(Warning.. this turned out to be long, sorry)
I've got a collection of blocks (somewhere--those clear blocks hide in my work area), a Fiskars stamp press, and a regular size MISTI.
Started with Holtz ones which have a grid but are really thin. I couldn't stamp without getting extra ink on my fingers, which I never noticed until after I'd stamped it on my card. Uncomfortable to hold with their edges, not sharp like they hurt you but uncomfortable for me to hold. I’m sure they work fine for others, just not for me. They do have a longer block which was good for the card width stamps which I have a lot of
Went to thicker ones, maybe Lawn Fawn or Apple, and I liked them. Softer curved edges and still have grids to help me with keeping things straight. I seem to be able to find them easier than the thin ones. But I have some long stamps, and some bigger images that I don't have a huge thick block to put them one. I have background stamps that needed a big block but that would be too uncomfortable to hold in my hand. Probably expensive also.
(I suppose I could have bought and used a brayer but my head needs to stamp down onto paper/cardstock, not put the stamp on the table image up, paper and then brayer)
(During this time I also learned to put a little washi tape on my blocks so I can see them on my messy desk! Did the same thing with my clear cutting pads.)
I did get a Fiskars stamp press with the foam feet at a garage sale and I was using that the most. I could do the background stamps and I’d put a lot of stamps on to stamp at one time. Stamp a bunch of cardstock and then have those in the living room to color as I watched TV. Crazy birds, some lovely paisley’s and others. I tried to restamp bad images by looking over the top but couldn't line up well. Some people can, I can't. I get a little shadow sometimes.
But with each I was sometimes having problems getting a good even impression that I was happy with. I didn't know if it was me. I thought-- was it the stamps? Was it my work surface? Was it was my ink? It was my paper? Maybe I just wasn't good at this? (The stamping quality bothered me, it "wasn't good enough" for me to use and then share with others. I worry about that.)
I did borrow a stamp a ma jig from a friend but couldn't get it to work for me.
I'd been watching videos and websites with the MISTI for over a year. Read posts etc. Finally decided that I'd invested too much in stamps and ink to not try it AND if I added together the costs of all the things I'd purchased (above) it was a lot more than the MISTI.
For my birthday I bought myself the regular size MISTI (and didn’t use it at first as I was busy with work, etc.). Then I started using it and kicked myself for not buying and using it sooner.
Now my go to is the MISTI for me, I can get a crisp image by reinking and I don't end up with a bit of a shadow on the stamping. The same papers, inks, stamps I had are working fine. I don't just do cards, also like to play with watercolor markers on background stamp. I stamp images and color them in then cut them out (mostly with dies) to have items to add to my card or whatever I’m working on or just because it’s fun.
I use watercolor paper for coloring images and it's hard to stamp on. For some I like to stamp the background and emboss it before I start coloring. The MISTI has been great for that. I'll do lots of images and make a stack to have and color in front of the TV. It's really fast to do that.
I still use a block from time to time but it’s for a small thing to add. When I reach for a block is it one of the thicker ones. Actually, if exact placement isn’t required I’ve sometimes just put the tiny stamp on my fingertip and stamp that way (Jennifer Mcguire did this in a video, it was an ah ha moment for me.)
Bottom line, if I were starting out and knew what I know now I would get the MISTI and a thick block or maybe 2. I’d get a thick block with curvy edges that I could comfortably hold in my hand for the few times there are things to stamp and I don’t use the MISTI.
Size? That depends on you. I have the regular/original size and like the options I have for techniques that some do by moving the cardstock within the MISTI to create a pattern (repeat the stamp, stripes, plaids, etc.). I think you could do that with a MINI but the card would have to slip over the edge and I know I’d have some ink on the edge that I didn’t notice before I set my cardstock on it. I’d probably also get a crease in the card and that would bother me. I also just stamp a bunch of images on bigger sheets of cardstock to add to my coloring stack so I like the extra space. I’d continue to get the regular size if I were to do it again.
I suggest you watch some videos and watch how the MISTI is used to see if you think the mini or the original size is best for you. I suggest
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Videos - Jennifer McGuire Ink and you can select the MISTI under company then you will get a filtering of videos where she used the MISTI (enabler alert… she’s a great teacher and I watch every video she does
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https://laurafadora.wordpress.com/
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https://www.youtube.com/user/underst...ch?query=misti
You can buy it many places. I’m putting a plug in for one of my favorite shops, OOZAK (I’m not affiliated, just a happy customer—he’s local for me so I want him to have lots of business so he’s around forever, LOL) I think you’ll find that your shipping would be free.
Barb K
PS put some washi tape on those magnets so it goes beyond the magnet and creates a tab like handle to help you slide those powerful things apart and just pick them up as you work.
Forums at Splitcoaststampers
I also suggest a few extra magnets just because. I think my cardstock could use a bit more help when my stamps are especially sticky.
suggestions of acrylic blocks please
