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i only have a few sets of TAC stamps..3 to be exact...anyways.. how do you cut out and use sets that have small words...
i have a set thats all words like, boy,girl,mother,son,chritmas..and like 50 other small short words like that...anyways.. they were so small to cut out..and when i use them on a small block the seem wobbly...and when i go to clean them the pop right off the block...
i dont have a problem with larger images..
anyways i guess what i am trying to get at here is how do you trim and use these stamps in a good way?
The Angel Company.. its a stamp company.. i dont really know much about it.. but its sort of like stampin up.. but not.. haha sorry i'm not much help..
For very small words, I don't like to the creative foam because it does make it wobbly. I just use the rubber and a little Aleene's Tack it over & over so it sticks to the block.
While they are wobbly, I find that if I rinse them under water and use my thumb to clean them, it's okay. You can also rub them lengthwise versus dragging them across the short side. Does that make sense?!?
Try trimming them a little less close but then I come around and snip at a 45 degree angle so that I don't have sharp edges on the rubber. I find that makes it sturdier, but I don't have to worry about unwanted shadows.
There is a new EZ Mount foam (the kind of cling foam that coems with TAC sets) that is thinner and great for rectifying this very issue, as well as some others. So if you have small stamps you'd like to mount on EZ Mount foam, I would put the rubber on this new, thinner foam. Sorry if that's not very clearly written!
Tara, now that you have mounted them, this tip is too late BUT! Next time, before you stick them together...ink up the words with stazon and then line up the rectangle shapes exactly. You will be stamping on the smooth (non sticky!) side of the cling. Then carefully stick the cling to the rubber, making sure that the images are lined up correctly (ie. not upside down). Trim according to the rubber image. Your words won't be exactly in the right place, but you can read them!! :grin: For me its a big help with the word and phrase stamps.
I store mine in regular sized CD cases. You can then also cut a sheet of paper to fit the inside of the case, and once the stamps are in place, ink them up and press the paper against them. You'll be able to read your stamps that way too.
Tara, I keep my word sets in alphabetical order in the CD cases. Even though the words read backwords, I start the alpha order at the left--as one normally reads. I've got the set "Soft Spoken," for example, with 107 pieces. At first they were just in any order and I couldn't find anything! That's when I went to the alpha system, and it works great for me! I use this system for words, phrases, etc. Anything with more than about 5 words/phrases. It saves soooooooo much time and frustration!!!!!!!
HTH! :-)
__________________ Diane H.
TAC Demonstrator #1484/Manager, Smilin' Stampers My TAC SiteMy BLOG
For the wobblies i find that if you use the 1 x1 block that helps alot. i also index my stamps( stamp on the backs) this really helps when putting together sentences.:p
I was going to say something similar to Shawna. Make sure that you have a block that is very close in size to the stamp that you are using. If you are using a short word, DO use the smallest block. If you put that little word on a block that is too large, it WILL wobble. I usually don't have trouble with my words (even the shortest words) wobbling because I always match the size of the stamp up to closest size of block. That is one reason why it is good to have a smaller block and not just the larger ones.
Sally, you are inspired!!! Why did I not think of that simple solution? I have sort of gotten used to reading backwards, but it would really help to have the word written on the back, especially so I will know when I have the word right-side-up on the block before stamping it... Thanks for sharing your great tip!
__________________ Lauri G.
Blessed wife and mom
TAC demo #2239
For the ones that are already mounted, I take a fine tipped marker and write the word on the cling...
:shock: Thanks for a great idea! I used to have only a few words so I could keep track of them all...now old age (tee hee...read: bad eyesight!) and non-stop buying have set in and made it all more difficult.
I also write on my words with a permanent marker. I wait until the marker has dried then I store mine in the box they came in- but I stick them on the lid instead of the bottom of the box they come in, this way you can see at a glance what you need.
__________________ Lisa -
Married my sweetheart 1-26-02 Mommy to Hunter 9-3-04 & Hailey 7-26-06
I just started mounting a word set like this from TAC. Before I cut the rubber, I stamped the whole thing on a piece of cardstock.
When I cut the stamps I place them in the same order as the stamped paper. I have found the the cut stamps stick to the bottom of the case with the cling stuff on them so I've just placed them in that order and use the stamped paper as a reference of where to find the stamp I want.
What I do with my stamp soon after I cut them...Is take a piece of White (Cheap) cardstock and Stamp the image on it. And place it in my CD case. This way when I pull my stamp set out. I can see just what the stamps look like..And this way too. I will know when something is missing too!! As for small stamps I just make sure that I don't cut to much off. Or I add Aleen's Tack it over & over glue on the foam and let dry. This works great!!;)
I have started doing this too, inking up the images before I cut them out and then stamping them onto a piece of white card stock. The other thing I do now is to stick them right to the box in the same order they are on the stamped image, i like it so much better and it is so much easier to find them
__________________ Lisa C., Mom to 3 great kids, 3 super dogs and an cat that thinks she is a dog! My Gallery
TAC word sets
