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You can always use the paper cutter to help you roll out the images straight... just line up the cutter and use it like a ruler! works like a charm.
It's really fantastic for backgrounds or accents (one of my favorite things to do is use a roller which coordinates with the image that I stamp on a card on the inside of a card, along the bottom, to add "border" to the card. Really ads a nice finish).
If you don't want the same color, you can always use black, and then color it in like you would a stamp.
I have to admit that I did not think I would like the rollers either....and it took me a couple of years to purchase one. I do not use them all the time, but love them for decorating bags and the backgrounds for cards, or a nice decorative edge on a letter or envelope. My advise would be to get a simple design...I especially love Hot Dots right now, it is so cute on so many things and very versatile.
I am a wheel fanatic. Love Love Love those things. They are so easy to use and everyday it seems I find another project I can use them for. I love to roll out a background and then roll out some images to cut out and color. I have made so many cards this way. I just got the new whirly twirly wheel - and it makes the greatest backgrounds. If I am having trouble with stampers block - I just get out all my wheels and see what other sets will coordinate. I always seem to be able to find something that looks fresh! Wheels are so much fun!
Wheels are the best for backgrounds. They add that certain "something" on cards that just need something! I love the new Jumbo Wheels too. They are so awesome!! Once you try 1 wheel you will be hooked
You can also use them to decorate an envelope, too.
As to one color images, aren't most? It is what you do after that makes them more than one color. I used a wheel to made a sheet of paper to use as the background for the butterfly squares and then to make the coordinated envelope http://community.webshots.com/photo/...27096599eUxRAL
Well, I'll be the other side of this one. I hate them. Can't do them straight...not that I have had much practice. But, to me they aren't worth my time. Just my opinion.
I never had one before I became a demo, but now I have LOTS of them. Love the things and can't do without them.
As far as rolling them straight, I find that standing up to roll helps a lot. That way you can look down at what you are doing and not across the paper.
When rolling, look where you are rolling to, not at the wheel. It's like riding a bike, if you look at something you will steer towards it! Put your dominate hand on the handle and place your other hand on top of the wheel itself. That will help keep it from rocking. Some wheels rock more easily than others...the Hot to Dot wheel is one of them, but with practice you will get a better feel for each wheel.
Always start off the paper and give the wheel a few rolls before you start to ink it up, especially if it has sat for a few minutes between rolls.
For $5.95 for a wheel, another $4.95 for a cartridge and $3.95 for a handle, it's not a very expensive item to try to see if you like it! And if you like it, you never need to buy another handle; just wheels and cartridges. As far as color, there's nothing that says you can't color wheel images in...some of the outline ones (like the jumbo Farmyard wheel) are made to be colored in just like stamp sets.
Plus you can buy the two or three cell cartridges and make your own custom wheel cartridges using different colors. It gives a very cool look!
I couldn't live without them. I absolutely love all my wheels. I never try to get them staight, just go diagonal most of the time where it doesn't matter. I've saved a ton on wrapping paper and bags since buying my first wheel. I just adore them.
I have a love/hate relationship with them! Keep trying them and I bet you will start to like them more. You can't beat them for backgrounds or a really quick border. I found the jumbo wheels do not tip as much. I love the polkadot one, you can't mess it up! It is a really good starter one! Good luck!
And Emily.... keep trying!!!! It will be like tearing without your tearing edge... you can do it!
__________________ "Isn't it wonderful that no one need wait a moment to start to improve the world." - Anne Frank
As far as the color issue goes, I bought a blank cartridge and a Versamark refill. Now I have a Versamark cartridge. This way I don't have to buy cartridges in all the different colors. I can either have the watermark look or I can do poppin' pastels with my wheels!
I'm with Jan! I love using my wheels, and I also stand while stamping. (I don't even know why I have all those chairs in my stamping room!) :lol: I always roll them diagonally across the CS, which makes any errors less obvious. As for them being all one color, why not use an embossing ink and then color them with Pearl Ex or pastels? Of course, open designs like the Bloomin' wheel can be colored fairly quickly with markers or an aquabrush. Did I mention I love my wheels!
__________________ "Life is much too important to be taken seriously." Oscar Wilde Proud to be a member of Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge DT! My BlogMy Gallery
Well, I'll be the other side of this one. I hate them. Can't do them straight...not that I have had much practice. But, to me they aren't worth my time. Just my opinion.
You are not alone. I don't HATE them but I don't really adore them. I only have a couple because I can't seem to make them work for me. But I do keep trying. I have heard lots of good things about the jumbos so I am venturing to that side soon. Just give it a try is all I can say.
I like them for certain things-- bags, certain backgrounds, etc. but my style is more "clean" than busy, so a lot of the wheels aren't appealing to me.
In order to justify my infrequent use of the wheels, I opted NOT to buy ink cartridges and just use my ink pads. The circumference of the wheel is about 8" so you can easily get the width of a standard card with one inking. Works for me and I don't have to buy and store another 48 expensive cartridges! (They cost just as much as an ink pad, so to me they're not cheap.)
HTH-- and just like it was earlier suggested, the wheel and handle are pretty inexpensive so you can try it out without too much investment.
Last year at convention they told us this trick, if you are right handed, start wheeling on the LEFT side of the paper. If you are left handed, start wheeling on the RIGHT side of the paper. Wheeling on the opposite side is supposed to give you a clear view of where you are rolling.
I learned another hint from one of my customers. I noticed that she was buying a bunch of wheels but no ink cartridges for them. I asked her if she had all the wheel ink cartridges already or if she'd want to get a few new colors with her wheels, and she said she doesn't use the ink cartridges at all. She just rolls the wheel on her classic ink pads and then stamps it on cardstock. I tried it at home and it works fine; one roll of the wheel will cover bottom to top of a 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 card. I probably would get the ink cartridges if you doing a lot of bags or wrapping paper, etc, but for backgrounds on a standard note size card, it works great! So I say just buy a handle and one wheel and try it out with the classic ink pads you already own! Makes it cheaper and if you don't like it, you're only out $10 bucks! I highly recommend the swirl wheel that coordinates with "I like your style" stamp set. I use it on everything!
okay can I tell my dh when he asks that you guys MADE me
do it??? I ended up buying the regular stamp wheel handle to start out with because there are more wheels to choose from. I got the versamark refill and the blank ink cartridge, I wonder why I never thought of that before???? Anyway I got the party fun wheel on page 87 and the whirly twirly wheel on page 125 to start out with. Thanks for all your input, this board has become my new favorite, and you ladies do amazing work and are so helpful!!!
do you need wheels??? Well.... YES! Yes, you do!! I think they are the coolest things - the jumbos are what made me finally start using them and then something just clicked - I love them!
I make gift card "bags" by rolling a legal-sized envelope. Then, you tear one edge and tie a ribbon. Very fun. This is just one of the wonderful things you can do with a roller. They really are fun, coming from another person who didn't think they'd like one....
I LOVE my wheels! I use them all the time. When the kids go on a field trip I always roll the paper lunch bags and then send them through the crimper. A great effect. I also use my wheels when I am mailing a package. I take my brown paper grocery sack cut it apart at the seams and roll the entire bag. I then wrap the gift and take it to the post office. I have had so many people stop me and ask me where they can get this wrapping paper!
You gotta get a wheel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
she said she doesn't use the ink cartridges at all. She just rolls the wheel on her classic ink pads and then stamps it on cardstock.
I do this most of the time...I've even done it at workshops. I've found that beginners are more likely to buy the wheels that way...and they usually buy a couple extra ink pads because they *CAN* use them both for the wheels and regular stamps
I also seem to get a cleaner image this way. For the life of me, I can't get the ink onto the wheel evenly from a cartridge.
do I need stamp wheels????
