Stamping H-E-L-P!!

[jujuann]

Ladies, I'm trying to do my stamping for the swap and I am having problems.

1. I ink the stamp and it looks covered, but when I stamp it , the coverage is not even. I've used different ink pads, but still have the problem.

2. What do you use to clean your stamps? I have a ranger bottle of cleaning solution and a scrub pad, but it doesn't do a good job. I held some of my stamps under the running cold water to clean them. Then dried them with paper towels.

Need your help.

[luvscraping]

baby wipes works really well

Did you condition your stamps first?

you can take a pencil eraser and run it across the design of the stamp and that works some times. That is what I do and then clean them before useing them.

[Taffy]

not sure about question #1 - but for cleaning what i used to do before i had my SU cleaning solution is use a damp rag (or towel) and add a lil dish soap to it and lay your rag flat and rub your stamp on it. Make sure you have a dry or clean damp rag next to it so you can rub that off when you're done cleaning it.

[sbartist]

You are supposed to condition stamps before using them? What exactly is the purpose of doing this, because I just broke out some new stamps and didn't do this?

I don't have very many stamps, because I hate having to take the time to clean them. It is so much easier to just swipe my hand across the table and swoosh it all into the garbage can.

[LoriS.]

the idea of conditioning stamps is when you are using a stamp made of a harder rubber that over time sitting on a shelf may be a bit dry. Using an eraser softens up the rubber, but so does stamping a few images on scrap paper. If a stamp is really dry either from new or from cleaners you can oil it with olive oil or another veg oil, let the stamp sit for 15 min with the oil on it then clean it with mild soap. I use baby shampoo in a spritzer bottle diluted with a water, About 2/3 shampoo, 1/3 water. As far as not getting a good image, sometimes the cushion or foam on a stamp is just not good enough quality, try making a pad out of several sheets of newspaper to put under your paper, use a mouse pad, or my favorite and seriously cheap is a piece of craft foam!
Hope I could help

[sbartist]

Thanks for clarifying Lori. The stamps I just used the other day are clear stamps - would you still need to condition them?

[jujuann]

Ok, I did not know about conditioning a stamp. I will do that and see if it helps. I also have craft foam, so I will make a pad, as I was stamping on a hard table. Thanx!!

[Taffy]

I've NEVER conditioned my stamps either! LOL (I have SU stamps, not sure if they're pre-conditioned or not)

[akgrniz]

I never realized about conditioning them either! I have some that are 15 years old and still use them. Thanks for the tip!!

I alos use baby wipes to clean up my stamps after using them works great!!

[mommaidwf]

I've never "conditioned" a stamp either. I have noticed however, that on clear stamps, water based ink does not cover well. Pigment inks work best with those.