Good Tuesday to all….before we get to the topic today….I want to let you all know that the Paper Pumpkin refills for the September Kit are available now – I say a big WOOT-WOOT because I was super happy with the kit and I truly plan to use many to make cards and also save some of the fun tubes for a project for Christmas! CLICK HERE to see the post that I did highlighting these gems!
Now onward to a chat that I hope gets a bunch of comments going…because we all have been there and the bottom line is…IT IS FRUSTRATING!
I have been with Stampin’ Up! for over 4 years and I can clearly remember when the first Photopolymer Stamp Set came out….I thought to myself – this will never stay…..well was I wrong!!!!
I admit, photopolymer is my stamp of choice as I love the ability to “see through” to stamp BUT…I get frustrated in loosing these little guys…am I on that “island by myself” – I do not think so!
The best tip that I can give to you (and please….I am no expert but this is how I feel) I think that it is important to stamp (even if it is on scrap paper) to color/stain the stamp so it is easier to find on your work surface. I can clearly remember that when these stamps came out….my first objection was that I did not like the way they stained as I thought ...”they looked dirty” but that is GOOD….that is what a good quality photopolymer stamp does...it stains.
It is clear that Stampin’ Up! is coming out with more and more Photopolymer Stamps and I think that is very positive. When you are working with these stamps…try to get in the habit after you clean it….TO PUT IT BACK….
One habit that I do before I close the stamp set is to COUNT the number of stamps that are to be in that stamp set and if they are not there….EVERYTHING STOPS….I look and look as these little guys are like MAGNETS and they STICK to just about everything !
Here are my top 3 culprits of where they go! (please let me know if any of these are familiar to you)
- The bottom of a Stamp Pad
- The bottom of my Stampin’ Trimmer
- Stuck on an Acrylic Block because “Silly Susan” forgot to pull it off!
The moral of the story is….just try.
I know that even though I try my best, I have lost some stamps BUT….there have been time that I found it MONTHS later and squealed even louder than Daisy can with joy! (and trust me, she has a healthy set of lungs)
I leave you with a question….where is the strangest place you have ever found a MIA stamp?…..here is mine…
On the bottom of a Tervis Tumbler AFTER it went through the dishwasher! (I was drying off the water on the end of the cup and thought – what is this…..YIPPEE, my stamp!!!!)
What is your tale of the missing stamp!
I hope to see you back tomorrow….I think that it is a super simple card that will make you smile! To me, simple works and simple is effective! I can’t wait to hear how you lose your stamps….where you find your stamps….and what are your best tips in keeping them straight!
Here is a quote that I found that I loved….not that I follow it all of the time – but it is a keeper! Have a great day…see you tomorrow!
LOL! I can soooo relate to losing those stamps! Yes, they are usually stuck to stamp pads, stamp cases and the paper trimmer. One time I found it stuck to the bottom of the trash can on the floor!
I have found a trick which helps me to avoid a missing stamp. I saw someone on YouTube using an acrylic frame (like a 4×6 or 5×7 size) with a stand on it. You can pick these up at Walmart for about a dollar. She kept it at her work station, and when she removed a stamp off her acrylic block, she placed it on her acrylic frame for safekeeping in case she was going to use it again on her project – or until she cleaned it to put back with the set. I loved this idea! I did a workshop last week, and I shared the idea with the group and also made one for the hostess to keep. I had to make it pretty, so I decorated it with DSP and cut her name out of letters to glue onto the stand portion of the frame. There were actually two hostesses, as one friend let the other friend use her house. So I made one for each hostess in a different color. They turned out darling and they really loved them! The great thing is too that they’re small enough to take with you if you’re stamping somewhere else. Love your site Susan!
I would love to see a picture of your acrylic frame idea.
Great topic, Susan. I don’t have a funny story about a lost polymer stamp. I do appreciate that they “stain” and that has helped me keep track of them. And “staining” normally bothers me, too! ?
I look forward to reading more stories today! Thanks, Susan!
You made me laugh this morning, Susan! Love the stories and tips. Great idea Tricia had with the frame. I try really hard to place mine back on the sheet right away but, yes, there are sometimes “runners” and they go MIA. I had one stuck on the back of my cell phone and I guess you could say my husband was the one who found it…he called and I answered and there it was! ?
Check your shirt sleeves.
“Staining” is a part of life…….. kinda like stained fingers from stamping LOL
I have found a missing stamp actually stuck to the outside of the stamp box …….I looked and looked and there it was 🙂
Good Morning Susan! I love your blog and enjoy reading all of your posts! This is a great tip for “saving” stamps, I’ll definitely use it! I had a missing stamp, a teeny-tiny little candle. I searched and searched and couldn’t find it, figured it got thrown in the trash by mistake. Months later, I was digging for a piece of Pumpkin Pie cardstock and there it was! Stuck on the cardstock, pretty good I might add! I still have it sitting on my stamp desk because I’m not sure which set it belongs to! I just haven’t taken the time to go through old catalogs. I look at it every day and it serves to remind me to put my stamps back! 😉
Have a great day…I’m off to my stamp room!
I had the Be Mine stamp from Bloomin’ Love lost and I searched everywhere, even thru the trash cans I have by my table and figured it must have been stuck to one of my customer’s things, but another time when I had my class one of them saw it on the bottom of a stamp pad and asked what it was! It was found! I don’t really like the staining, either, but guess that’s a better thing to do than lose them. Like the idea of a frame, too. Thanks for this message today.
Hi Susan-A timely post, considering that I spent a good 15 minutes on Friday, searching for one of the sentiments from the “Sheltering Tree” set. Just when I convinced myself I was going to have to learn to live without it, I found it on the bottom of my trimmer! However, I still haven’t found or even figured out how I could lose the rubber-backed “splatter” stamp from the “French Foliage” set!
I have misplaced a stamp now and again, but no great stories about odd sightings…..I am a little OCD about my stamps and putting them back in their cases as I go along. They don’t stay lost long with this habit. I am enjoying the stories though…..I m a little boring over here…..?
I love stained stamps! It means they are used and loved!!! Tricia, what a GREAT idea for stamps that are in the works! Love it! I try so hard to put them back! I lost a tiny framelit and after hours of dumpster diving and searching I found it on the back of a piece of cardstock on my desk. That made me try really hard to put things away!! Now when I can’t find a stamp it is on the clear block! Not just “Silly Susan”!!! I knew there was a reason I love the Tervis Tumblers!!!
Oh, I don’t have a funny story either . . . is that good or bad. When I work with my stamps, I leave the case open and when I’m finished I put them on the left side until I clean them. I do annoy myself very often, Type-A, I put everything away as soon as I use it . . . this means sometimes (O.K. a lot of times!) I’m taking out the same supplies to re-do something or add something to the same card. I’m working on it!
🙂
I agree with Ramsey – stained stamps means that they are used and loved! I have already shared my story about the snowman’s little eyes missing that were found but I threw the stamp away not knowing it was a stamp. But, I have another example. I had last used this one stamp at least 2 1/2 years ago as we had Henry then and not Teddy. Yet it showed up in Teddy’s mouth all balled up (gotta love the flexibility of these stamps) earlier THIS spring in the bedroom upstairs from where I usually stamp. Teddy has this unique ability of when he has something he knows he should not have he walks by you almost taunting you that I have something you want and then runs off promising a chase scene. He did that and I couldn’t figure out what he had as all socks were accounted for which he usually finds in the bedroom under the bed. So, I chased him and cornered him and wedged his mouth open and there was this ball of plastic that was sort of irregular shaped. I must have laid it down on the counter in the bathroom (where I cornered him-one would think he would learn not to go that direction as he is easily caught in there) to answer the phone or whatever. Anyway, later that day it must have dried out from all the basset drool as it flattened out and was then stuck to the counter where I could see that it was the flower stamp that had been missing. There are a few teeth marks on the back part but the image is still good and is now in it’s case. Otherwise, I always have to check my sleeves or forearms as they do end up there or on the back of the trimmer or scoring board!
The very first clear stamp I ever got vanished before I used it. It never got found again. I once found a clear stamp stuck to my arm. I didn’t even know I lost it! I always complain how my cats never touched my craft stuff until we adopted Charles and Dio. They taught all the other cats to get up and mess with my things. However, there is a blessing to that. I pick everything up every time now especially easy to lose things. Sometimes if I’m not ready for an entire pickup I roll down the front of my roll top desk to keep things safe. But you can’t have things piled too high or the top won’t come down. I’m like Nancy though. I often have to get things back out to finish a project because I already cleaned and/or put them away.
Hi Susan!
I have never lost a PPM stamp (probably because I’m obsessive/compulsive about them 🙂 ).
In order to keep my sanity I have a 5×7 acrylic frame from the dollar store that stands on my desk. When I peel a stamp off the block, if I’m not going to be putting it back in the case right away, I just stick it on the frame. This tip came from Dawn Griffith and it works wonders for my sanity.
Hugs,
Michelle
I don’t have story of a specific “find”, but I have lost a couple of clear stamps and have never found them. After reading these posts about some stamps being found after a 1-2 year period, I may still be in luck. I love the tips about the acrylic frame to put used stamps on before cleaning and storing them properly. We need all easy, functional tips we an get to make crafting as much fun without the wasted time trying to find something we’ve used a few minutes ago. That happens to me all the time. Thanks, Susan, Tricia and Michelle for sharing with us.
Susan, Thanks for sharing that hilarious story; it made me laugh. I’m OCD about putting stamps away like many of the others who posted here and it is frustrating to have to waste time and effort to remount it to use again so I thank you for providing a forum for sharing great tips like the frame idea. I have purposely left those stamps on the acrylic block for several days while working on a big project…not a good idea, either!☺️