I know that you will probably agree with me that there are times (actually, many times) that it is super frustrating when your clear mount stamps fall off of your blocks? Am I ringing a bell with you?
I know that many of us have tried many different things and trust me, if you have a way that works for you….WOOT-WOOT and pat yourself on the back and keep using it. Today I wanted to share with you a tip that a fellow Demonstrator and friend, Jane Rozes shared with me and I am lovin' it!
I have always and will continue to be totally "TYPE A" in keeping my stamp blocks and stamps clean and I highly recommend that you do the same to keep them in the best possible condition they can be in.
Here are some tips that I do to keep my pride and joys pristine!
- I do wash my blocks with a mild soap (Dawn) and wipe them super dry at least once a month.
- In between I always have handy alcohol swabs to do a quick clean up on areas that the ink dries and gets yucky! (I am sure you know what I mean) I purchase them from Amazon (here is a link) and I always have them handy! You will be amazed at how often you will use them and also they are handy when you need to clean up your work area in a jif!
- Now to the product that my friend told me about and I am kicking my heels like Fred Flintstone as it works great! (Here is a link) – The link to the left is in clear and that is what I would recommend getting. There are (6) sheets in the pack and I did all of mine with (2) sheets (and I have a lot of extra blocks) so you can split this with a friend!
- After cleaning your blocks well, cut the Cling Vinyl to the size of your block and then PRESTO – your clear cling stamps will stay perfect!
- TIP ~ make sure that you use the flip side of the blocks for your photopolymer ones….as if you put them on the Cling Vinyl side, you will probably pull it off!
I know that many of you love when I post about tips and tricks and I do hope that you find this helpful…please let me know your thoughts as maybe I was "late getting on the train" and you all have been doing this all along!
Please feel free to shoot me an email if I can be of help to you…..I am SUPER-DE-DUPER excited that my order is in for the New Catalog…..I know that you are going to like the "teasers" I have for you this month!
Now to something SUPER IMPORTANT to me
and I hope that you will be able to help!
This thing that I do is sooooo much more than a blog, a business….
it is a way to reach out and touch lives.
There is a Mom in my community that needs prayers, inspiration and love. She is a Mom of 4 that is battling cancer and she has been soooooooo courageous for a long time. She is not well. If you wish to send me a card of inspiration to her, I would LOVE to drop off a pile of cards from people all over that are praying for her.
Last night I stayed up and made her a bunch of Christmas Cards for the family to send out…random acts of kindness does make a difference and with all of the crazy and sad things that are happening in the world right now, we all need to stop and think of what we can do to make someone smile and feel loved.
You all are "kind people" and trust me, I am very blessed to have you come to my blog each and every day!. Thank you for being you.
If you wish to send a card…in advance, thank you….please keep it uplifting. You can send it to my house:
Susan Itell
15002 Randall Lane
Williamsport, MD, 21795
What a wonderful gesture to ask for cards for this family! My heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with all of them, especially Mom. Are they in need of anything else, be it food, Christmas gifts, anything? PLEASE let me know if there is ANYTHING they are in need of as I would love to be of help. Families to help in our own backyards is what gives meaning to this season so please let me know. Thanks for all that you do, Susan!
Thank you for the tips, Susan. What a kind and thoughtful gesture to help this mom keep her spirits uplifted. I agree with Deb, if there is anything else she needs please let us know. Following your heart and helping someone is the whole point.
You always have such wonderful tips, Susan, thank you for sharing them with us! What a Sweetheart you are for helping this woman out. I would love to take part by sending her a card, but like the others, if there’s anything more that I can do, Please let me know. I’d be more than happy to help out. : )
I think this is the same product I used to help a friend convert some of her rubber stamps on wood blocks to clings. We stamped the image onto the cling material, removed the rubber from the wood block, adhered the cling stamped material to the rubber and trimmed. Seems there was enough adhesive on the rubber to make it stick, but for the ones that needed more adhesive, we used a self leveling “Yes” paste to stick the rubber to the cling. I think I still have some left over sheets in my craft room….thanks for the reminder. Your tip is a great idea. BTW, I, too, clean with alcohol in my craft room. I have covered my main working table with that clear vinyl used on patio furniture….sold by the yard at Walmart and JoAnn’s fabric store and it’s really cheap….anyway, I just keep a spray bottle of alcohol handy and use cotton balls for small area clean ups and use paper towels for when I clean all the large work spaces…I keep a bottle of Goo Gone for the really sticky stuff, but follow behind that with alcohol….use both on my scissors, tweezers, piercer, etc. when they get goopy.
Thank You . . . Thank You . . . Love this tip . . .
The alcohol swabs are available at Costco in the Pharmacy area. Very cheap. Of course they are packaged in bulk-You can share with a friend.The cling product can be purchased by the yard in a fabric store. I bought mine at Walmart. It is used as a clear table cover.Use the one that comes with the GREEN printed paper attached.I think I bought 1/4 of a yard and paid less than a dollar.
Another way to keep the clear stamps on the blocks is to use 2 way glue, put it on the stamp,let it dry and then it will work each time. I recently did that to mine and it works like a charm! No more stamps falling off during the usage of them!
Nice of you to help this family out and ask for others to help, too. What is the season about, but GIVING!
I keep a small spray bottle with alcohol in it for fast clean up. It is also very useful for removing glue messes on your work surface.
Love your tips for the clear blocks and stamps, I’m like you in keeping my blocks and stamps clean. I’m going to get some cling vinyl and try it. Thanks Ellen for your info on where to get the swabs and cling, think I’ll try that cling first, I’m the impatient one when it comes to things I can buy at home?.
Susan, I’ll send an encourage card to you next week, are there other cards that she may be able to use, I have quite a stach at the moment.
And my preorder is on the way and I can hardly wait?.
This is so awesome of you to help out the needy family. Holidays are always so much harder on the parents and they can always use an extra hand.
Before I retired from a Cancer Center each year our office would adopt one of the needy families for Christmas. This is still carried on at the office each year. We went all out for the whole family not just the children.
I will be sending a card.
Thank you for the great tips, It is so frustrating when A stamp falls onto your prepped card stock and ruins the paper.
I also use alcohol for the stubborn ink on the stamps. Not very often though is it needed. I fear with over use it may hurt the stamps, just my opinion.
And also on my clear blocks. I will now start washing them with the Dawn.
N
What is “2 way glue” as per Polly?
Susan, Your tips are always appreciated. You have great ideas. I rub my clear blocks on my pants for a minute then press my stamp on it , this holds pretty good. I will try your idea. Thank you Ellen, for the great information.
I am so proud of you for wanting to help this family. I will gladly send you a card for this famuily. Our church helps out about 28 families that are in much need. It is such a good feeling to help out some one who is having some financial help. We have always taken a family from our church and help them in many ways. Ever since my children were little now they are 35 and 37 years old. They always like to go shopping for our family. They love to go over and help deliver our purchases to our family. God bless you. and this family. Merry Christmas to each and every one of your people who want to help. Ellen Hinds
Hi Polly! I use the two way glue too! I got super sick and tired of the stamps falling off constantly! I learned this trick somewhere and I’ve used it on my clear mount stamps ever since, I’ve yet to redo my glue left on my stamps!
Hello Helen! There are two types of glue in the main SU catalog that will work as a two way glue for this trick. First, is the Tombow mono adhesive in the green packaging, that can be used as a regular glue or if you apply a thin coating onto your surface and allow it to dry becomes like a sticky note! I’ve used this glue for my clear mount stamps many, many times. Second, is the actual glue named Two way glue that comes in a white pen style container. This glue can be used just like the first glue, but the container gives you more control over where you apply it. Both are available in the main SU catalog or look in Susan’s online store under adhesives. Have fun!