Mounting Supplies

(or, "Okay, NOW what do I do with these things?")

No matter what system for mounting rubber stamps you use, you're going
to need a good pair of rubber-cutting scissors. These scissors were
originally manufactured for the florist industry, so if you can’t find
rubber-cutting scissors at your local rubber stamp, scrapbook or craft
store, by a floral supply place.

TIPS:

  1. Cutting apart sheets of stamps is easy, once you have the right tools. Cut as closely as you can to the edge of the image without under-cutting it.
  2. It is handy to have a clear embossing ink pad handy when mounting stamps. The adhesive from H.A.L.O.S. loop and from mounting cushion tends to gunk up your scissors after cutting for awhile. Swipe the blades on the pad and they're as good as new :-)

H.A.L.O.S.

H.A.L.O.S. is a "universal mount" system using hook and loop material. All you need is a set of the clear acylic blocks with strips of hook on one side, some self-adhesive loop for your unmounted stamps, and some more hook for storage of your stamps and you're ready to go! This is one of the methods I use, and I love it. You can find HALOS at their own site and through other retailers.

(TIP: It's useful to have a stamp cleaning pad around, especially when using H.A.L.O.S.- mounted stamps for the first time. Little fuzzes of loop (by-products of cutting) can get on the surface of the rubber, so before stamping, scrub off on either a scrubbie made specially for stampers, or simply on a babywipe.)

Mounting on Wood, etc.

For mounting on wood (and what-have-you), you can choose to use mounting cushion or not. I am not carrying mounting cushion at the moment, and I've come to believe that it is a largely unnecessary step in stamp mounting. Just use rubber cement or crafter's glue to affix the stamp right to the wood.

(TIP: For larger stamps, where it is harder to get an even impression, simply slip a mousepad or other cushion-like item under the paper or cardstock.)

You can use all sorts of things to mount your stamps on. In the past I've used cheapo wood blocks from the toy aisle of discount stores (and mount on all six surfaces!), scraps from friends' woodshops, corks, the backs of pre-mounted stamps, dowels from the hardware store and wood cubes from the craft store. Or, you can try these suppliers of wood mounts for rubber stampers:

The Frugal Stamper's Mounting System:

Don't want to mess with indexes, cushion, hook & loop, etc.? On a strict budget? Here's the absolute cheapest mounting method there is: one glue stick or roll of double-stick tape (double-sided carpet tape is the best!) and one clear acrylic picture frame (the ones that look like boxes) from the discount store. Cut apart your stamps (you'll still need a good pair of scissors for this), apply glue stick (let it get tacky) or tape to the acrylic, and temporarily mount your stamp on the sticky. You can reuse the tape several time before it loses it's "oomph", and the glue stick stuff just washes right off.

HAPPY STAMPING!!!!! :-)