Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Some mounting thoughts

I'm pretty black & white on the issue of mounting stamps. I absolutely think that you get a better stamped image if you mount, with foam specifically. The foam gives just enough to enable you to get a clean stamped image...which is what we want, right?

I always mount my stamps on 6mm craft foam. I like to get the neutral colors from Stampeaz, but when I run out I resort to the black, white and red available from my local craft store.


I always recommend Perfect Glue #1 (by Liquid Nails). It sets quickly, has low fumes and is fairly flexible. The only thing I don't like about Perfect Glue is the cap on the tube; poor design, in my view. To solve this problem, I insert the tube into a zip bag and put on the cap over the plastic bag. This way it seals the tube better than the cap alone.


For smaller stamps, you all know that I have used the AQ pencils as a mount. Very fun, but what about when you run out of those cute little pencils or your stamp is a little bigger? I have been using baking clay with great success; you can mold it just as you like and just bake it for a bit, and voile!...custom mount. For such small stamps, I don't use foam and they seem to stamp alright.


I have found the best glue for attaching the carving material to the baked clay is 3-in-1. It does have a bit of a smell (that does diminish as it cures) and it is a bit stringy, but it holds great and sets quickly.


I would like to discourage mounting on hard materials like wood, tile or plexi-glass without foam. It is so frustrating to try to stamp a wonderfully carved stamp that is mounted to these materials, and not be able to get a good, clean image due to the inflexibility of the mounting. If you must mount on these things, just use a little bit of craft foam in between the carved stamp and the mounting; the 3mm or 4mm foam will go a long way to giving cleaner stamped images.

If you have any other great ideas for mounting, or would like to share how you mount and finish your stamps, please leave a comment - I'd love to hear them!

6 comments:

Chedva said...

I've used the 6mm craft foam, but also the 1/4" craft door knob hangers, if I find a good deal. Sometimes the dollar store has a pkg of 4 for $1, and I can get quite a few mounts from 1...

Tracy said...

Neat idea for using Sculpey! I, too, love Perfect Glue #1, but discovered recently when I couldn't find it anywhere that they've stopped making it! www.perfectglue.com What they're now calling "Home Repair Adhesive" looks like it might be basically the same thing, but no stores around here have it yet. I found some leftover PG#1 on Walgreens.com and bought 5 to tide me over.

Ari C'rona said...

I like the 6mm foam, too, of course - Perfect Glue works wonders! I'll have to try out the sculpey - I probably have some left from making stuff at Hanukkah!:o)

Stacy Christian said...

Thanks for the hint about the baggie on the Perfect Glue! That is my one pet peeve about the stuff--pay for a whole tube and get to use it once. :P
S

Baqash said...

have you tried a thin super glue type glue called CA. If so how did it react with the foam.

Liz Henderson (Hendel D'bu) said...

I have not tried superglue, but would be a little concerned that it might react with the foam, perhaps melting it and creating toxic fumes. :-(

Perhaps the gel might work, but I'm still concerned about the chemical reaction.

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