Pay Attention To Detail With Personalized Wedding Stamps

Do you want to make sure that your wedding is absolutely perfect? The most important thing to remember when you are trying to plan your wedding is that the best weddings pay very close attention to detail. It’s the little things that matter, and some things as small as the napkins you use and the candles you pick to light your tables actually have an affect on people. If you make sure to pay attention to the little details, your guests won’t notice a lot of the bigger elements of your wedding. As a result, you can save a whole lot of money. One tiny little detail to keep in mind is personalized wedding stamps.

The little details in your wedding are what ultimately tie everything together. When you invest in the small things, your guests will get a sense that you have really made an effort to make your wedding as organized and unified as possible. Personalized wedding stamps are one of the very small details that people really take notice of. When you send off your mail consisting of save the date cards, shower invites, wedding invites, thank-you notes, and anything else, they will all be tied together by a single element.

Personalized wedding stamps are wonderful because they are completely original to you and your wedding. You can browse through options online and choose the perfect stamp to adorn your wedding mail. There are several choices you can make. You can choose between a wide range of wedding like images such as flowers, rings, bells, hearts and others. You can also look around for personalized wedding stamps that can come marked with your names or a word or phrase that you would like to associate with your wedding. Whatever stamp you choose to purchase, you will be able to use any form of currency and buy your stamps in a variety of values so that you do not have to worry about not having enough postage to send heavier letters or long distance mail.

When you are planning your wedding, do not look over the small details. If you are not particularly detail oriented, ask someone in your family or your bridal party to think up ways that you can make the small aspects of your wedding like personalized wedding stamps shine. If you show the proper attention to detail, your guests will be amazed at the wonderful planning that went into making your special day as perfect as can be.

5 Rarest Stamps in the World

Rare stamps are to stamp collectors, what Dusenburgs are to car collectors. They are usually a feather in the cap of the stamp collector who owns them. Some stamp collectors are willing to spend fortunes on finding and acquiring these rare stamps.

There are many reasons which can make a stamp rare. It could be because of a limited production, old age, or a printing mistake. Rare stamps are very valuable, even if they are used, though unused stamps are significantly more expensive.

Contrary to the norm, the 1st postage stamp, the Penny Black, isn't very rare. Any stamp collector can buy a used one for $180 per sheet. Single pieces have been sold for $20, though an unused one can cost about $3,000.

Benjamin Franklin Z-grill stamp
This rare stamp was printed in 1868, and was exceptional because it had small squares imprinted on the back of the stamp. This was done so that the ink would be absorbed into the squares, thus preventing people from cheating the postal system by washing out the cancellation marks. Only 2 known copies of the Z-grill stamp are known to exist and their value is approximated to be around $2.97 million.

British Guiana 1 cent Magenta
This rare stamp was prin ted in 1856, by a local newspaper company because the postmaster could not wait for a delivery of stamps from England. Each one of these stamps had to be initialised by a post office employee before they were used so as to avoid forgery of the stamps. There is only one British Guiana 1 cent Magenta knows in existence and its value is approximately $935,000.

Post office Mauritius, Red/Blue Penny
The Red Penny and the Blue Penny was printed in Mauritius in 1847. More than 240 pieces of the stamp were sold before it was realised that they had printed 'post office' instead of 'post paid'. There are 26 known copies of the Red/Blue Penny in existence and their value is around a million pound sterling.

Three-Skilling Yellow
Also known as the Treskilling Yellow, this rare stamp was printed in Sweden in the year 1855. The stamp was supposed to be green in colour but due to a mysterious error, it was printed in yellow. There is only one copy of the Three-Skilling Yellow in the world and is worth approximately $2.3 million, making it the most expensive stamp in the world.

The Inverted Jenny
This rare stamp was created in 1918, for the delivery of mail by air. The printing process was quite complicated and required the sheets of stamps to be fed into the machine twice. Someone accidentally must have flipped the sheets into the machine the wrong way during the second time. Hence, the plane was printed upside down. An individual Inverted Jenny stamp can cost about $500,000.

Rare stamps drive some stamp collectors to extreme lengths in order to get them. It is the Holy Grail for them and they shall not stop until they have acquired these priceless and rare stamps.

Where To Use Custom Wedding Stamps

Custom wedding stamps allow you to create a memorable look to your wedding invites. These are stamps the post office does accept and they do work very well for those who are looking for a way to create something extra special on their invites. Look at all of your options – you may even find that your options are more than you think. With so many options, you may want to buy a few to use for your entire wedding. The question is, when should you use them?

When to Use Stamps

There are numerous occasions when you will need to communicate with others regarding your wedding. Any of these times are great occasions to use personalized, custom wedding stamps. Here are some ideas to take into consideration.

• Use custom wedding stamps for your wedding announcements. This is often the first time you will communicate with your family and friends about your upcoming wedding. Make it special with these stamps.

• Use them for your save the date cards. These communicate with your guests when your wedding is approaching. It is one of the best ways for you to give out the first information about your wedding. stamps here can be formal or very fun, depending on your overall theme.

• Do use them for your bridal shower invites, too. This is a great way for you to bring your first theme through. You can use the stamps to help you to do that. Choose a stamp with your theme on it, or something that works well with it.

• Choose to use the more formal and elegant custom wedding stamps on your wedding invites. This is perhaps the most important place to use them since you want to convey a formal image, or at least make an impression on those you are inviting.

• After the wedding is said and done, it is still a good idea to write thank you notes to your loved ones who came to your wedding or gave a gift. Use a photo wedding stamp here, one that shows a picture of the two of you on the honeymoon or at the wedding.

There are many ways that you can use wedding stamps for your wedding. The key is just to use them where and when you see fit. You really cannot over use them, so do consider using them for every step of the wedding process.

Bhutan Issues 8 Royal Wedding Stamps

To celebrate The Sacred Royal Wedding of Bhutan's "Dragon King", Bhutan Post has released eight different stamps portraying His Majesty the King and the royal bride.

In a traditional ceremony, Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, 31, married Jetsun Pema, 21, a student and the daughter of an airline pilot, on October 13, 2011.

The stamps include a sheet of sheet-lets, two sets of souvenir sheets, two sets of holograms, and one set of gold stamps. The stamps denominations range between Rs 25 to Rs 225. The stamps were launched on October 9, 2011, to coincide with the World Post Day.

The Bhutan Post said post offices will remain open during the holidays coinciding with the royal wedding (October 13-15) to provide free postal service. In addition, Bhutan Post will distribute free stamps to schools having philatelic clubs.

Collecting Pakistani Postage Stamps

Pakistan Postal Stamp Collection

It is not so obvious which stamp is the first issue of Pakistan. In 1854 East India Company issued the first modern postal system in South Asia. Before this issue, a local postage stamp was issued in 1852, known as "Scinde Dak". Scinde Dak is the oldest stamp in Asia and was used in Karachi City and remaining Sind regions. Since Karachi and Sind are part of Pakistan today, it is possible to claim that Scinde Dak is the first stamp of Pakistan.

The East Indian issues of 1854 were used throughout the regions currently in Pakistan. However, since the notion of PAKISTAN did not exist at that period, it is theoretically difficult to call them (or Scinde Dak) the first stamp of Pakistan. The name PAKISTAN was invented around the 1930s to symbolize Muslim nations of the Indian Subcontinent: "P" from Punjab, "A" from Afghans (the majority of NWFP people), "K" from Kashmir, "S" from "Sind", and "TAN" from Baluchistan.

Therefore, the first stamp of Pakistan, according to the orthodox classification among philatelists, is a set of British Indian stamps overprinted "PAKISTAN". Because of the turmoil due to the Partition of British India, the new state of Pakistan could not afford a commemorative stamp. One and a half months later, on 1 October 1947, new stamps of Pakistan were issued, which were British Indian stamps overprinted "PAKISTAN" by India's Printing Authority at Nasik. Pakistani people had to wait until July 1948 to have a set of new stamps printed for Pakistan. The photo on the right shows an 1 Re stamp from this set. This stamps is beautifully engraved with Urdu inscription reading "Long Live Pakistan." I would like to give to this issue the title of the first stamp of Pakistan.

British Indian stamps overprinted "PAKISTAN" on Water Mark Single Star and Multiple Stars on King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI and Victory 1946, Brief Political & Geographical History, Chronological order of events, Local Machine Overprints, How to distinguish the different 'Overprints'? Nasik Print, Peshawar Print, Hybrid Print, Karachi Print, Battered Print, Worn out Print, Relative scarcity of ordinary stamps, Pre-Nasik hand stamps overprints from 15th August to October 1947, Machine overprints after Independence, Hand stamps on ordinary stamps, Typewritten overprints on ordinary stamps, Manuscripts on ordinary stamps, Used abroad ordinary stamps from Dubai, Muscat, Guadur and Bombay Foreign Paquebot, Pakistan Internal postal rates in 1947. The First Postmark "Pakistan Zindabad", King George VI high values sheet format, Karachi Print in Blue, King George VI Peshawar Print, Squat Print, Peshawar Print King George V and opts. on margin, Peshawar Print King George VI, The Indian Independence Act 1947, Pakistan Official postage stamps, Pre-Nasik overprints on Service stamps, Hand stamps overprints on KG VI Service stamps, Typewritten overprints on Service stamps, Manuscript overprints on Service stamps, Relative Scarcity of Service stamps, Nasik Print, Karachi Print, Peshawar Print, With 'N' narrow, heavy grotesque bold, King G VI overprinted in red, King G V overprinted in black, Opt. on margin, King G VI, Lahore Print Type I With 'N' broad is known in black on King G V & King G VI, Lahore Print Type II, Bahawalpur State Print opts. 'PAKISTAN', Hyderabad Sind Print, The Baluch Regiment 'Print', SERVICE Type 2- 6 and many more. 1947 to 31st Dec. 2003 with full details of Size, Designer, Pinter,Process, Format, Gum, Perforation, Imprint, Plate Number, Quantity, FDC, Leaflet, Colour, Errors and many more details of the stamps, 228 Printed Pages on art paper 90 Gms, Size 180mm x 240mm (7.5 x 9.5 Inch) Covering Pakistan & Service and Bahawalpur & Service, at Rs. 700.00 within Pakistan & registered postage will be free and US$ 40.00 for all overseas countries. Recent stamps that are regularly available at post offices depict the father of the nation Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Low denominations have Islamic designs. High denominations are often commemorative stamps.

The first charm of Pakistani stamps is its variety of themes found on commemorative stamps. In large post office in Pakistan, it is worthwhile to search a philatelic bureau window. You can buy various commemorative stamps at face values. You can find Himalayan mountains, endangered wildlife, cricket heroes, historic buildings, folk costumes, and so on. The Pakistan Post Office has a sound policy of limiting the motives of stamps to those with relevance to Pakistan.

According to the Scott postage catalogue, about 750 stamps were issued between 1947 and 1990. Except for the high values of 1947 overprinted issues, no stamp has a big premium so that it is feasible to have a complete collection of postage stamps of Pakistan. If you buy Pakistan stamps in bulk, you will find a number of stamps inscribed "SERVICE". They are called official stamps and issued for the postal payment by government agencies.

For serious collectors of Pakistan stamps, becoming a member of Pakistan Postal stamp Collection Website. This website is designed for Pakistan postal stamp promotion in world.

Purchasing Personalized Wedding Stamps

Have you ever thought about the amount of mail you will need to send out to have a successful wedding? Between sending save the date cards, invitations, and thank you cards, you can end up sending out a giant pile of mail. It is not uncommon for a wedding to host around two hundred people. By the time you send every one of your guests all the mail you need, you can pay a fortune in postage. When you are using that many stamps to send out the mail important to your wedding, you might not want to keep buying standard American flag or Liberty Bell stamps. In this situation, it is not very appropriate. Instead, you should look into purchasing personalized wedding stamps.

Personalized wedding stamps will provide you with a way to place a special mark on the mail that you send out to your wedding guests. When you first send out your save the date cards, your guests might already know what is awaiting them inside the envelope. Personalized wedding stamps will work to make your wedding look all the more put together. With just one look at the stamp that marks your mail, your family and friends will be excited to open their letters, knowing that there is a piece of wedding news waiting for them.

There are a lot of options available when you are choosing personalized wedding stamps. Some of the most common stamp choices involve a picture of wedding related items such as wedding rings, flowers, church bells, a heart, and religious symbols. However, you can get even more personal with your wedding stamps. A lot of bride and grooms create stamps that bare an image that is unique to their own wedding. This can be an image of the flowers that you have chosen, a stamp related to the month in which your wedding takes place, or even a stamp with your names printed on it.

Whatever you want on your stamps, you are sure to be able to find it. Don’t settle for plain boring stamps when you can add a little something extra to your save the date cards, invitations, and thank-you notes. You can purchase personalized wedding stamps in any currency, and they come in a variety of values so that you can send your mail no matter what the size or the distance. If you would like to browse around for your wedding stamp options, there are plenty of resources online.

The Stamp Of Quality By The Cheap Ink Cartridges

Technology has become a vital addition to the daily processes of modern life. From document printing to communication, appliances play an essential role in the modern business structure. This is especially true of the printer. This appliance has become an integral part of many business structures offering them faster and better means of printing. With time, there are many ink cartridges for printers, which are available in the market. However, not all these provide better printing services. It is important for people to choose the right ink cartridges for printers in order to improve their performance.

Printing has become an essential part of the modern business process. From business documents to offer letters, there are multiple tasks, which are made simpler with the use of a printer. However, with business overhead costs rising, entrepreneurs are looking at alternative solutions to improve the performance of these appliances while reducing their costs. One of the simplest alternatives is to choose compatible ink cartridges for printers. These have grown in popularity owing to their reusing capabilities and affordable pricing. This has made them a perfect fit for many low capital businesses.

Compatible cartridges are cheap, easily accessible and environment friendly. These have grown more popular in the recent times. Businesses have realized the effect of the use of these ink cartridges for printers in their business set up. These cartridges are known to improve the performance of the printing machinery while reducing the overhead costs of the printing process. Moreover, they are available in a variety of cartridge requirements and are complementary with a wide range of printing mechanisms. With the increasing demand, many services have begun to provide these cartridges on a large scale to customers and business organizations.

Finding the right ink cartridges for printers can be a difficult task. There are many specialized services providing these products in the market. They can help businesses find access to quality and cheap ink cartridges for printers and help businesses to reduce their expenditure while retaining the performance. This can prove to be a huge advantage in a market of rising costs and increasing competition. The use of such cartridges can provide companies with a slight edge over their competitors. These cartridges are also known to last longer and cost lesser in terms of refills. However, a quality check is essential before making a purchase.

The internet has also emerged as a vital source of information in this search for quality ink cartridges for printers. There are many websites offering information about these products and services and are available in a reduced rate in the market. Customers need to be careful and choose their purchasing platforms after serious evaluation. It is a recommended option that they buy it from a reliable and trusted online service in order to get of the best facilities. The quality of these cartridges and the reputation of the online store are some of the factors, which need to be taken into consideration before making a purchase. This can help business owners to get the most out of their machinery at the lowest prices.

How Loyalty Card Stamps Work

Operating a business of any kind these days can be difficult. There are a number of different things that can contribute to the success or failure of a business. Obviously, good products, prices, and service are vital. But beyond that, a good website, advertising, location, and more all combine to improve your profits. One great way to help boost your customer base, especially if you operate a restaurant or pub, is to utilise loyalty card stamps. Used in conjunction with customer loyalty cards, these stamps can help to boost your sales significantly and with a very low investment of money and time.

The methods for using loyalty stamps effectively are fairly simple. First, you'll need to get the cards and stamps. A number of companies offer loyalty card printing, and in many cases you can simply utilize their templates to print off your own cards quickly. Be sure to order unique stamps that can't be easily replicated. Now you'll need to decide upon a reward. If you're a pub, this may be a free pint or pitcher, or a free basket of chips. In the case of restaurant loyalty cards, maybe a free appetiser or even a lunch entrée is in order.

Now set the reward stipulations for your pub or restaurant loyalty plan. Start with a qualifying purchase. This could be an overall sale amount, such as spending fifteen pounds on a meal. Or it could be as simple as ordering a single sandwich. Finally, set the number of transactions needed to earn the award, which most businesses set as ten. For each purchase, you'll use your loyalty card stamps to mark the card. Once that the card reaches the set number of stamps, the customer can exchange it for their reward and a brand new card.

For example, your program will be similar to this. Buy ten lunch or dinner entrees and receive a free lunch entrée. Or, complete fifteen purchases of ten pounds or more and earn a free appetizer. These are only a pair of examples, and you can use your pub or restaurant loyalty card to offer any number of rewards for a wide variety of purchases. The choice is really up to you, but the basic principal will remain the same. Customers will get to enjoy the benefits of free items, and you'll see your business increase as more customers return each day to work towards their free item. It's a win-win scenario, and easy to understand why so many major businesses use loyalty stamps as part of their business model.

A Guide to Stamps of Australia

Stamp collecting is on the whole a very popular hobby all over the world. This also rings true in Australia where many types of people have a strong interest in philately. There is a good variety of common and collectible Australian stamps issued each year. It is often surprising to see which stamps are most popular amongst collectors. The most popular in Australia is determined each year as thousands of locals vote for their favourite design. First place receives the distinguished Australia Post stamp design award. Some past winners include:

Sports treasures 2005: this line was particularly popular with sports lovers (Australia is a great sporting nation), and included pictures of Donald Bradman's baggy green, Marjorie Jackson's running spikes, Lionel Roses boxing gloves and Phar laps racing silks.

Working dogs 2008: this line featured images of working dogs such as German shepherds and border collies. The most popular of these was a working dogs stamp issue which depicted a border collie.

Australian songbirds 2009: this was a particularly beautiful range and included images of the mangrove golden Whistler, the Green catbird, the Scarlet honeyeater and the noisy scrub bird.

Rare Australian Stamps.

Like stamp collectors from around the world Australian philatelists thoroughly enjoy finding the most rare and valuable Australian stamps to add to their collection. These are generally older stamps with distinctive or memorable designs although having said that, age is not the only factor in determining a stamps value. If a stamp was produced in large quantities and many copies still remain, this will of course drive the price down. Scarcity is the most important factor in determining the value of a stamp. Here are a few examples.

Inverted swan stamp 1855: this stamp is extremely rare and was one of the first to ever feature an inverted frame error. The Black Swan on the stamp was inadvertently printed upside down. With only 15 of these stamps remaining in existence they are currently valued at US$60,000 each.

King George V head stamps: many stamps depict King George V, but these are not all valuable. King George V stamps which include a dull green seahorse issue stamp 1913 and a turquoise royal cipher stamp 1912 with an inverted watermark are examples of some of the rarer issues.

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith 1931: Sir Charles Kingsford Smith was the first living Australian to be shown on an Australian stamp. A set that was presented to Sir Charles by the Australian postmaster general is one of the rarest of these.

Where to buy Australian stamps

As with stamp collecting in any country there are many different options and places to find and buy common, collectible and rare Australian stamps. Stamp bulletin features pictures of and information about a wide range of stamps and includes a mail order catalogue in each issue. For locals there are specialty shops where stamps can be bought though these are becoming fewer and less since the advent of the web. There is also a wide range of online stores providing wide ranges of common, collectible, and rare Australian stamps.

What's my collection worth?

There are many ways to obtain valuations for your Australian stamp collection. Local stamp collecting clubs and societies can be a fantastic source of information or if you are lucky enough to have a local specialty store whose opinion you trust this is also a good place to start. Some websites offer valuation services though they may require you to be a member first.

Stamp forgery

Many Australian stamp collectors may be unaware of the number of past attempts to forge rare Australian stamps. Possibly the most famous of these attempts occurred in 1932 when a fraudster tried to forge the very rare 'two pound kangaroo on map' stamp.

Comparing Rubber Stamps, Clear Stamps And Foam Stamps

Rubber, clear and foam stamps - what is the difference between them? Each of these is manufactured from a different material, giving each of them different properties. Knowing and understanding these properties will help ensure you achieve the best possible results for your projects.

The biggest difference between rubber or foam stamps, and clear stamps (also referred to as polymer or photo polymer) is that the clear, are see-through, allowing you to look right through the stamp and see EXACTLY where you are stamping. With rubber and foam stamps, in order to be able to stamp your image exactly where you want it, you need to use a tool called the stamp-a-ma-jig.

As you get ready to stamp with your various stamps - you'll notice that the components you need vary. For example, clear stamps are naturally sticky - all you need to use it is a clear acrylic block - the stamp will naturally cling to it. With rubber you need some kind of a mounting system. For example, with wood mount rubber stamps, the rubber is held to the wooden block with a self-adhesive foam. For unmounted stamps you need to have some means of holding the rubber image to the acrylic block - this can involve a cling foam, or some other adhesive system. With foam, you also need something to hold the stamp - generally these already come mounted to either a foam block or a clear acrylic plate.

When it actually comes to stamping - of the three types of stamps you will typically find that rubber stamps are the best for fine detail stamping. Now note that I said detail stamping. I am not referring to the stamping of small images - you can stamp VERY small images with acrylic stamps. The word "detail" refers to the fine shading lines you can see in certain realistic-looking stamp images. Polymer, being a much softer material, while you can get detail, it doesn't allow for the same kind of fine detail as with fubber stamps. Foam, doesn't really allow for detail at all. In fact, when you see foam stamps, for the most part you see solid images. You'll also notice with foam stamps that images aren't quite as crisp - rather than clearly defined edges, they'll often look a bit softer.

Another difference is in the durability of each of the different materials. rubber is by far the most durable of the materials. Taken care of properly, they will last a lifetime and even longer. With clear stamps there are a couple of things to be aware of. The first is that not all acrylic stamps are created equally. There are high and low quality acrylic stamps. Poor quality acrylic stamps will yellow and harden over time, and even lose their cling. With all acrylic stamps - including high quality acrylic stamps - you do have to take a bit more care in handling them as they can be torn or stretched, and you want to make sure you use them properly for best results.

The final difference - which in part relates to durability - is what types of color mediums you can use with your different types of stamps. While you can use all the stamps with the most common mediums, rubber stamps allow you a few more specialty techniques than the other two. For example - stamping with bleach - that is something that can safely be done with rubber, but not without damaging the other two types of stamps. Even the use of Staz On - a solvent based ink, is questionable when it comes to clear stamps. There has been some debate as to whether Staz On, or more specifically the specialty cleaner that is used to clean Staz On, can cause long term damage to your clear stamps.

So with all of this discussion about differences - does this mean that one type of stamp is better than another or that I recommend one over the other? Definitely not. Each type of stamp has its pros and cons, and each type has it's place in paper crafting. You just want to make sure that you understand the differences, and you understand how to properly use and care for each type.

Art Rubber Stamps For Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking is a super fun activity that can be enjoyed by you or the entire family. It has become a popular hobby for many. There are times when you might run out of creative ideas or ingenious materials to make a scrapbook album. Ideally one uses recycled or unused products to make a really personalized and unique scrapbook. On the other hand, there are various materials available such as stickers and trimmings, glossy and printed paper, art rubber stamps are becoming more and more popular everyday among scrapbook lovers. Are you interested in this artistic and resourceful craft?

Scrapbooking has evolved into more than just an art. For those who have learned to love the craft, it's their means to relieve stress and to relax. Materials such as art rubber stamps make scrapbooking more fun. Stamps were introduced to this hobby mainly because people are running out of imaginative ideas. stamps also save a lot of time if you are itching to complete your album. You can easily find a wide array of stamps online, at stationary shops and in craft stores. Feel free to choose creative pieces that suit your personal style and taste. stamps are available in different shapes and sizes. There are mounted rubber stamps, quick rubber stamps, acrylic mounts, unmounted rubber stamps, and rubber stamps which have different images and depths. You need not worry because these stamps are very easy and simple to use.

Art rubber stamps will come in handy for those who are not particularly good in drawing or for those people who are not that proud to showcase their handwriting. Using decorative stamps will help you come up with a nice looking album wherein you can display your creative skills. So let your ideas come to life and get down stamping your album using decorative stamps. You may choose to go for any design or style that interests you - animated, simple, pictorial, plain and even embossed rubber stamps. There are stamps that are compatible with different fabrics, papers and cards to give life to anything you wish to create.

Decorative stamps are so easy to clean and maintain and offer an elegant touch to your very own album. The most popular and widely used stamps are cute animals, caricatures and shapes of hearts, chicks, figures of women and men, birds, smilies, cats, dogs, fishes, cows and many more. Do a quick search online and you will find what you are looking for easily. If you are new to scrapbooking, don't focus too much on creating a masterpiece, instead focus on having fun while doing it. You will get the hang of it pretty easily.

The good thing about decorative stamps is that you won't end up with a messy looking artwork. If you are just a beginner scrapbooker you can ask for great ideas from friends who are into scrapbooking for a long time. You need not mimic their style, choose a design that you are comfortable with, and feel free to browse countless designs online to find out what works for you.

Using Rubber Stampede Or Magenta? Regardless, Here's Ways to Store All Your Rubber Stamping Supplies

All you need to make your own personalized greeting card or scrapbook page is a rubber stamp and a few rubber stamping supplies. Sure you can personalize with your computer but is that really personal? Not for me. I love to make everything hand-made. It is the personal touch that I really like.

Some basic rubber stamping supplies that you will need are of course a rubber stamp, ink pad and some paper. But with all the really cool rubber stamping supplies on the market today, who can just use those three things? Not me.

Your possibilities are endless when it comes to rubber stamping supplies. They can be anything from an embellishment that you add to your card or scrapbook page, to the place where your embellishments are stored and organized. I keep all of my rubber stamping supplies in labeled containers. Since I am not that good in remembering which manufacturer of stamps make my favorite stamps like the Magenta stamp, rubber stampede, Hero Arts, Outline rubber stamp, stampendous and the list can go on an on, (because they are all my favorites), I organize them by theme or by holiday.

When I just listed some of the stamp manufacturers, I just remembered that I bought the cutest self cling Magenta stamp of two cats when I was at the stamp convention. It reminded me of my two cats when they sit in our window looking like book ends. Another Magenta stamp that I have is a wood block stamp with the image of a kitten in a field of flowers. Wow, I almost forgot about that stamp. I want to make some note cards with that one.

Besides a Magenta stamp, Magenta also makes really cute Metallic, self adhesive embellishments that are really great for scrapbook pages, cards and even picture frames. My favorite is a package that they have with four of my favorite words. Create, Imagine, Believe and Dream. I also have a really good video from Magenta "The Art of Stamping Magenta Style" that shows you how to use your Magenta stamp to its fullest.

Another great summer time stamp is from rubber stampede. It is a fun border stamp of cocktails. You can use this stamp for a border or you can make an invitation for a cocktail party. rubber stampede has fun stamps. I also was on a "kick" of all oriental themed stamps, and rubber stampede really had some great looking stamps that I used a lot. I can go on and on about how great Magenta and rubber stampede stamps are and for that matter each manufacturer of rubber stamps. Maybe I will one day but not today.

I also keep some of my rubber stamping supplies in a spice rack. That's right a spice rack, I think of it as spicing up my crafts. This is a great place for brads, eyelets, buttons, rhinestones and anything else that will fit in these small jars.

Rubber stamping suppliescan also be housed in recycled containers. Since I use a lot of embossing powder one great container that I use is a plastic grated cheese container. It has the holes on one side to shake out slowly and the other side is one big opening that I use to put back the un-used powder back into the container with my funnel dish.

If you have some decorative metal tins, that is also a great place for rubber stamping supplies. I have this really cure tin that stores my mini spot ink pads.

I remember shopping in a kitchen gadget store. They had silver tins for recipes and I guess cooking supplies. Well of course I bought them and now they are the new home for all of my brads that I have accumulated over the years along with some of metal picture corners that I have from Making Memories to pewter charms and Metallic embellishments from Magenta.

Another great place to store your rubber stamping supplies is photo boxes. They are inexpensive and a great size to hold small paper packs, envelopes, packages of dimensional adhesives and even for cards that you have made for safe keeping.

For some of those big bulky foam stamps that you might have, a great place to store those and other odd shaped rubber stamping supplies are in a plastic clear shoe box.

The most important thing that I can say is LABEL all your rubber stamping supplies. There is nothing worse than being in the middle of a project and wanting something to add to your piece of art and not knowing where to find it.

How to Achieve Full Color Rubber Stamping Designs

rubber stamping is a hobby that allows you to become an artist, even if you never considered yourself one before. With the huge variety of decorative rubber stamps and clear acrylic art stamps that are available, you can always find designs that will suit your project and personality. rubber stamping on scrapbook pages and card making crafts can help you take the tension out of your day and unwind. But, what if you want more than a stamped outline? What if you truly want your stamping images to be in full color? Today you will learn how to achieve different styles of full color stamped designs.

Adding color, whether vibrant or subtle, can draw the eye where you want it in seconds. coloring the details on the rubber stamp itself is one of the first steps you will take to achieving a full color image in your hobby stamping projects. Try any of the following techniques to add color to your creative ideas.

STAMPING AN IMAGE IN COLOR

1. Use a multi color ink pad. Often you will find these available in colored stripes ranging from a rainbow of different colors to complementary colors in different shades. You may even find pie shaped multicolor ink pads that will give you even more colors in your stamping art. Regardless of the ink pad, number of colors, or shape, you will end up with a multicolored stamped image that will add great interest and appeal to your scrapbooks and card making crafts. This can add particular interest to solid images that do not need colored in. Clear rubber stamps are ideal for this technique as you can see how well the ink covers the design as well as the blend color you will end up with before you even stamp the image.

2. Another way you can add color before you stamp, is to use water based colored markers. You can do this easily by simply coloring the stamp details in your choice of color. Depending on the size of the image you are stamping, you may choose to stamp between colors. Clean the stamp and then stamp the next color separately so that the ink doesn't dry on the stamp before you get it on paper. This is very easy to do with your clear rubber stamps as you can see where to place the stamp keeping your images precisely lined up. If you find the ink dries too much before you are done coloring the stamp, simply give it a gently huff - the kind that will fog up your glasses - before you stamp.

3. The third way to add color to a stamped image is simply to choose a color of ink other than black or brown. Then you can ink the entire image and stamp it on your paper craft ideas. With that done, you are ready to begin filling in the spaces with fun coloring techniques.

Once you have finished stamping your image with the technique of your choice, you may choose to add resplendant color or you may wish to use it as it is. If you choose to add more color, keep reading for more great ideas.

COLORING IN STAMPED IMAGES

1. You may use chalks or pastels to color in an image. Chalks are available in a wide range of colors and shades. They are ideal for adding delicate color to rubber stamping projects. You can apply chalks with a stiff paint brush, Q-tip, eye make up applicator, or simply use them like a crayon and then brushed away the excess powder. The best idea is to experiment with the different application tools to find your preference. You may find that one brand of pastels is harder than others. The softer they are the easier you will find it is to use a brush to apply color to your stamping crafts.

2. Coloring with pencil crayons can give bold vivid color to your rubber stamping crafts or subtle pastel shades on your card making or scrapbooking ideas. Choose good quality crayons and colors that suit your craft. With colored pencils your can simply add shadow, fine detail or a background aura. The trick to coloring rubber stamped images with pencil crayons is the amount of pressure you put on the crayon as you color. Always color in the same direction. For pastel shades or to blend colors together apply only light pressure. Likewise, for vibrant color, you should press harder as you color. Smooth papers will color differently than textured paper. Experiment with this technique if you are unsure of the effect you will achieve.

3. Stamping additional color is a fun option. Many rubber stamp sets offer a solid background stamp which, you can ink then stamp to fill in objects such as flowers or leaves. Watch for these types of rubber stamps as you create your stamping ideas. They are fun to use and work with. When using these shadow stamps, be sure you choose a color lighter than the outline color so that your details still show up after you stamp the solid image.

4. Add vibrant color with the use of markers. You can use water base colored markers to easily color in details on your rubber stamped designs. Try to use this technique on smaller areas as the ink sometimes leaves overlap lines from coloring over dry ink.

5. Pigment inks are a quick and easy way for you to add color to your rubber stamped images. You can always be sure that the colors you use will match all your stamped elements with this technique. Ink can be applied a couple of ways. Trial and error will help you choose your favorite method. Ink a make-up applicator, and then mist it lightly with water and color in as if you were using a paint brush. You may also use the corner of a make up sponge dabbed in the ink, and color in the rubber stamped image using it dry or moist for different results.

Now you can fully enjoy full color rubber stamped designs. Use them on your hobby scrapbook art and card making crafts as you relax and unwind after a long day. By exploring the world of color in your rubber stamping hobby, you will more fully realize your creative potential as you design beautiful works of art.

How to Make Rubber Stamps: Comparing Methods of Manufacture

Vulcanized Rubber Stamps

The traditional red rubber stamp that everybody is familiar with will have been manufactured in a vulcanizing press. The first rubber stamp vulcanizing press was patented in 1890 by Charles Schultze in New Orleans USA. Vulcanizing is today one of the most cost effective methods of making rubber stamps for mass produced stamps. Each batch of stamps is produced using a mould. This method of manufacture is more suited to stamp making where the same moulds are used over and over again. Making custom made stamps with a vulcanizing press requiring 'once only' moulds will drive the cost of manufacture up significantly.

Making the mould - before a mould can be made you must have a master plate manufactured from metal or polymer, the master plate has the necessary relief (the artwork is raised) to make an impression in the mould. Having a master plate made each time a mould is required is what drives up the cost of manufacture for vulcanized stamps. Pressing the master plate into a Matrix board creates the mould that will accept the rubber. Heat and pressure is applied to the master plate and matrix board inside a Vulcanizing press. The Matrix follows the shape of the relief provided by the master plate, this then hardens on cooling.

Making Rubber Stamps - Creating stamps is a simple process once the mould is made. Raw rubber stamp gum is placed on top of the mould and then placed inside the stamp press. Hydraulic pressure is placed upon the rubber and the mould from within the stamp press causing the rubber to melt into the areas of the mould that contain the images and text, curing and hardening takes about 10 minutes. Once cured the sheet of rubber is pulled away from the mould and cut up into individual stamps to be affixed to mounts.

Cost of a vulcanizing system is approximately $12,000 AUD

Advantages - Low cost of production for mass produced stamps, good ink transfer.

Disadvantages - Cost of producing master plates and moulds for custom made stamps.

Laser Engraved Rubber Stamps

The traditional raw rubber used for vulcanizing stamp dies is quite unacceptable for the production of laser stamp dies, the laser process requires a very even thickness and blemish free surface to produce an acceptable printed image from a stamp die. The rubber must also be subjected to a specific curing process before it can be exposed to the elevated temperature of a laser beam.

The depth of the engraving is determined by the laser speed, its wattage and the density of the rubber. For example, a 50 or 100W engraver will engrave the rubber deeper and faster than a 25W machine, which may require a second pass to achieve a similar result. Usually supplied in an A4 size sheet form, a good quality laser rubber is required for engraving stamp dies and must also have suitable compression strength and ink transfer properties.

To assist the engraving process, it is necessary to remove the excess dust which is constantly created by the laser cutting action with an efficient exhaust filtration system. As very few, if any, CO2 laser engraving machines were initially purpose built for engraving and cutting rubber, installing and maintaining an effective dust extraction system pays long term dividends. Mirrors, lenses and any exposed bearing surfaces should be cleaned thoroughly as part of a regular maintenance program. Any neglect in this area will be detrimental to overall trouble free laser operation, as the build up of dust and residue will affect running efficiency and the quality of the finished stamp die. Lasers are controlled directly from a computer, the software drivers supplied with lasers work with many graphic programs such as CorelDraw.

Approximate cost of a 25 watt Laser suitable for stamp making is $40,000

Advantages - Production is computer controlled, custom made stamps can be made easily

Disadvantages - High capital investment, maintenance costs and running will be much higher than vulcanizing or polymer methods of manufacture.

Liquid Polymer Rubber Stamps

Converting rubber stamp polymer from a liquid into a solid to make stamps is quite fascinating. Polymer stamps are manufactured between two sheets of glass using precision controlled UV light which passes through a negative containing the stamp artwork solidifying the polymer. Negative production has been simplified with the introduction of water based negative technology, photographic chemicals for producing negatives are now a thing of the past.

The first step in making polymer rubber stamps is to print your images, clipart or text onto Vellum, an almost transparent paper like film.
To produce quality stamp artwork you must use a laser printer, inks from bubble jet printers are translucent allowing UV light to pass where it should not. Water based negatives are easily washed out after being exposed for a few minutes in a UV exposure stamp machine.

Polymer contained in a sachet is now replacing the older cumbersome method of using foam tape to create a dam and pouring of rubber stamp polymers, the sachets have also addressed the age old problem of removing air bubbles from the poured polymer.

The negative of your artwork and polymer sachet is sandwiched between two sheets of glass spaced 2-3mm apart which is then exposed in the machine for a few minutes. Once you have completed the exposure it is a simple process of cutting open the sachet and washing away the excess unexposed polymer before returning the stamp die back to the machine for a 10 minute curing. Once the stamps are cured they can be cut up individually. Polymer sachets are available in a range of sizes up to A4 size.

Processing time is about 30 minutes for a batch of polymer stamps.

Cost of polymer stamp making machines range from $3,500 AUD for an Australian made unit designed specifically for stamp making up to high end imported units with computer controlled washout for $15,000 AUD.

Advantages - Lower capital investment, polymers make almost clear stamps making them ideal for scrapbooking and card making. Stamp relief can be easily controlled during exposure.

Disadvantages - Early polymers did not accept inks as well as polymers available today, this along with being new technology caused initial resistance to polymer stamps.

Summary

Most large stamp manufactures have a mix of the above equipment. The unmounted rubber stamp dies produced with any of these manufacturing methods can be cut up and affixed to simple hand stamps, dater stamps or self inking stamps. Craft stamps are usually affixed to wooden blocks or in the case of polymer stamps affixed to clear acrylic blocks with adhesives or InstaGrip mounting mat. Various manufactures produces stamp mounts. Astron Industries in Australia manufacturer the clear hand stamp 'Vuestamp' and also distribute the Ideal range of self inking mounts. Other brands of self inking mounts are Trodat, Colop and Shiny.

Tag : stamps,rubber stamps,manufacture

How Many Rubber Stamps Do You Have in the Big World of Art Stamps?

For me it all started with these rubber stamps. That's right this cute little butterfly art stamp and this set of alphabet stamps.

I can remember my first rubber stamps. My brother gave them to me for my birthday. It was a butterfly art stamp, and an alphabet stamp set, that was 15 years ago. I can remember thinking to myself "what am I going to do with these rubber stamps"? Boy did I find out what to do with them. I made cute little butterfly note cards and I remember coloring them with a colored pencil (since that is all that I had back then or crayons), then with the alphabet stamps I stamped my family and friends name and of course finished it with a butterfly. Holy crow, he is the one that created my obsession with art stamps, and I am so happy that he did, thanks Mike.

What can I say; I Love Rubber Art Stamps and all the rubber stamping supplies that go along with them. Take a look at just some of the art stamps that I have. I have labeled each drawer and bin so I kind of know what is inside. I also have a few scattered around my craft studio on shelves. I told you that I Love Art Stamps. Now do you believe me?

Rubber stamps have come a long way. There are a ton of manufacturers for Art Stamps, depending on what you are looking for. A long time ago the only kind of art stamp that was available was the red rubber stamp mounted on a wood block. Now, those stamps are still available but there are also clear un-mounted art stamps that you take off of a cling sheet and adhere to an acrylic block. When you are done you just clean the stamp and take off the acrylic block and out back on the plastic sheet or in a clear plastic CD case.

The great thing about these art stamps is that you can see exactly where your image will be stamped on your card stock. This gives you less room for error (even though there is never an error in art, it just makes a different masterpiece then you expected).

What I love about the acrylic block rubber stamps is when you are working with alphabet stamps. The reason is you can have the correct spacing between each letter and word. When I have used alphabet stamps that were wood mounted, I usually had crooked words and phrases on my card or scrapbook page.

Another cool thing about these clear un-mounted rubber stamps is that they do not take up so much room as the original wood block art stamps. So if you do not have a lot of space to store your rubber stamps then this is the ideal way to go. I have two ways that I store my clear un-mounted rubber stamps. One is in a 3 ring binder, and the other in my Crop in Style Stamp Store tote. The stamp store can hold hundreds in the drawers.

There are also red rubber un-mounted stamps that you can purchase. They are cheaper than mounted rubber stamps. You can then mount them any way that you want; either on a wood block or use the ez-mount foam system (I will explain that in a near future article)

The last kind of rubber stamps that I can think of is the pre-inked art stamps. I have some art stamps that are pre-inked wheels. They are great for backgrounds or borders. All you do is insert the small cartridge of ink into the handle of the rubber stamps wheel, insert the wheel and away you go.

Well, as you can see I have a lot of rubber stamps. And with all these art stamps I do not have any duplicates and I can honestly say that I use or have used each and every one.

Tag : stamps,rubber stamps,art,Big World

Three Steps to Perfect Stamping

Stamping sounds so easy, doesn't it? You buy a stamp, put some ink on it, and rap it on the paper, right? Wrong!

You may find your images smudge, twist or look a bit blobby with this method of stamping. That's not usually what a stamper wants. Well, I am going to tell you about the little secrets for creating stamped images that you may not have seen before. But let's start a couple of steps before you start stamping. Let's look at the quality of the stamp and the type of ink you are going to buy.

Before you buy your stamp, it is important to examine the rubber or acrylic and decide if the image is carefully chiselled out. A good stamp will be made of a firmer, high quality rubber or acrylic and the image will be finely and deeply cut. If you buy a stamp that is softer and less well defined, that is the type of image you will get from it, regardless of your technique.

Now consider the ink you want to use. There are actually five basic types of inks and each one gives you a different effect. There are dye based, pigment based, permanent, fabric and embossing inks. Which one will produce the result you want? Here's some ideas about how to choose between them:

Dye Based inks are water based so they react to water or paint or other moisture by smudging. What they do is stain the paper, so if you want to colour your stamped images somehow, don't choose dye-based inks. If you want a quick drying ink or crisp images that you don't want to colour or alter in any way, choose dye based inks. You will also get a softer colour with dye based inks. You can usually clean this type of ink off your stamps with water, but be careful not to saturate and therefore warp any stamps mounted on wooden blocks.

Pigment inks are also water based but they are made differently to dye based inks. They have little particles of colour in them so they are brighter than dye inks and are less likely to smudge. They are best used on matte paper. When you use them on glossy cardstock, they will smudge if touched. They also take longer to dry so you can put embossing powder on them and heat set that.

Permanent ink is just that - a quick setting, water resistant ink. You can stamp on many surfaces with it - glossy cardstock, glass, acetate, even wood or paint. Once in place and dry the image is there to stay. This type of ink will also stain your stamp unless you use the specially made permanent ink cleaner solution that usually can be found on the shelf at the store next to the permanent inks.

Fabric ink is made for stamping on fabric and you will probably need to 'set' it by ironing over it once you have stamped your image. You can use fabric ink on other surfaces too (such as on chipboard). It is a semi-permanent ink so use a stamp cleaner with it to avoid staining your stamps.

Embossing inks are stickier and take longer to dry so they are perfect for catching and holding on to embossing powders. Just be careful not to touch an embossed image till it has been heat set or it will smudge. If you stamp on coloured cardstock with clear embossing ink, your image will be two tones darker than the colour of the cardstock. You'll need a stamp cleaner for this type of ink, too.

OK. Once you have chosen your ink, you are ready to start stamping. The three secrets for crisp, clear images are:

1. Place your stamp face-down on your ink pad, and tap it on the pad. Avoid pushing the stamp into the ink pad as you will wind up with too much ink on the stamp and this in turn will make your images smudged or imperfect. Now turn the stamp over and check to see if all areas of the image have been evenly inked up. If not, turn the stamp face down again and tap it on the ink pad till it is properly inked up.
2. Turn your stamp over again and hold it firmly in your two hands by the edges. Lower it onto your paper as straight as you can. Press the stamp in the middle with a finger, then press around the edges of the image to be sure all of the image has had contact with the paper. Be careful not to press so hard that you tilt or buckle the stamp.
3. Next, carefully and smoothly lift the stamp straight up from the paper, avoiding tilting or twisting the stamp.

You should have a clean, crisp, complete image!

More stamping tips:

If you have a very large stamp, turn it face up on your table. Tap the ink onto the stamp, checking to be sure it is all properly inked up. You may find you get a better result if you place your paper on the stamp and carefully smooth it over with your hand before lifting the paper straight up and off the stamp. This way you avoid any 'missed' spots caused by imperfections in the surface of a large stamp.

Do try to clean your stamps before the ink dries on them. Using a stamp cleaner will condition the rubber and maintain the quality of the images.

Now you now the three steps to perfect stamping.Perfection can be achieved if you practice these steps. It could take some practice before you consistently get perfect results, but the time you may spend doing that is worth it!

Tag : stamps,perfect stamping,step

Interesting Hobbies - Stamp Collection

Stamp collection is also known as Philatelic. It is one of the most interesting hobbies around the world and also one of the most popular hobbies! Collecting those small pieces of paper which have beautiful and amazing prints have their own charm. In the early days people used to collect stamps by taking them from the letters and mail coming at their home, gradually stamp collectors starting exchanging the stamps with other co-stamp collectors. Gradually the craze of stamp collection increased so much that authentic and real stamps were launched in the market for sale.

To pursue stamp collection as your hobby you must see if you are interested in a particular theme or not. As a beginner you can keep it general and start collecting all sorts of stamps, gradually narrowing it down to a specific region, culture, famous personalities, time period, birds, animals, or other things. Once you choose a theme based collection, you may exchange your other stamps with other people who have your theme stamps.

It is very important to keep and preserve your stamps in a careful way. Stamp collection album is the ideal thing, as it has a loose leaf album, and stamps remain safe in them. If you are removing a stamp from a letter or a mail, do not peel it off the paper as the adhesives are strong and it can even damage the stamp. The best way to separate the stamp and the paper is to cut the stamp along with the base paper, put the stamp with face turned down then place it in a lukewarm water for a few minutes and then gently peel it off from the paper. Let it dry properly; iron it by placing it under a paper so that the ironing does not harm the print and then put it inside your album.

Different themes of stamps reveal a lot about the culture or the region from where the stamp originates. It not only increases your knowledge but also makes you an owner of an amazing thing which belongs to that place. You may pursue this hobby by sitting at home, while travelling to new places, by meeting new like minded people with whom you may exchange your collection, buying it from your local post office or even by going shopping for the saleable stamps available in the market. You may also check out the local stamp collectors' club in your town where you can find other stamp enthusiasts.

You may showcase your colourful collection in your website or blog as well. It is the best medium for flaunting your collection and increasing your network and making new friends. Upload a snap shot of your stamps and then you can even post a brief description about the origin of that particular stamp. You may also write about your philatelic journey and experience and have group discussions with other co-stamp collectors all around the world. Giving a set of unique stamps will also be an ideal gift for the people who love stamp collection.

Tag : stamps,stamp collection,hobbies

How to Be a Stamp Collector?

Stamp collecting is one of the most popular hobbies of many Americans and other cultures. Anyone can be a stamp collector. People of all ages may try this hobby. One main reason why collector choose stamps is that it is considered as one of the most affordable hobby. People may collect coins, cars, tags, pins and many more but stamps are considered one of the most inexpensive way of collecting.

Being a stamp collector is not a difficult task. There are many places where you can get your own collection of stamps.

1. Postage stamps used for airmail may also be used. Stamp collectors compile them depending on the country they came from.
2. There are also sites and message boards in the Internet that features stamp collecting. You may even earn friends through these sites. People may also exchange stamps and some make use of these sites to display their collections. Others even consider selling their stamps thus making the hobby as their source of income.
3. Stamp collectors are very disciplined when it comes to taking care of their stamps. That is because stamps are very fragile since they are made from paper and other thin materials. It takes responsibility to become a stamp collector.
4. Stamp collectors are also considered as artists on their own way. And if you think you are not gifted with that talent, stamp collecting will help you discover the art that is within you. Stamps come in various colors and images. Some of the images may be considered an Art. Choosing from these many stamps will enhance your artistic skills and will develop your creativity and imagination.
5. You should also have the necessary supplies needed. If you are a beginner, the album is the first accessory needed. This will compile and organize all the stamps that were collected. The album will also ensure that the stamps will be safe from dirt and moist.
6. Stamp collecting may be considered a skill to many. However, everyone can be a stamp collector if they wish. It is an educational and informative hobby that even kids will benefit from it. It does not only give fun and knowledge but it is also a way to discover the artistic side of every person.

Tag : stamps,stamp collector,collector

How to Soak Self Adhesive Stamps Off Paper

How to soak self-adhesive postage stamps is a question I often hear beginning collectors ask. A self-adhesive postage stamp is a stamp with a pressure sensitive adhesive. They do not require moistening in order to adhere to paper. Self adhesive postage stamps usually have a backing paper that can be soaked and removed.

I have noticed stamp collectors on stamp collecting groups asking for information on how to soak self adhesive postage stamps from paper. I have noticed other collectors suggesting that to soak self adhesive postage stamps is very difficult, if not impossible.

In response, I have written this article with instructions about how to soak and remove self-adhesive postage stamps without damaging them. I have just spent the last 6 weeks removing many thousands of used self adhesive Australian stamps with my 18 year old son, with very satisfactory and flawless results.

1. Sort your stamps ready for soaking. Remember to separate any stamps that are on coloured paper as the dyes can transfer onto your stamps. Any amount up to 100 at a time seems to work well with this method.

2. Place your stamps face-up in a large container of clean room temperature water. (Water any warmer than room temperature appears to make the stamp paper softer and a bit more difficult to work with). Spread 1 layer and gently submerge them under water with your fingers to get them wet. Repeat until you have put all your chosen stamps in the water. Leave soaking for between 1/2 to 1 hour.

3. The trick to getting self adhesive stamps off paper intact is to gently prise the paper slowly back from the corner of the stamp. You take the paper from the stamp and not the stamp from the paper. Be very careful not to bend the stamp's corner.

4. Pick up 1 stamp at a time and place face down on your extended index and middle finger on your other hand. Gently peel back a corner of the paper, keeping the stamp perfectly straight. If the paper starts to separate from the stamp, you can continue peeling the paper away from the stamp until it is all removed. At the slightest resistance, drop the stamp back in the water for a bit longer.

5. You will usually find that stamps that are returned to the water can be processed quite easily after about another 15 minutes. Stamps with a bit of glue left on them can be finished by gently rolling the glue towards the outside edge of the perforations.

6. Place the stamps one at a time face-up onto a towel spread out on a table. Leave until no beads of water are left visible on the stamps.

7. Lay the stamps out between several pages of a large heavy book and leave to press for a couple of days.

8. You should now have some very nice flat self adhesive stamps off paper ready to add to your collection.

Tag : stamps,rubber stamps,photo stamps,stamps collection

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