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.

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Online Photo Stamps – Print Stamps From Your Home

Most people keep a book of stamps in a drawer somewhere at home because you'll never know when you might need them! The trouble is that you often loose track of just how many stamps you have left, and its all too easy to run out of stamps at any given point in time, especially when you have a truckload of bills to send out. When you want to send by post, it's very annoying to find out that you dont have any stamps left! Especially if the post office is closed!

Thanks to the internet it is possible to get around this oversight, and Im not talking about email. The United States Postal Service has come up with a system which allows people to print their own postage stamps in the comfort of their own home!

This is the perfect solution for those people that have hectic lives!

You can buy two types of postage stamps online, regular online postage stamps and photo stamps. We will consider both of these within this article.

Regular and Online Photo Stamps

Whenever you go to the post office to buy a stamp you are buying a boring, standard postage stamp. These are normally red in color, there is no option to customize the stamp before you purchase it other than the options they may give you. This has become popular on the internet as well. You can just order a regular 1st class stamp for example and then print it off using your own printer.

You can have much more fun with your stamps these days, when you buy them online than when you just go to the post office to buy them. You can decorate, preview, and print your stamps all from the comfort of your own home. You are able to upload any photo (within reason) and then use this as part of your postage stamp as well. How convienant is that?

International Photo Stamps

These stamps aren't just restricted to domestic use, they can be used to send you mail internationally. They are perfect to use for many different special occasions, such as weddings, births, anniversaries and even birthdays! Photo stamps are addictive! Once youve started using them youll never want to go back to using regular postage stamps, they're just so boring in comparison! And lets face it, they weren't that exciting before we had photo stamps!

How Can I Print Photo Stamps?

Companies that wish to sell online stamps must apply to the USPS for permission. These authorized vendors will generally provide a piece of software to users which can be used to generate stamps, this software is invaluable to customize your stamps.

You dont need any additional graphics editing software because most of these pieces of software allow editing and cropping of your images so that theyre suitable for your postage stamp.

There is normally a minimum order of one sheet of stamps, this sheet contains 20 stamps of whatever denomination you choose. You should buy the denomination of stamp that you will use the most of when sending post, for most people this will be 37 cents first class stamp.

Online postage stamps have made it so much easier to send snail mail, its very useful for businesses as they are able to keep a log of their use, plus they can buy postage as and when they need it rather than having to shell out so much for regular postage stamps and honestly....its just so much more convienant.

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Pre-Inked Rubber Stamps Work Smarter

Traditionally people have been using rubber stamps to put a seal on the important documents – marking the company name or other endorsements. These stamps have to be pressed on an inkpad first and then on the surface where the stamp is needed. Recently pre-inked stamps have made their way in the market and are highly preferred because of their neatness and superior print quality.

Pre-inked stamps can be used for marking on any surface. These stamps are fast drying and water-resistant which makes it perfect for identifying personal items, photography, industrial equipment etc. There is no need of separate inkpads because the ink is present within the stamp itself. A clean, crisp impression is obtained every time a pre-inked stamp is used. Some commonly used messages in pre-inked rubber stamps are “WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS”, “THANK YOU FOR YOUR PAYMENT”, “PLEASE VISIT US AGAIN”, “A/C PAYEE ONLY”, “SEASON’S GREETINGS”. This helps to create a favorable impression on the customers about the organization concerned.

A pre-inked rubber stamp has ink within its own ink-saturated rubber die. The ink oozes it's way out through a rubber face of the stamp. They are also available in slightly larger sizes. These also last longer. Usually the quality of the stamp die is much better than both traditional stamps and self-inking stamps. Sometimes these are titled as ‘premium' choice of rubber stamps. The advantages of pre-ink rubber stamps are that they offer a better image quality than self-inking stamps.

Tag : stamps,rubber stamps,postage stamps,photo stamps

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Self Inking Rubber Stamps

Self-inking stamps are characterized by their separate die and re-inking pad, incorporated into a convenient spring-loaded mount. Pressing down on the top of the mount makes the stamp impression. The stamp die rotates away from the pad and down on to the area to be stamped. Self-ink stamps are mid-priced, and they cost more than conventional stamps, but less than pre-inked stamps.

The number of lines and the mount size determines the prices of self-ink stamps. Usually, 6 self-ink mount sizes are available. Care should be taken to avoid banging or applying excessive pressure on these self-inking stamps. The stamps should be pressed down firmly over the area to be stamped and pressure should be applied evenly. The advent of self-ink stamps has ensured consistent impressions and allows easy alignment to information on brochures, business cards and envelopes. A single ink refill would enable the user to make thousands of impressions.

Self-inking stamps are flexible to use as they can be dismantled easily. This facilitates changing the ink color at will. Self-inkpads are available in small to large sizes varying upon the number of lines. These stamps also do away with the need to carry a separate stamp and inkpad, adding to the convenience factor. The stamps are recyclable, hence when a change of information is required on the stamp, only the rubber die needs to be changed.

Self-ink stamps are made of heavy-duty plastics designed to give years of clear, quality impressions. Other features include non-slip rubber feet, clear label window to show full stamp text, and a secure locking mechanism. The stamp has an easy access pad, which can be re-inked or changed to give you thousands of additional quality impressions.

It is a useful tool used to ease the problems of drying ink in a regular rubber stamp inkpad.

Tag : stamps,rubber stamps,postage stamps,old stamps

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Personalized Rubber Stamps

In an ever-expanding corporate environment, the need to have an individual identity is a must to stand out from the crowd and get noticed. There are several ways of making this statement such as brand advertising, promotion campaigns and a personalized logo. However, a very subtle yet effective method used to highlight a person or organization’s individuality is the use of personalized rubber stamps.

A personalized rubber stamp allows the users to craft their own design, logo, slogan or signature for the stamp. The engravings in the rubber base are made exactly according to the need of the user, adding to the tailor-made approach. These rubber stamps also make the perfect gift for any occasion.

Personalized rubber stamps come in various shapes and sizes and focus on the minutest of details. Wood handle stamps are one of the most unique personalized stamps. Unlike other commercial stamps, these stamp handles are custom made to match the size of the rubber die. Other variations include personal signatures, images and logos. Since these stamps are made for a specific individual or organization, their size and shape can also be customized.

Personalized rubber stamps are usually made with real red rubber using laser engraver process. This process helps create the finest details in any stamp, may it be text based or an image. Personalized rubber stamps maybe used for a variety of purposes, such as stamping important documents, decorating greeting cards and wallpapers, certifying documents, and creating art tabletops.

Personalized rubber stamps are the best way to create a lasting impression of individuality. The stamps can also be designed as gifs for several occasions, including those designed to represent different zodiac signs for a person’s birthday. Whether representing an organization, an individual or just an abstract thought, these stamps are sure to leave a positive impression.

Tag : stamps,rubber stamps,postage stamps,photo stamps

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Tips For the Amateur Postage Stamp Collector on Soaking Stamps

Here are tips for the amateur postage stamp collector on soaking the stamps:

1. Before soaking your stamp, separate stamps that are on any colored paper, stamps having colored cancellations, particularly those with purple or red ink, stamps of very dark in color, stamps that are on poor paper quality, or those with unidentified inks that could liquefy in the basin of water and can stain other stamps. Any "unusual" stamps should be separated and handled one by one.

2. Trim the paper of the envelope that surrounds stamp, being extra careful as not to scratch or slice the edges of the stamp.

3. When soaking the stamp, take a shallow container with lukewarm water and float in the stamps having the pictures side facing you. Make certain that there is enough room for the stamps to float not to stick to each other. Avoid soaking too many stamps all at one time.

4. Leave the stamps to float until such time that the adhesive dissolves so that the stamps easily slides off the piece of paper. Paper can rip easily so handle the stamp carefully and just allow the water to work on it.

5. Rinse off gently the stamps back in fresh clean water to so that all the adhesive is taken off.

6. Position the stamps in a manner that they are not touching each other on top of paper towels to dry, or old newspapers.

7. Leave the stamps to dry. When they should curl afterwards, place them in another dry piece of paper and place a heavy book on them.

Tag : stamps,postage stamps,stamp collector,soaking stamps

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Picture Stamps

Picture Stamps, stamp collecting is something that I have dabbled in for the better part of 15 years. Stamps tell a story of all the countries of the world. They represent cultures both past and present and share various animals, artwork, and influential people from their respective countries. Presidents, leaders, to average everyday laymen.

My collection of picture stamps vary and the stamps that intrigue me the most are the foreign stamps. My collection has a very large amount of Chinese stamps, as well as India and Romania. China has always been a country of much culture and intrigue. The Chinese people are fascinating and many of the warriors of old as well as incredible animals are the subjects of their pictured stamps.

Stamps that are used usually are a challenge for any seasoned stamp collector, a good source of international stamps are universities and graduate programs here in the United States. Large amounts of applicants from all of the above mentioned countries apply for residency programs here in the United States and all of them mail their respective applications in. Chinese stamps also have a history of beautiful scenarios and backgrounds. One of the most expensive Chinese stamps of late with a high sale value is the Monkey stamp. This particular stamp sells in the neighborhood of about $280.00 for a fine stamp. Others in better condition command more.

American stamps are famous the world over and collectors buy the sheets and put them away, and like any other collectible the scarcer the stamp the more they are worth. I collect stamps for their beauty and speaking of beauty, who can forget the Marilyn Monroe 1995 Hollywood series.

Tag : stamps,rubber stamps,picture stamps,postage stamps

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Collecting Stamps, is it Worth It?

Stamp collecting, a secret hobby of many today, is in a way an art form. Many people find stamps they enjoy from envelopes, many just buy online. Then there are the few and the proud that look for collectors stamps. These collectors' stamps are worth money. Not just petty cash at times, but some serious bucks. For example about 6 or 7 years ago the Princess Di collectors' stamps came out. They came with a certificate of authenticity. If you have these stamps after a certain amount of years they could be worth thousands of dollars. But the key is that certificate.

Collectors stamps can be found just about anywhere. You can do a search on eBay, join a "stampers" club where you can purchase a variety of stamps about athletics, animals, people, and much more. Granted when you buy these stamps they aren't immediately worth anything. With time the value will go up.

Many collectors' stamps available are beautiful, very well crafted/painted. However there are a select few even though they are collector's items are so simple you wouldn't think so. I have a stamp myself that is a very simple design of a flag. The original price on the stamp was sold for 6 cents. Due to the original price this stamp is worth quite a bit.

Some people base their collectors' stamps on one solid item. For instance some prefer to only collect stamps about animals. When going through their collection you may see stamps from all over the world that show elephants, tigers, penguins, kolas, pandas, dogs, cats and much more, but no people. It all depends on the individuals theme. There are other people who have a very mismatched selection of stamps. Wide varieties of topics can be seen in these collections.

When going through someone's collection you will find that the collectors stamps are well protected. People use a wide variety of items to keep the stamps safe such as:
- Tins
- Photo Albums
- Plastic sleeves
- Picture frames
- Shoe Boxes
- Display cases

Just to name a few. There are many more places you can store your stamps. Most important is what will keep the stamps dust free and free from any form of condensation which could ruin the quality of the stamp causing the value to decrease with time (which no stamp collector wants to happen). So protection is key for any stamp collection. Let this be a lesson to anyone who wishes to start collecting, the natural elements can be your enemy take care of your stamps with much care they will be worth your while in the long run. Just be patient and happy stamping!

Tag : stamps,photo stamps,old stamps,stamps collcetion

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