One of the biggest debates among stampers is using mounted verses unmounted rubber stamps. There are many valid arguments on both sides. Ask any stamper you know and they are sure to have an opinion on this issue. Unmounted rubber stamps are images that are not mounted onto wood or acrylic blocks. Some images are timed and may or may not be cushioned. Unmounted images are often sold in sheet form, untrimmed and may contain many images and theme sets. Mounted rubber stamps are images that are trimmed, cushioned and indexed on a wooden or acrylic mount.
I admit it-I was intimidated by unmounted rubber stamps when I first started stamping. I would see the stacks and tubs of them at the conventions; they intrigued me, but frankly I walked away. Perhaps it was because they lacked the familiar and comfortable ready to use wood, indexing and cushion that mounted rubber stamps have. What I found out, as my dabbling in this hobby became a full-fledged addiction/obsession is that my anxiety and intimidation surrounding unmounted rubber stamps was unfounded, misplaced and flat out wrong. Truthfully I was missing out on some of the best, most beautiful and affordable images the stamp industry has to offer.
As a person that doesn’t like missing out on anything (especially stamping related!) I forced myself to get over it! I dove head first into the world of unmounted rubber stamps and haven’t looked backed. The focus of this article is to relieve your tension and perhaps give you some new inspiration for your stamped artwork.
Let’s first start by dispelling a couple of common myths surrounding unmounteds:
First, there is not one perfect or better way to use your unmounted rubber stamp images; there are several options available for using unmounteds. The basic mission of stamping is to get a clean, clear and sharp image. How you accomplish this with unmounted images is going to depend a lot on what I call your stamping personality. There is no easy or best way to decide which method works for you. How you will eventually choose to use your unmounteds will depend on your own personal preferences, stamping style, access to materials, economics, etc.
The second myth of unmounteds is that the quality of unmounted images is inferior to mounted stamps. This is completely untrue. All images start out as unmounteds, and then some companies choose to have their images cushioned and mounted permanently onto a block. There are hundreds of companies that offer their images in either mounted or unmounted varieties. Often times the unmounted images are half the price of the mounted images, but they are of the same quality and caliber of their mounted counterparts.
There are some basic guidelines you need to keep in mind when using unmounted images.
1. You need an unmounted image to work with. You can find unmounted images, at stamp conventions, on eBay, on internet sites, or even at your local stamp store.
2. You will need a block or surface of some kind to attach the image to so you can stamp with it. You can permanently mount your unmounteds on wooden blocks, fun foam or foam core. You can also use clear acrylic blocks that are reusable and will allow a temporary surface for your images.
3. You will need an adhesive of some sort to hold the image in place while you are working with it. There are so many adhesives that you can use to accomplish this, both temporarily and permanently. For a permanent mounting on to foam core, fun foam or wood, you can use rubber cement, Xyron adhesive or other glue that will form a permanent bond. For a temporary hold to acrylic blocks, you can use rubber cement, double stick tape, Xyron adhesive or repositionable usable glue.
4. You need to have a cushion of some kind so that the image will be clear, crisp and to insure that you’ll get all the detailed areas of the image when you stamp it. You can purchase sheets of cushion that you can attach to your unmounted images, or you can use the image with a cushion underneath the paper you are stamping on. Cushion can be anything from a phone book, a stack of scrap paper, a mouse pad or a specially made cushioned stamping surface.
If you are looking for more than just basic supplies you can consider purchasing a system for your unmounteds. · There is the Vinyl Cling System which you apply the vinyl cling material to the back of each of your images. You then attach them to the back of your acrylic blocks and remove the image when you are done. The cling will last for years.
· If you prefer not to add the vinyl, you can use EZ Mount Stamp ‘N Stor that has the static cling foam on it. This is available from Sunday International. This is foam that has sticky foam that has a cling film on one side.
· Another popular system is the HALOS mounting system. This is a Velcro-type of tape that you attach to the back of each image. The image is then attached to an acrylic block when you want to use the image.
Whichever method you choose, do some research. Ask other stampers what has worked for them. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different systems and techniques before you commit to a method. And remember, you can always change your mind.
These tag cards were all created using unmounted images. The method I am currently working with to work with unmounteds is extremely simple and involves my phone book, my acrylic blocks and some double stick tape.
This article has only scratched the surface when it comes to unmounteds. I’ve tried to cover the basic methods you can use for your unmounteds. There are probably hundreds of other systems stampers use to work with unmounted images. I hope this article will inspire you to try something new, or rejuvenate your interest in the diversity of stamp images that are available. I also hope that you’ll share your stamped creations with us for our Project of the Day section by submitting them to us at RSIEditor@a-z.com.
