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I've emailed Tsukineko and am still *patiently* waiting for a response, but thought I'd come here to see if I can get a better answer.
I opened my Versamark pad last week wednesday and discovered that my inkpad looks like it's MOLDING! :confused: I'm pretty diligent about cleaning my stamps and I don't have a mold issue ANYWHERE in my house.
Has anyone experienced this and if so, your thoughts? I've only had this pad for less than six months so this is the LAST thing I expected to see.
What does it look like? Can you describe it?:confused:
Mine is so old, I can't remember what it looked like when it was new. Now it sort of has tiny brown spots all around the surface. It works fine though.
I am sure others will chime in to help more than I could.
Email Tsukineko again and try to give a description of what it looks like. I am really surprised they haven't gotten back to you. It's a reputable company.
Does it smell like mold? Actual mold has a distinct odor.
Have you ever used metallic embossing powder with or near your Versa Mark? If so, it looks like mold but is actually 'tarnished' bits of embossing powder. (even if you just 'cleared' the extra embossing powder in the vicinity of your open VersaMark pad, bits of embossing powder can get on the pad and thus causing the issue.) Otherwise it could be bits of ink you may have had left over on a stamp.
__________________ Just taking it one day at a time.....
Now that you mention it, it DOESN'T smell like mold at all. I guess it just freaked me out. On the other hand, Tsukineko (yes they're a great company) still hasn't responded. I turned it upside down on a scrap of paper and didn't notice any discoloring in that "stamp". I'm going to email them again and include a picture. Hopefully this time they respond.
Mine is just filthy. Perhaps we should all post photos and make each other feel better because ours isn't as nasty as the next person's. Maybe a little friendly competition...
It's not likely that your pad has mold on it. Mold is a fungus that grows at room temperature. These are cells that require what all cells require: FOOD (dead organic matter is required for mold to acquire nutrients). Versamark fluid itself does not contain any nutrients. Unless your pad has come into contact with food or sugar, it would be inhospitable to mold growth.
I emailed them about my Red StazOn pad. The ink basically has the same issues as SU red pad did - Ink got really thick and gooey and gold streaks on the pad etc. It took awhile for a response also. Then after a few emails back and forth they said they would replace it for free IF I paid all the shipping. Well to me I could go buy a new pad for less than that so I did not send it in.
Mine is just filthy. Perhaps we should all post photos and make each other feel better because ours isn't as nasty as the next person's. Maybe a little friendly competition...
It's not likely that your pad has mold on it. Mold is a fungus that grows at room temperature. These are cells that require what all cells require: FOOD (dead organic matter is required for mold to acquire nutrients). Versamark fluid itself does not contain any nutrients. Unless your pad has come into contact with food or sugar, it would be inhospitable to mold growth.
I am NOT an expert just what I was told by a specialist we hired.
I have seen pads that got mold- like already. I showed one to the specialist we hired to remove some mold in our old house. If they are kept in a humid & moist environment they can mold.
I was told not all mold has to be on food. In my old house we had mold on the ceiling in the bathroom. We had to have a specialist that had to come in and remove it. He stated there are all different types of mold and mold can grow anywhere if it gets a chance. Some can grow in water, some on food etc.
We had it in our bathroom as we had no fan and the steam from taking showers seeped into the ceiling causing the mold to grow - moist & humid environment.
Alot of molds only need moisture and heat to form and grow.
AGAIN I am NOT an expert just what I was told by a specialist we hired.
Last edited by meluvstampin; 12-24-2008 at 05:40 AM..
The expert isn't technically correct. Mold does seem to grow where there is only water, however, that water isn't just water, it is contaminated with some type of organic matter (as the vast majority of water is). Hydrogen and oxygen are inorganic materials and provide no nutrition which the mold cell requires for growth and reproduction. Pure water cannot sustain mold growth.
Come for stamping know how...leave with a little microbiology tidbit.
My versamark pad has blue spot on it. It doesn't effect my stamping. I am very careful not to get other inks on it. I haven't tried any of the fancy stamping that some of the more expert stampers do. I was wondering about the blue spots, but it doesn't smell so I don't thing it is mold.........Hope you get an answer from them soon.
The expert isn't technically correct. Mold does seem to grow where there is only water, however, that water isn't just water, it is contaminated with some type of organic matter (as the vast majority of water is). Hydrogen and oxygen are inorganic materials and provide no nutrition which the mold cell requires for growth and reproduction. Pure water cannot sustain mold growth.
Come for stamping know how...leave with a little microbiology tidbit.
Very interesting! Thank you for sharing this. I love SCS as I learn so much here.
Merry Christmas!
Versamark?
