Stamp Things: Helpful Tips for Mounting Stampin' Up! Stamps

Mounting Stamps....Why doesn't Stampin' Up! Mount their stamps? They do not mount their stamps to keep the costs down. Unmounted stamps also allow the stamper the flexibility to mount the stamps how they want them. Some stamp sets are now coming pre-cut, but a large majority of the stamps require trimming before mounting onto the wooden blocks. I am thankful that the rubber images are already adhered to a cushion layer and a nice peel and stick backing.

Terms for Stampin' Up! Newbies!

Die - The rubber design which the ink is applied to in order to create

your final image.

Cushion - The soft padding between the die and the wood. Stampin' Up! Stamp Sets come with the die & cushion assembled with a nice peel and stick backing.

Block or Mount - The handle to which the die & cushion is attached. Stampin' Up!'s mounts are wooden with nice groves for handling the stamp.

Index - The label or sticker used to identify the stamp. Stampin' Up! provides clear stickers for identifying.

Simple Tips for Mounting Stamps

These tips are totally optional! Consider these tips like serving suggestions at your favorite restaurant. Remember this is all about you and your needs as a Stamper. As a Stamper, I don't use all these tips just the ones that work for me.

Take your time. There is no rush.
Spray wooden blocks in a well ventilated area (outside if possible) with 2 coats of wood sealant. The sealant will help prevent ink stains on your mount. If you don't mind a little ink on your mounts, then you can skip this step.
Use Sharp Scissors like Stampin' Up!'s Craft & Rubber Scissors.
Clean your scissors regularly with adhesive remover or rubbing alcohol. I've found that the medical adhesive remover pads work the best. Click here for adhesive remover information. Some demonstrators suggest baby wipes.
It is very important to cut straight through the stamp at a 90° angle to the surface. You want a nice secure padding under the die. If you undercut the die, it can make the stamp unstable.
Try to trim as close to the outside of the die image as possible without cutting the image. Why? Ink can easily transfer to the excess rubber and transfer onto your stamped image leaving unwanted ink on your finished image. If you have a SMALL die, DO NOT trim too close to the edges, you want to make sure that you have enough padding to prevent the image from wiggling when you stamp.
Interior Blank Spaces - (Wow! That is a mouth full. I'll start over in using simple English.) If you have a hole in the middle of your stamped image, try to cut it out. This is best done with a hobby or craft knife. If the hole is less than a half inch (0.5"), do NOT cut the interior of the die unless you are skilled with a hobby or craft knife. Remember SLOW and STEADY wins this Race!
When mounting the die, think about your creative process. Would you prefer the die in the center of the block or aligned along an edge of the mount? This is completely up to you. It is your choice. For some stampers, aligning along an edge makes it easier for them to line-up stamped image where you stamping. Others prefer their die in the center of the stamp. Whichever you choose, make sure the index clearly shows were the die is located (See #9). Whenever stamping placement is absolutely critical a Stamp-a-ma-jig is always suggested.
When placing the index (image sticker label) on the top of the stamp, make sure that the image is in the same orientation as the image when you stamp it and clearly shows were the die is mounted.
If you have a lot of stamps, stamp the images onto a sheet of paper and store the pages in a 3-ring binder. The binder can be a great reminder of what stamps you have.

If you found these tips helpful and would like more, please sign-up for the newsletter by entering your email address in the top right hand corner of the screen and/or subscribe to my RSS feed to be notified when new information is added to this site.

As always please email me any suggestions or questions. Comments are always welcome!

Happy Stamping!

- Marie

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to these great tips! Please feel free to share these tips with anyone interested. This post is truly meant to help!