot on your bed, it will tend to start sagging there first too, so try to use the edges as well as the middle to keep your ink pad level.
Me too on all of the above...I understand all the causes, but a couple of my big pads were saggy when new. It is tricky to ink larger background stamps evenly (where you are actually pressing the pad to the stamp.) I just make sure to press multiple times, moving the ink pad to different areas. I can live with it - they're still pretty awesome stamp pads.
The way they are made is there is a layer of felt and on top of that a layer of linen. It is not finished around the edges, since that would create a bulky edge...it has to be as flat as possible, right?
So when you do anything that causes friction on the edges, naturally the threads on the edge will ravel. The linen is there to keep the felt from pilling up...much better to have a few ravelling edges than a pilling pad!
Just trim the threads off...if they stick out outside of the case the ink will wick outside and not only make a mess, but your pad will dry out faster.
As far as the sagging goes, if you sleep in one spot on your bed, it will tend to start sagging there first too, so try to use the edges as well as the middle to keep your ink pad level.
I, too, have had problems with the new style classic pads. My new basic black pad arrived with frayed edges and it dips in the middle - very annoying when I am trying to ink a larger stamp and have to manipulate it around the edges of the of ad.
I have all brands of pads (colors catch my fancy, what can I say ) and the ONLY brand that has frayed and lifted on the edges is SU. Needless to say, I will not be purchasing anymore of their pads. I have all the spots for the colors I need and that will be good enough.
Would some of you demos please let SU know that their pads are not perfoming up to the standards of others in the industry? As a lowly customer I sometimes feel that we are the "forgotten ones"....please speak for us!
be careful of fraying edges!!!
recently, i had a frayed egde on an ink pad and the fray was touching a piece of paper and a lot of the ink from the pad transferred into one big ink spot on the paper until i found it..... so my ink pad probably is bone dry!!!!!
it did make a neat pattern on the paper, but if i had wanted that i would have used a few drops from a re-inker!!!!
__________________ Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.
William Wordsworth
I have all 48 newer style pads and the ones I use most fray and Sag. It hasn't affected the finished product so I don't mind. I just snip the frays. However, I do wish that didn't happen...
Know what's weird? My Real Red pad-which I hardly ever use by the way, came with the edges curled up. Like maybe there wasn't enough glue? When I DO use it, I press my stamp on the edges thinking that will push it back to normal, and it does for a while, then *pop*....curled back up.*sob* Oh well....lucky it isn't Positively Pink....eh Cami?
Catie
__________________ We love SSG R. King-US Army & SGT J. Priest USMC!
ΑΦ#14574 Just sayin'�atie 2005 ND rules!
I learned this trick from this website: use your bryer to ink the big background stamps! I cannot believe how easy it is to do this. I also roll the bryer at an angle or else it will slip to the sides, and color the ink pad.
After reading several posts about the ink pads sagging in the middle I decided to be pro-active and try to stop this before it got bad. I have all the classic stamp pads and this is what I have started to do...I cut two pieces of an old mousepad into 2 3/4 x 1 1/4 sections. I stacked two layers of these pieces together (I just secured them with Mono)...then after you open up your stamp pad you can place this 'support piece' in the opening (it will be directly under your stamp pad after you slide the pad in place. I hope this makes sense as it is easier to do than to explain. Try it, I think it helps a lot!
How is it that you always think of something else you should have said after you have already signed off the computer. Anyway, I should have mentioned that you need to remove this piece when you are finished stamping and before you close your stamp pad. I'm not sure you can even close the pad with this piece in place but you certainly wouldn't want to anyway. I am planning on making a few of these 'support pads' so I can use them in whatever colors I am using for a given project. I just keep them in the tray with my re-inkers on top of the stamp pad caddy.
I just love this website!
New Classice Stamp Pads FRAYING
