Which type of stamps do I need?
With the launch of the NEW 2016-2017 Stampin' Up! Catalog, I thought I would share with you the diffences between wood mount stamps, clear mount stamps and photopolymer stamps.
Which type of stamps do I need?
There are 3 type of stamps available for your use.
Wood-Mount
Wood-mount stamps come with a set of maple wood blocks. One block for each stamp. Mount them once and you are done.
What I love about Wood-mount: I still love wood mount sets and here is why... I really feel that I can get the best stamped image from a wood-mount stamp. There's something sturdy about them and there is no messing around with finding a block to put them on. I can just grab one out of the box and start stamping. Plus there are some stamping techniques that just work best with wood mount stamps.
Cons of Wood-mount: They are more expensive and they take up more space.
Clear-Mount
There is some confusion around clear-mount stamps. These are NOT totally clear stamps. These are red rubber stamps like the wood-mount, but they do not come with blocks. They are designed to stick to clear mount blocks.
What I love about Clear-mount: They are less expensive so I get more bang for my buck and they store in a skinny DVD type case so I can fit more stamps in less space. They are so much more compact and lighter than wood-mount stamps for taking to crops.
Cons of Clear-mount: You have to find a block that fits the stamp (the closer the fit, the easier they are to stamp with) and sometimes they just do not want to stick to the clear blocks!! It can be annoying. Plus even though the block is clear, the stamp is not so it's not super easy to see where you are stamping.
Photopolymer
These stamps are transparent and make it so much easier to line up your images. They are also flexible for repositioning on the reusable clear blocks. I love these stamps.
What I Love about Photopolymer: I can see where I am stamping.! They are flexible! You can bend them to make curved sayings and stems. How fun it that!
Cons of Photopolymer: Sometimes I can not for the life of me get a good image. The ink bubbles up on the stamp or part of it just won't ink up or I stamp it and the image is blotchy. I put a foam pad under my work area to help get a clean stamped image. One of the biggest "cons" for me is that you can't color with markers on your photopolymer stamps to get different colors on the same image. That's a bummer!
What kind of stamp is the best?
It's truly your personal preference and sometimes can depend on the type of stamp set. I like my words and 2-step stamp sets in photopolymer, but images that I want to keep forever or might want to stamp multi-colored I like in wood. If you're short on space you might want to stick to clear-mount and photopolymer.
Hope you find this information helpful in choosing your stamp sets!
Happy Stamping!
Bonnie Waterman
I was introduced to Stampin’ Up in 2002. I really enjoyed scrapbooking. When I discovered that Stampin’ Up! had a line of exclusive scrapbooking products, I was instantly hooked. I had to have it all! Then, as I learned to use what I had, I discoverd the joy of card making. I was so excited! I love making beautiful cards. Once I realized how to put both scrapbooking and stamping together, I had the best of both worlds! I love being a demonstrator and part of a company that inspires my creativity with exclusive stamps and accessories, allows me to plan my business around my schedule, and offers an exciting and expanding line of exclusive stamping products. If you want more information about Stampin’ Up!’s exciting products or unique business opportunities, please contact me.