Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
I've been reading through postings about some of you going unmounted. I'm really curious about this, but I have to admit I'm a little scared too! What if I don't like it? What if I regret it? Anyone regretting going unmounted?
Splitcoast Dirty Dozen Alumni Splitcoast Gallery Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Colorado
Posts: 24,169
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
For me no. But I don't mind what others call the inconvenience of peeling the stamp from storage, sticking on the block, stamping, cleaning, and then returning to storage.
I think you need to decide which is more important to you - storage space (at least for me that was the number one reason for switching) or quickness/ease in stamping. I honestly don't even notice the extra steps needed to stamp. I love having all my stamps right at my finger tips in a few (ok, 7) binders.
Doing it is a very personal choice Maybe you could unmount one or two that aren't your absolute favorites and work with it a little (you really wouldn't even have to invest in blocks as you could use double-sided sticky tape to adhere the stamp to your wood block - granted then the see-through benefit isn't there).
Hi,
I do have regrets. I unmounted two su sets, one I use alot and one not so much. The one I use often-- the rubber is separating from the foam. I decided not to unmount anymore.
HTH,
Maureen
__________________ "In every job that must be done there is an element of fun. Find that fun and snap the job's a game."
Mary Poppins
I unmount to the rubber only and toss the foam, re-trim the stamps closer and am happy as a clam. (though I've never understood why clams are happy)
I did start with one or two sets that I don't use often, though. I found that I started using them more as I found them easier to use post-unmounting.
Maybe you could try a stamp that is already unmounted as a test. Use it for a while to see how you like unmounted. That way you won't have to unmount anything you already have.
I think you need to decide which is more important to you - storage space (at least for me that was the number one reason for switching) or quickness/ease in stamping.
I have both um and wm stamps in my collection right now and I find it equally as easy to stamp with either. Like you said, I find my UMs easier to store, but they are also easier and quicker for me to browse, access, and put away compared to my wm stamps. Instead of having to prise open a clamshell SU case to get out a stamp I just have to flip open a CD case. I'm not very good with the clamshell cases I guess, especially something like Looks Like Spring that comes in a big case and has a lot of wood in it. I find those cases pretty cumbersome for stamps. So it depends what you think of as the difficult part of stamping.
I have absolutly no regrets. I store all of my Cd cases in a CD turn around that I got at the good-will store. It holds all of my sets. Some of the turn arounds are bigger than others, mine holds 120 cases but I also have two that hold around 80 each. If I manage to fill those too, I had better quit buying! It is so great having them right at hand.
No regrets here. I was worried and a little scared too before I went UM, but finally just jumped in and um all my SU stamps (about 70 sets and backgrounds). I was so thrilled that I no longer had to dig through layers of stamp sets piled in boxes under my desk when I wanted to make a quick card or two. Now all I have to do is zip open a binder, pull out the stamp, and quickly put it away. My only regret is that I didn't start um right from the beginning!
I've had many of my stamps for 4 years and haven't had unstick (but I've heard of it happening in a binder). I keep mine in IRIS cart drawers and just flip through the CD cases like they were LP records...love it!
Sometimes one or the other may feel like the cling is not so "clingy" and then I rewet it and let it dry and it works like a charm.
I think using UM grows on you though, so even those folks that aren't a 100%sure at first, if they keep trying it they do like it!
Splitcoast Dirty Dozen Alumni Splitcoast Gallery Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Colorado
Posts: 24,169
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mahloumel
I'm not very good with the clamshell cases I guess, especially something like Looks Like Spring that comes in a big case and has a lot of wood in it. I find those cases pretty cumbersome for stamps.
LOL I never thought of that, especially since I open the clamshells just once, but I too have an issue with them - when I go to my mom's I have issues, but I just figured it was because I was out of practice
Splitcoast Dirty Dozen Alumni Splitcoast Gallery Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Colorado
Posts: 24,169
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pam Jermyn
I too am curious about unmounted sets. I was wondering what you use to adhere the rubber to the block so it can easily be pulled apart?
Thank you
Pam
Wow there are so many options. The first question is whether or not you want foam with your rubber, lol. There is lots of types of foam for unmounted - stuff with velcro like stuff on it and other with cling on it (same stuff as decorative window clings). Then, if you go no foam, you can use a little glue (Aleene's Tack it Over and Over glue is what I use) or just plain poster tape (or any repositionable double-sided tape).
My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner! I have to admit, I worried about unmounting my SU! sets, so I started with my other stamps first. I fell in love with going unmounted!
I just pull the rubber off, and toss the foam and block. I then mount it to EZ Mount which is sticky on one side, clingy on the other. LOVE it. I've never had a problem with it not sticking.
Unmounting brand new sets is awesome. Before trimming when everything is all squared up, I unmount, and stamp the clingy side of my EZ Mount with Stazon. I line corners to corners up, so that when I flip it over, and sitck my stamp to the sticky side, there's a picture on the back perfectly lined up. Then I trim as normal.
I also run a couple of copies of the sticker sheets that would normally be stuck to the back of the wood. One gets trimmed down and put into my CD case with my stamps, the other goes into a binder. It's so easy to flip through the binder for the image I want, then pull out the corresponding CD case.
I've no regrets at all, except like others, that I didn't do it sooner. I still do have a few WM's and I don't plan on unmounting them unless I really run out of room. The large stamps (3" and over) seem to do better if they stay on their original mount.
Space is certainly a consideration but to me it's the $$ that's most important. If I get UM's I can get twice as many! I could probably manage to stash mounted stamps but then I wouldn't be able to see them all; I'd have to have some behind others and I like to be able to glance at all I have in a certain category; that's much easier for me if they're UM.
I tend to leave the foam on unless it "chunks" when I'm unmounting the stamp. With new UM's I use rubber cement to stick them on plain old fun foam. It's not really thick, but does provide a bit of cushion. Then I also stamp with a mousepad or pack of newspaper under my paper. Between the two, it works great.
I love it now. When I first unmounted everything I had a few regrets. But I quickly got over that and the only thing I haven't unmounted are my House Mouse stamps, and that is because they look so cute sitting on my shelf! I found a CD carousel at Good Will for $1.50 that holds around 100 cd cases. That's a lot of storage room saved! Plus it is so much easier to line up your stamps and put more than one stamp on a block at a time.
__________________ Sally Taylor, Fun Stampers Journey Coach #1118
I just got my first unmounted stamps (had to have those Bellas, so had to get over my fear of unmounted) and I LOVE it. I am giving serious consideration to umounting all my collection - but probably one set at a time 'cos that's a lot of stamps! I don't know what I was scared of....
(I listed them because I order stamps from them a few times a year, and when I do I tend to get a sheet of EZ mount too since I'm already committed to paying for shipping)
Unmounting Regrets?
