Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
I recently found a stamp of a snowman face that I just adored! The only problem? There was a little bird sitting on the edge of his carrot nose that I really did not like. I thought it changed the entire look of the snowman and made it a little too "cute" for my taste. I decided to buy it anyway and went home and grabbed my Xacto and sliced him off! It was quite liberating!! Have you done this with your stamps? If so, what did you remove? Did you get the look you were hoping for?
__________________ "For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack" ~Rudyard Kipling my gallery
One of the reasons I like clear stamps so much is that it's so easy to cut them. I do that a lot with the sentiments to make the sentiments fit my project. I did it with this My Favorite Things sentiment: Hey Pumpkin! I pick you .
I have taken scissors to stamps before. I usually separate sentiments from images, but sometimes I just "edit" the image. I've also done this with certain flower stamps so I can ink the stems and blooms without resorting to markers or post it note masking.
__________________ aka Sue. Or Sue-odd.
No blog for me. My gallery chronicles my card-making successes and mishaps.
Often! I especially separate sentiments from images when they're on the same stamp, or break up a block of text. Just recently I cut up my Funky Forest wheel stamp (I'd already unmounted it but just wasn't using it) and I know I'll get a lot more use out of it now. Because some of the trees are repeated on it, I now even have some with grass and some without .
I've done it to separate sentiments from images ... but I also did it once on a Christmas stamp. I carefully carved off something I didn't like ... and it turned out fine.
Nobody even really noticed. But I was happy.
I figure I paid for the stamp so I can 'redesign' it to fit my needs. I have used my Exacto knife to cut out solid portions of a stamp that puff out and get inked. I also separate the sentiment portion and it stick on the side of the wood block if it is mounted. I have cut clear stamps apart also.
When I change the stamp to fit my needs, I am able to use the sentiment or image in different ways. By changing the sentiment, the stamps can often fit more occasions-I.e. thnk you, thinking of you, happy birthday, etc.
You are brave! I have mustered the courage to cut a sentiment in half, either so I could use half by itself or to stack it, or to not stack it as applicable. That is it though! If I has something like your example I would do it!
I bought a bouquet of flowers stamp and it had dots sporadically all over it that I did not want. I sat down with a pair of nail clippers and...presto...no more ugly dots and it stamps beautifully.
Cathy
__________________ I stand alone without beliefs...the only truth I know is you
I often do this to particularly if there is a sentiment with the image. A lot of times I really like the image, but the sentiment isn't something I would use, so I eliminate it. I've also separated images so I can place them where I want. Clear stamps are easier to do this with. I also cut up a wheel stamp from SU and got about 15 different word stamps from it. Of course, I had a duplicate so I could still use the whole stamp as it was designed.
I have taken scissors to stamps before. I usually separate sentiments from images, but sometimes I just "edit" the image. I've also done this with certain flower stamps so I can ink the stems and blooms without resorting to markers or post it note masking.
I have altered sentiments and thought about altering images but have yet to do it. I like the idea of cutting various components apart to avoid coloring with markers! And I will usually pass up an image I love because I don't care for the sentiment, now I will buy it any way and just cut off the parts I don't like!
I do this all of the time! I cut things out of the middle of frames so I can use the frame for other things, cut images away from attached sentiments, cut away part of a stamp that I don't want (like the ball at the feet of a sweet Sarah Kay image of a little girl holding a teddy bear), cut apart wheels to use the individual images (Baby Time, Great Outdoors, I {Love} Love, etc.) - whatever I feel needs changing! I don't worry about "resale" value, either. I'll only "resell" them if I'm not using them, so I may as well make them useable, right?
Wow, I really never thought of cutting apart stamps. I'm just now starting to build my stamp collection back up, so I'll have to take a look to see if I can change up some of the stamps.
And how do you take apart a wheel to cut it up? I don't have anymore wheels but if I do start to get a few, I just might want to cut one up. :-P
__________________
Life is NOT a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely BUT...to skid in sideways, chocolate in hand and screamingWOOHOO-WHAT A RIDE!
Actually, I've been debating this very thing. I bought the Frosty Friends stamp from SU but was never crazy about the antlers they put on the one snowman and was wondering how I could get rid of those! So far, I'm letting them there, but not sure they will stay that way.
Actually, I've been debating this very thing. I bought the Frosty Friends stamp from SU but was never crazy about the antlers they put on the one snowman and was wondering how I could get rid of those! So far, I'm letting them there, but not sure they will stay that way.
For occasional use, you can mask the unwanted part with a couple of bits of sellotape, ink the stamp and then remove the tape before stamping. I do this quite often too, when I don't want to cut the stamp. If it's a sentiment maybe one piece of tape is enough, but if it's something with curved lines I find it easier to use several little bits. And after experimenting, it's definitely better to mask before inking, rather than ink first and then masking the unwanted part.
Thank you Sabrina...not sure why I haven't thought of that before! I really didn't want to cut it up because my friends seem to like those antlers...now I can mask it and then if I later decide I like them, I will still have them!
Yep, I've already cut apart images. I'm so thrilled that I cut apart my Scenic Seasons stamp. I really didn't like that the sentiment was on the same stamp as the tree. I cut them apart and it's so much easier to stamp them now.
I even cut apart my French Flair background stamp. I couldn't stand the birds within the swirls so I cut them out and I remoutned the bird on wood blocks just in case I would want to use them.
Perfect presentation has a small poinsettia stamp with the words that go around it in a circle and I cut the words apart from it and I mounted the words on the reverse side of the block- that way I have them if I ever want to use them.
Garden Whimsy has a flower stamp (tulip I think) and I cut the flower stamp away from the stem. I remounted the stem on another block and it so nice to stamp with that set now. I can stamp the flower in any color ink and the stem in green. It's easier than trying to color that stamp using markers.
That's about all I can think of right now (I'm sure there's more). I used to never cut any of my stamps and I was really fussy about that. I didn't want to hurt the resale value, but then I figured they're my stamps and I can do what I want with them :mrgreen:
I've cut stamps, I've never tried embossing folders! Do you have to use something like tin snips or will scissors to cut rubber work?
I use a utility knife and a metal ruler. Just open the folder and place it smooth side up on a cutting mat. Mark the centre with a sharpie and cut away! It is better to use 3 lighter cuts rather than one heavy cut. Less chance of breaking the knife, making jagged edges or slicing your finger off!
I can't STAND masking or inking up a stamp using markers, so I cut up my stamps all the time. I've only used scissors though. Too afraid of the knives.
Interesting. I have stamps I never use for all of the reasons others have mentioned. I guess I'd rather cut one and use it than avoid using it because of a sentiment or added design, but I think I might try the masking technique first, then the cut. Thanks for some great suggestions!
Marcia
When I first started stamping I found a stamp that said "Hand stamped by Maria". Well, my name isn't Maria, but I go by Mari in my everyday life so I bought it and cut that extra A off.
It's the first cut that's the hardest... after that it's all about redesigning your stamps to fit your style! XD
__________________ All inked up... and somewhere to go. My gallery, small but mighty... or maybe just mighty small! Come see my almost new blog... M'ija Stamps!
Well, I am glad I am not alone in this! For the ladies who said they were leary of using a knife...the one I have made the process painless and I am not normally one who is trusted wtih sharp objects!! I have a flat tipped knife that came with a Cricut tool kit and I used that. Just pushed it down and pulled it off, no real "cutting" of anything, I did not even have to move the knife...just like using the paper piercer
And muscrat...I am not a fan of the antlers on that stamp either ;) Now that I have done this with my little snowman stamp I think I will start looking at stamps differently! If you really don't like them, I say whack 'em off and save them and turn your 1 step stamp into a 2 step stamp so if someone else likes them they can use them That way you could use those antlers on an owl or something also!
__________________ "For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack" ~Rudyard Kipling my gallery
I buy a lot of the $1.00 stamps from Michaels. I often love the sentiment but not the little pictures on the stamps. I cut the picture off and just use the sentiments. Makes me happy.
blessings.
I've bought the SU wheels, the Christmas sentiment and the wedding sentiment one, unmounted it and then chopped them up. I lost some of the sentiments but for $8, it's a great deal.
Yes! I found one of the $1 stamps at Michaels once that had an antique key and the word "discover" I think it was. I chopped off the wording so I just had the key. Haven't done it to any others yet, but this thread got me thinking!
Altering stamps...does anyone do this?
