An Idea for Unmounted Stamps

Like the rest of you... I bought the Bella's... I just couldn't help myself! Emily at Stamping Bella is among the people I have to blame for forcing me into the world of unmounted stamps, a world I was not eager to explore... let me also pause to blame Nichole Heady of Papertey Ink, Rhonna Farrer of Autumn Leaves, and Andrea/Doodle Factory stamps at Sun Spirit Studios. Darn all of you! :)

Most unmounted style stamps are produced in clear acrylic or regular ole red rubber; and I think I still prefer to mount the rubber on on Creative Cling (or whatever brand you like), especially when they come uncut on a full sheet of rubber. But the Bellas come PRE-cut... on a thicker than usual gray rubber... "finely etched" says Emily. Mounting these on Creative Cling would be sort of tough; a messy/sticky job. They are so nicely trimmed already... and the cling foam might even make them a bit too thick and wobbly (the images tend to be skinny). When I compare it to the other red rubber stamps I own, the rubber on the Bellas is thicker; giving the stamps a bit of cushion already anyhow.

Emily gives advice on her website to use double sided tape (and she also sells Tack and Peel) with an acrylic block. Both fine ideas. I was ready to do the double sided tape method... but I wasn't very keen on putting tape on my brand new blocks... I worried it'd leave a residue and be an eyesore. I looked for the "Tack and Peel" locally but couldn't find it.

So here is what I then accidentally discovered. I was hanging some posters in my son's room and had purchased some of these Clear Mounting Squares by Scotch the job. They are awesome for hanging posters... but I thought they might be perfect on my blocks for mounting my Bellas! And look, they work great!

Now I have never had my hands on "Tack and Peel", so this may be quite similar. The mounting squares are very thin, slightly sticky, not too sticky, clear rubbery squares. You can pull them apart or use them already connected in a larger square of 4. I used 6 squares on this block, and kept them attached together; one group of 4 squares and then added another two squares below; using a scissors to trim the other set. They fit perfectly! Be sure to save the clear plastic you peel off the squares to cover the block when you aren't using it.

My tests showed that the Bella stamps came off and on very easily, and that removing them from the block left no residue... but then you couldn't reapply the squares; you'd need to use new ones. One thing you will not want to do... Do not use your cling foam mounted stamps on the mounting squares... it will stick too much to the foam and is apt to pull it off. But no worries, just use the block with the clear plastic (from the peel off part on the mounting squares) still in place, or use the other side of the block.

Unrelated Tip of the Day: Emily also recommends something that I often do; place a sheet of "Fun Foam", thin craft foam under your work mat. You can buy these in a large sheets. Having one under my stamping spot has always helped me with those larger fine images... or ones that seemingly have a dip in the middle.