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I purchased these sponges early last year at a scrapbook expo. They have been lost in my "crap" room but I got all organized after Christmas and they need a home. For the life of me (and my friend who bought one) I cannot remember what this does/is. Anyone have any idea?
Those are moldable foam pieces. Heat gently, press on any dimensional thing, and the foam molds to the shape. Ink and stamp. Reheat, and the blocks smooth out and can be used again.
I have even made a negative with one block, let it cool, then use a second block to press on the first to make a positive stamp. Fun stuff.
Hth!
__________________ ValliWhen I'm not near the stamp I love, I love the stamp I'm near.My tiny little gallery
Years ago, I had shoes with this fabulous patterned tread on the bottom. I used a block like this to make an impression of the pattern. I heated it and stepped on the block. Now it's a great background stamp. I haven't used it in years. Thanks for reminding me!
Ahhhh, thank you ladies! It's kinda sorta coming back to me now but I guess I'll have to just go and play. I'm curious (and brand new to paper) how do you ink these? I have all the tools but am just starting to play.
I have Tim Holtz reinkers and a variety of ink pads. Seems like they would get pretty nasty after a few uses.
Also, they hold their shape until you heat them again? Wow! Love the shoe tread idea. Who would have thought I would be using my hiking boots on scrapbook pages. LOL
Thank you all!
Yes, they hold their shape. Mine has kept the pattern for years!
The blue block becomes like a rubber stamp. You would ink it just like any other stamp on an ink pad; and clean it off as you would a rubber stamp. I have a SU! scrubber, and as I remember it worked great. I'll try to get my blue block out and play with it.
This has reminded me I've got some of this- love the buttons idea! I remember the demo using it just wiped it off with a baby wipe. Tip for a cheap stamp scrubber- from your local dollar store( pound stores here in the UK), you can get painting pads, for use on walls/ceilings. Looks like a sort of velvet type pad? Makes a perfect stamp scrubber. I just dry my stamps after with an old terry towel/face flannel, it gets into all the nooks & crannies, lol.
I have some that are dusty and neglected. Now I'm inspired to make some impressions of holly leaves before I put away the Christmas stuff. They work great for grunge-style backgrounds when pressed on wire mesh, tile or brick. Have fun!
Mary Beth
Wow! More great ideas. Use baby wipes to clean and get scrubber pads at the Dollar Store! Also, make impressions with wire, mesh, tile or brick. Also, I like the button idea, too. Fabulous suggestions!
Tia ~ I'm so glad you started this thread. I look forward to getting out my block and playing with it. Let us know what you do with your block and how you like it.
This looks interesting. (just what I need....another tool) Where can I find these magic blue blocks? Should I wait until July when the StampScrapArt Tour comes to Pittsburgh and try to find them there? And TIA for adding to my must have tool/technique addiction hahaha
Greg T,
Having been reminded I had a couple of these somewhere, I also remembered that about a year ago I bought this stuff in sheets, and that vanished into the depths of my 'stuff', lol. Just been and found it out.
It was called 'Magic Stamp by Penscore'. Apparently its now just called ' Magic Stamp, and is actually made by Clearsnap.
Just did a Google search, and here it is: Magic Stamp . They have it in sheets, and in single blocks, and you guys in the US get free shipping too!
Another fun find at Dollar Tree are the foam knee pads that gardeners use. Just cut them up and use like you do the blue ones pictured. $1 buck each, and they work just as well as the "official" Magic Foam blocks.
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
Another fun find at Dollar Tree are the foam knee pads that gardeners use. Just cut them up and use like you do the blue ones pictured. $1 buck each, and they work just as well as the "official" Magic Foam blocks.
I've not heard of that blue foam before...thanks for all the info. I think I'll start with the dollar store too. lol
I use the gray side of Ranger's Cut-n-Dry Foam to do the same thing. You just heat it and make impressions in it the same way. I've mostly used it to make reverse images of my current stamps, but love all the ideas here.
oh i am so glad to hear that other people buy craft stuff that simply disappears! i told my grown daughter that i think we have spirts in our home. she lives out of town and promptly calls her brother to check on me, they thought i was over the edge for sure. but really, where has all this stuff gone....
Me & Hubby have come to the conclusion that cupboards are like time machines with revolving doors. You put stuff in, then close the door.The secret time machine door then revolves. Next time you go to get it out- its vanished. But you DO find the thing you were looking for the previous time you searched the cupboard out! And couldn't find it!
I love my Penscore foam. My daughter used it on a metal candle holder that had decorative circles made from various-sized holes. Made a beautiful background stamp for Christmas cards. I brought it home with me and have used it myself. It may be a keeper along with the one I made years ago by impressing it in a tangle of raffia.
Ditto, heat gun. Don't overheat to the point that you harden the foam and make it somewhat unusable. Better to go at it little by little. If it is not hot enough to make a good impression, you can try again.
Oh I've had some of those blue foam squares for years, never gotten around to trying them must have a go when we return home, maybe it would work with nestie shapes to make a stamp or would they be hard to get off the foam when it's hot??
Jan, it should be fine, you heat the foam, rather than the die, and you just press onto whatever you want to mould, and lift off. There shouldn't be any sticking problems. Likewise, when you want to change the impression, you just reheat, it smooths out, and you can re-impress.
i have to buy some blue sponges, it seems like too fun.
It's fun AND addictive! I've seen some cool things done on wicker chairs, heating grills and buttons. But one of the coolest was a pile of Skittles---used as a background for a fish image, but with a change of colors more is possible! Have fun!!!
I recently read a blog about someone using a flip flop as one of these "sponge stamps". They cut the flip flop apart for different sized "stamps" heated them, impressed them with objects, let them cool, and inked them as stamps. Sorry I can't remember the blog, but they did say only the bottom of the flip flop worked. Wouldn't that be a fun thing to try?
What are these blue sponges used for?
