Tips to take care of stamps

Craft stamps are a huge investment. If not taken care of appropriately, they can wear away with time. Here are some tips to help you take care of your stamps:

Some Stamps I Love

Storage:

• Store your stamps in cool places. Avoid direct exposure to sun and high temperatures.
• Avoid storing stamps in colander or wicker baskets so that stamps are not pressing against each other or metal as this can leave dents on the stamp and affect stamping.
• DVD cases are a great alternative to store stamps. 
• You can use clear sleeves/ pockets available in stationary stores to store your stamps if their packaging wears away.
• Use shallow cartons or tote to store your stamps upright or hang them if possible.

Cleaning:

• Always clean the stamps before putting them away after use. Stamp off any access ink on your stamp on a scrap paper.
• If using water based ink to stamp, wipe the stamps with a moist cloth.
• If using permanent ink to stamp, use a stamp cleaning solution to clean the stamps. Make sure to remove any cleaning solution from the stamp before putting them away.
• If using Stazon ink, use Stazon cleaner to remove the ink. 
• Never scrub your stamp hard to remove any inks as it can damage the design of the stamp.
• Always let the stamp dry completely before storing them away. 
• Chamois cloth available in car accessory stores is a great, economical alternative to baby wipes to clean stamps.

Conditioning & Reconditioning:

• Many a times, new stamps dont stamp well at 1st go. Try stamping them with VersaMark or an Embossing ink for the 1st time on a rough paper before using your pigment/ dye inks for stamping. This conditions the stamps & most of the times is effective when using a new stamp.
• Rubber stamps tend to become hard with time. You could apply a thin layer of glycerin and leave the stamp aside to dry to condition the stamp if it starts to dry. 
• If your photo polymer stamps lose their stickiness, wash them with mild soap and water and let them self-dry. They will get back their stickiness.

These are some few tips to help take care of your stamps. If you have any more tips & tricks, please leave them in your comment and I shall add it to the list. 

Hot Glue Gun Guide

Hot glue gun is a great, non-toxic and waterproof glue for art and craft projects and holiday decoration. Here are top 15 tips and tricks for using your hot glue gun:

(Pic source: Stock images from Google)

• Hot glue gun takes 3-5 minutes on an average to warm up. So, plug in your hot glue gun at least 5 minutes in advance.  Make sure your glue gun has warmed up completely before attempting to use it. Hotter the glue gun, better the glue works to adhere objects.
• Always keep your glue gun in upright position when it is plugged in.
• Keep a scrap piece of card stock or tile under the glue gun to catch the glue drips.
• Burns from hot glue gun are very common. Keep a bowl of ice water on work table when working with hot glue gun to dip your finger if you get any hot glue on your finger. You can also smoothen the hot glue with wet fingers if needed without any burns.
• When using hot glue gun to stick burlap or other porous items, use finger guards to protect your fingers.
• For delicate projects, squeeze out a pool of hot glue onto a piece of foil and dip the materials into the pool, rather than applying the glue directly onto the material.
• Glue gun strings are one of the most common headaches that crafters face while using a hot glue gun. Apply Vaseline to the tip of glue gun before use to get rid of glue gun strings.
• Another good way to get rid of glue gun strings is to keep glue gun sticks in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before use.
• If you do get glue gun strings on your project, run a blow dryer over the project and your glue strings will disappear or snip them with scissors once the glue has dried.
• If your glue gun looks dirty and nasty, plug in your glue gun and let it heat up. Once a little warm, use a kitchen foil like a rag and clean any residues from the glue gun to make it sparkling clean.
• Apart from sticking items, glue gun can also be used to add textures to different projects and surfaces and can also be painted on with acrylic colours or nail paints or alcohol inks.
• Set up your work space away from the reach of children and pets to avoid burns or electrical shock accidents.
• If you get hot glue where you don’t want it, apply some rubbing alcohol with a swab or cotton ball and it will pop right off.
• If you make an error with nonporous materials like metal just wait for the glue to dry, then pull it off and try again.
• If you make an error with a porous material like fine fabric, you can melt the glue with blow of a steam from an iron or warm air from heat gun to correct the error.

 (PS. This article was 1st published in the June 2017 issue of "Our Idea Book" Magazine)