Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Cling Rubber Stamps - Why I Love Them

I won $100 worth of Hero Arts products from a contest I entered a few weeks ago.  One of the stamps I selected is this new cling stamp, (CG115 Thank You).
I have been having so much fun with it, and discovering it's versatility. But, before I go further, let me tell you how wonderful Hero Arts cling stamps are! They are etched very deeply, so the image stamps beautifully. They cling to the acrylic easily, and unlike many cling stamps, they have an index on the top, so you can see the design through the acrylic mount.  If you have ever used cling stamps, you know how great that feature is!

For those who have never used, or heard of, cling stamps, I'll provide some information to help you understand what they are.  Cling stamps are regular rubber stamps, except instead of being mounted to wood,  the adhesive side of the foam mount is attached to a piece of cling vinyl. This allows your rubber image to be used with acrylic handle mounts,  as you would with clear acrylic stamps.  The image is sandwiched between the vinyl and the foam so that it cannot be washed, rubbed or worn off. You can use Cling Rubber stamps with any kind of ink you'd normally use with your wood- mounted stamps. They clean the same way, too.  To use, simply press it to an acrylic mount, ink, and stamp!

Some advantages of cling stamps:
  • Same quality as wood mounted rubber stamps, because they are rubber.
  • Closely trimmed rubber and cushion allows you to see where you are stamping, allowing for precise positioning.
  • Lightweight and easy to transport, taking up very little space.
  • Storage - Simply attach onto a smooth surface, and file in a magazine holder or three ring binder.
  • More cost efficient than wood mounted stamps. 
Now, back to my Hero Arts Thank You Frame Stamp.  I have so many ideas I want to try with it, and will be posting some of them as I make some cards with it.  
The frame begs to be cut out, the flowers layered and mounted.  The Thank You in the center can be eliminated by simply not inking it, or, cutting out the inside before mounting.In this 8" x 8" scrapbook layout, I stamped it in black ink onto white cardstock, three times. I cut out the entire image, and mounted it to scrapbook paper. I then cut out the flowers twice, the first time around the outside of the flower, and the second cut was the inside petals of the flower.  
After coloring with colored pencils, I layered them onto the frame with foam tape.  Some gem stones and Stardust clear gel pen added the finishing touches.  The stamping along the bottom of the page was done with pink ink using another Hero stamp (K5232 Dot Flourish Border).  Although this is a wood mounted stamp, I just had to have it. It is perfect for borders, but, oh, so much more!

I still need to add my journaling, and perhaps a picture, and then it will go into a special 8 x 8 album I'm making for my daughter, Faith, for her birthday in December.
Soon I will post the secret to blending the colored pencil I used on the frame and flowers.  Check my next post later this week.
Blessings,
     lynda

8 comments:

  1. Hi Lynda,
    I found your blog from your entry at the Hero Arts Flickr pool, I was impressed with your 8x8 layout. I like the great info you shared about Cling Stamps, I just love them! I like your blog too, I'll be back to visit again.
    Blessings to you!

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  2. Hi Nancy,
    Welcome! I'm so glad you found your way to my blog. It's a work in progress, but I'll get the hang of it soon. Glad you liked my layout. I did make another page to make it a double layout, which I will probably post later. Have to get to work now. Thank you for coming over and I look forward to hearing from you again!

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  3. Great colors and design on the layout. Beautifully done:)

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  4. Thanks, Arlene. It was a labor of love. Now I have to get down to the journaling, but I have so many ideas, it's hard to focus! lol. Thanks for hopping over to my blog. Blessings...

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  5. Hi Lynda,
    I came across with your blog thanks to today's HA Twitter! Congrats!! Like you, I also like the cling stamps and can't get enough of them ( I only have two...so far :)Look forward to seeing your fantastic work at the HA Flickr!

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  6. Hi Virginia,
    I'm glad you found my blog. Thanks for stopping by. Thanks so much for your kind comments. I'm sooooo hoping HA will make their entire wood line available on cling, as well! See you around Flicker, HA, and hopefully here on my blog! Happy stamping!

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  7. I just added your lovely blog as my fav. I pretty much do what you love. I like stamping, visiting Farmer's market...AND we also didn't have much of a summer here in (Waterloo) Ontario ,Canada! So I can relate on that, too! So nice to get to know you :)

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  8. I'm enjoying my first couple of cling sets but have already lost the "HUGS" from that cute HA heart set. My fault I know, being a messy crafter and without the big wooden block I lost track of it. Hopefully I haven't vacuumed it up and will come across it ! So I need to learn how to store mine better and get used to supplies that are 'less visible'

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