Donna Downey's Stamp Storage

[monica]

This is interesting...what do you think??

http://donnadowney.typepad.com/simply_me/2007/03/muffins_fo_mom_.html

[mlr42002]

That is pretty cool.

[Jess]

i saw that the other day! i still like my CD storage thing better! :)

[Rebecca]

So cool!

[Laura]

I recently put all mine in a binder. Even the SU ones I unmounted and put on EZ Mount and they're in there, too. One for alphas, one for "other". Still working on organization a bit, but so far it's WAY better than the CD cases, and takes up less room!

[Coni]

It looks cool! Maybe I should try this too!

[monica]

Hey Laura, tell me about that EZ Mount stuff. I don't know where to get it or what it does or anything but I hear people talk about it. I took all my SU stamps off their mounts too and assume I need to get some.

[Laura]

I forget exactly where I bought it now, but do a google search for EZ Mount and you'll find some. The place I got mine at had single sheets or groups of 10 sheets - the group being cheaper so that's the way I went. I've used it all up and I'm trying to decide what to do next.

EZ Mount is great stuff. Works just like an acrylic stamp does. BUT you need to apply it to an un-foamed stamp, so I spend some time taking the foam off my stamps. Not usually too difficult, but occasionally there's a stubborn one. The "fresher" the stamps, the easier it is to do. The EZ Mount stuff itself has a sticky side (which sticks to the rubber) and a slick side (which clings to the acrylic block) In the end, it looks quite similar to a foamed stamp that you're about to stick on a wood block, only it's not sticky to the touch, but in clings beautifully to an acrylic block.

I'm considering using the Tack-n-Peel http://www.tsukineko.com/new2.php for all my stamps smaller than 4x6 (the size of the sheet) and just using the EZ Mount for larger stamps from here on out. The Tack-n-Peel doesn't require a cushion, so I could dispense with the foam altogether, making storage even easier.

[monica]

So, do you have to cut around the stamp shape to apply the EZ Mount? I've taken off all the foam on my stamps already so at least I'm half way there! Now, when you say the Tack-n-Peel doesn't require a cushion, does the EZ Mount? Looks to me like neither of them require a foam cushion so I'm confused. :confused:

[Marlena]

ok? I am really out of date on SU stamps.. WHY, are you unmounting them?

[monica]

I unmounted mine for storage reasons. I was trying to save space.

[Laura]

Same reason I unmounted mine - they were just taking up TOO much room I didn't have. Plus, when stamping unmounted on an acrylic block, you can better see where you're stamping. Some stampers prefer the "random" look as true stamping, but, well, I'm just too anal for that! lol

Monica, The EZ Mount IS foam. Instead of being sticky on both sides (like SU foam, for example) it's sticky on one side (to stick to the stamp) then has a sort of glossy paper type stuff on the other side to cling to the acrylic block. With the Tack-n-peel, it's just a thin sheet of some sort of clingy stuff that will cling to your acrylic block and then to just about anything else! They show it with like rubber bands arranged on your acrylic block. They're clinging there due to the Tack-n-Peel, and you could stamp nifty designs. They also say it can be used with un-mounted stamps (no foam) which is the way I want to go. However, it comes in 4x6 sheets, so I couldn't use it for my bigger background type stamps, hence staying with the EZ Mount system for those, but going just rubber for the ones smaller than 4x6 that I could use with the Tack-n-Peel and a 4x6 acrylic block that I already have.

When applying EZ Mount, it comes in big sheets - 8 1/2 x 14 maybe? I partially peel off the backing on the sticky side of the foam and apply my SU stamps, uncut, un-foamed, directly on there, then cut them out just as I would normally, going through EZ Mount and rubber at the same time. So, the EZ Mount ends up the exact shape of the trimmed stamp. The ones that were already mounted to start with that I unmounted, I do the same thing, but I'm following the pre-cut rubber as closely as possible. Those end up a little "messier" looking since I never get an exact match, but it doesn't seem to affect anything. It just looks "messy" to my anal brain.

Really, it's not hard. And not really an more labor-intensive than mounting SU stamps the regular way.

[Kate]

That's a cool storage idea. I have no where near enough acrylic stamps though.

Huh, I never thought about not mounting SU. You'd think they may start thinking along the lines of just selling the stamp, therefore, making them cheaper? And we could all just do like Laura. :notworthy: You are so ahead of the game girl!

[Laura]

Wow! Never been bowed to before :blush: Seriously, it was all a matter of having TOO many stamps! But now that I can more easily bring them all with me to a crop, I use them more! :banana:

[Kate]

I may have to peel off my SU ones. I like the idea of making them more compact & being able to store them easier. I have more SU than acrylic but almost never think to use them since they are tucked away in their own spot. If I'd have them all together, I'd probably use them more too.

[Tracy]

Thats pretty cool!

[mlr42002]

That is a good idea. It might be a project for the summer.

[monica]

Thanks Laura, that totally makes sense now!

I was also told that vinyl would work. And my stamps do stick to the vinyl but I don't know how it sticks to the acrylic block. Perhaps that should be using rubber bands as well!

[justem]

Well, since I only have two sets of clear stamps, it probably wouldn't work well for me...but maybe as my collection grows!!! :)

[Yvette]

Very cool idea!

[Tracy]

Well, since I only have two sets of clear stamps, it probably wouldn't work well for me...but maybe as my collection grows!!! :)

You are ahead of me. I don't have any at all.