1. Wood mounted
2. Foam mounted
3. Clear
4. Un-mounted
Wood mounted stamps are made up of a piece of rubber with an image in relief attached to a block of wood. The image is usually on the other side of the wood either printed on or attached as a label. Foam mounted stamps have a piece of foam instead of the wood. You need to be more careful with the corners on these as it’s easier to make a mistake and ink the corners and therefore stamp the corners around the image. The most popular stamp on the market at the moment is the clear stamp. They basically consist of a piece of clear polymer with an image raised on one side of it. The other side is usually placed on an acrylic block so you can see through to where you are stamping so it’s much easier to build up a number of images to create an overall picture. They’re usually self-clinging however there are sprays available to stick them to the block temporarily. Un-mounted stamps are sold either with foam or need foam to be stuck onto the back and then stuck onto a block.
Store your stamps away from direct sunlight. Too much heat or sunlight will perish the rubber and as your stamps become hard and disintegrate the ink will not adhere correctly. Store your stamps flat making sure they are fully supported so they do not buckle; a straight line becomes a wavy line once the stamp has buckled or bent. Keep clear stamps in their original packaging, they’re usually packaged on a clear sheet of acetate with the image printed on the acetate. Even though I have yet to start it myself, you should keep a log of your stamps, it is so so easy to buy the same stamp twice. Stamp the image into your notebook as soon as you buy it, this will stop you duplicating stamps and as you flick through the pages you’ll find inspiration and you won’t forget a stamp and never use it until you find it in the bottom of your store.
Happy Stamping!
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