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Most of my SU ink pads are the old style, since I have been stamping for many years. The Burgundy pads, among others, are pretty sad with their inability, it seems, to adequately ink a stamp. I am wondering if many of you are replacing those old cloth top pads with the new sponge (or whatever they are called, I can't remember). Would you if you weren't a demonstrator?
I am using my old SU pads that remain current and buying new pads for the new colors. In my humble opinion, I really like the old pads better.
They stamp perfectly well and I do use my reinkers. All of the red ink pad deteriorate over time and I have replaced them. Something to do with the ink.
Replace only the ones that are giving you trouble. I have mostly linen style ink pads and have been replacing them as they become unusable (i.e. harden up as in the case of my red ones or I find they aren't giving good ink coverage anymore even with a reinking). I have some new foam ones that I got in new colors or to replace my red ones. I love them!!! The ink coverage is superior to the linen, but you do have to remember not to press the stamp down so hard into the pad. A light tapping is enough.
I just this past ten minutes reinked soft suede! I do like the old linen ones too. I won't replace any just because there's a new style, but I have replaced some that were bad. As someone mentioned, bravo burgundy has gotten yucky over the years but as long as I have the reinkers, it works for me.
If they aren’t working well for you, replace them! I have never seen such a gigantic improvement between the linen and the newest “foam” type or whatever it is...not enough to warrant spending money to switch them out if the linen type is still working well.
To me the bigger issue is the case opening and closing. I too struggle with the newest “compact style”
I in the midst of a HUGE purge as we are looking to downsize. While the actual move won't happen for 10-15 years, I've decided "why wait?" Just this weekend, I pulled all my retired pads and put them in a bag for a future garage sale. I'm keeping my re-inkers, the matching Stampin' Spot, if I have it, or an uninked spot, if I don't and markers.
As for my pad preference, I think I prefer the foam pads.
If they aren’t working well for you, replace them! I have never seen such a gigantic improvement between the linen and the newest “foam” type or whatever it is...not enough to warrant spending money to switch them out if the linen type is still working well.
To me the bigger issue is the case opening and closing. I too struggle with the newest “compact style”
Here's a tip from Connie Stewart for opening the new style pads:
I definitely prefer SU's foam pads over the old linen ones. So much easier to get total ink coverage on your stamps!
However, I HATE the new style of the case (the 'makeup compact' style of opening). They are too thin for my sausage fingers to grasp and so opening them is a really annoying challenge that I have no interest in accepting. I've used them at my shoebox swap group many times and I'm glad I did use them before I bought any -- I won't be purchasing SU inkpads any more.
There are so many good inks out there that I'm only going to buy ones that don't give me any attitude LOL.
I've only had one linen SU ink pad (I didn't like it, just my opinion) I recently just got back into stamping after a year and a half hiatus...and decided to "clean out" my old supplies - some of which were my Stampin Up foam ink pads. So got work, cleared the clutter, packed up the inks pads, ready to give away...and they sat there.
For a couple weeks there they sat...til one evening, I was eyeing that box and decided to bring "just one" in to my stampin space to try out...and by the end of the evening all those stamp pads were back in my space! hahaha
They were just too nice to give away and they were all still inky!! And I really like the colors- plus I have all the reinkers and matching cardstock (which was never going to be given away)
I have not checked my red ones, though, to see if they have deteriorated! Better go do that now
Replace only the ones that are giving you trouble. I have mostly linen style ink pads and have been replacing them as they become unusable (i.e. harden up as in the case of my red ones or I find they aren't giving good ink coverage anymore even with a reinking).
This is what I'm doing. I replace if the pad becomes a problem (too uneven to provide good coverage, etc.) I re-ink otherwise and keep using the old ones.
I haven't replaced any of my inkpads and in fact, the first SU pad I ever bought was the original clamshell style in Night of Navy. I took it out last week wondering if it would still work 20 years later (never reinked) and the stamped impressions I got are beautiful! It had been about a year since I last used it and even though it's one of my favorite colors, the pad is still plenty inky. I'm a happy camper!
SU ink pads old vs current
