stamping mat
 

My craft table is white, so I am often accidentally getting ink on it (I am a messy stamper). I'm not really interested in the paper mats made by SU. What other work mats do you use, just to protect your table?

I got a rubber-ish, foam-ish mat made for stamping at JoAnne's a while ago that I really like (hard to get tape residue off but otherwise great). Check stamp and craft stores and it usually in the section with assorted gadgets and accessories.
Mary Beth

CTMH sells a VersaMat that is about 13"x13" and has nice gridlines on it. It has a bit of padding on the backside. And I've seen a bit larger one too - maybe 13"x20" that I think is made by Making Memories.

When you say paper mats.. are you meaning the grid paper? those are the best! you peel off the top sheet after you have "messied" it up.. not sure that's a word.. and then toss it out.. I use my grid paper all the time.. because I get ink, glue, glitter, etc.. all over the place and the paper keeps it in one place and makes it so much easier to clean up.. Pam

I use a mat that I bought at Walmart. It is actually a mat used for fabric cutting or quilting and has a grid on it. It comes in different sizes and has kind of a teflon coating so adhesive, etc. wipes off easily.

HTH,
candyf

I usually use a piece of cheap white copy paper so I can just toss it when I'm finished with the project.

I bought a silcone mat that is made to use in the bittom of a microwave. Nothing sticks to it & it is easily cleaned off with papertowels. Plus it was $1.99!!!!

I have a large SU black mat that is good for cutting, etc., but I rarely use it.
Now I use the grid paper that SU sells. It is one of my best purchases. I rarely clean my stamps any more (no stones thrown at me please!!). Rather I just stamp off on this grid paper until the stamp no longer creates an image.

I highly reccommend the grid paper by SU. It's well worth it because you can use it to measure, too. :)

Plus, it lasts a super long time! I bought mine over a year ago and have used it for camps and classes, and still have over half of it left!

I'm pretty sure that I use the same thing that Mary Beth was talking about - I also put a sheet of copy paper on top so that I don't get ink all over the mat. I'm a teacher, so I bring home all of the scrap paper from my students who print out things that they don't end up using - recycling (and cheap for me)!

You can always cover your table in butcher paper or the white paper that is on the roll. You can get it really cheap at the dollar tree. I used to use it in my office a long time ago before I realized how awesome the SU grid pads were. :)

I use the same thing. Bought mine at Joann's with a 40% or 50% off coupon. Love using it!!

Another suggestion is to use a newsprint pad to work on (you can get them in different sizes) and then you can just tear off the top sheet when it gets dirty. Or depending on what you're working on, the Ranger craft sheet might be something to look into.

I have a wood table so I got a clear sheet of 1/8" hard plastic to cover it, on that I use a cut open cereal box (if it gets cut or inked up just toss it). On top of that I ues either a cutting mat or if I am stamping I add a 6mil sheet of fun foam. For messy work I use the back of junk mail or old copy paper.

I have a fairly large piece of plexiglass on the top - then I actually use those large desk calenders - when they go on sale at Officemax in Jan for less than $1 /piece I stock up...

I do use the SU paper pad ALOT when I am stamping/crafting in other places other than my desk

www.scrapbeach.com (Purple TUrtle shoppe) carries stampin' foamy mats 13x13 and are pretty inexpensive 3.49 I think.
Often I use the cutting mat as a surface protector

If you're just wanting some scrap paper, maybe just use the pages out of an old phone book. (I got this idea from someone at the stamp shack.)

I found some adorable placemats at the Dollar Tree. They are a sturdy plastic and the ink/adhesive comes off with a baby wipe. I used them at my last class and everyone loved them.

I found a big box of "old school" computer paper (you know, the kind with the stips of holes down the sides) at a yard sale for $1. I take a small hunk of that at a time and use it then I just rip it off and keep going till I need another hunk. It's accordian pleated so sometimes I have stripes and sometimes I have plain white, but it's great and practically free.

Under that, I've a layer of glass. I found my neighbor throwing out a brass and glass end table. I salvaged the beveled glass and use that on top of my wooden desk to further protect the surface. I doubles as a place to keep my conversion tables and other accessibles.

Old school indeed - that's surely a trip down memory lane! You are a great recycler!

I use an old telephone book! Speaking of recycling!

I got one from Inque Stamps (See Dee's)
it was only $3.49 and its cushiony for stamping on

http://www.goinque.com/asp/product/product.asp?id=603

Call me cheap (but I save $$ for other goodies!) -- I use a piece of 8-1/2 x 14 copy paper. I bought a ream at Office Depot. If I need a larger work surface, say for 12x12 paper, I tape two sheets together. Does the trick!

I use a 12 x 12 sheet of white paper.

I use something that I got from the UK, it's called a *Messy Mat*, and it's about 18" by 25". I got two of them when I did crafts a lot with two children I used to mind. They knew they weren't allowed do anything with ink or glue without getting the Messy Mats out first. They're really just some sort of plastic sheet, but they are great, and everything wipes off them.

I LOVE my grid paper!! It's totally worth the price. It lasts me forever. It keeps my table clean, and helps me clean off my stamps. When I'm done with the grid side I peel it off, fold it in half and pack it into my bag to use at the next crop/camp.

I use Tim Holtz's brown mat, they sell it at my Joanns!

I have tempered glass on mine. Nothing stains, sticks or markes it, you cut right on it ... great surface to work with.

I'm another one that uses plain white copy paper from Staples or Office Depot. i use 11x17. One ream has lasted me forever!

I use paper but I have stamped on glass b4 & I love it. It just wipes off & cleans up so nice!

Another vote for the SU grid paper! I priced out regular graph paper, and it was actually more expensive! I love having the lines so you can use them to measure or to line up ribbon and such when you're completing your project.

But for scrap stamping, I've also used just pieces of printer paper from things I've mis-printed on.

I have a big yellow foam mat that I bought years ago -

My husband and I both work from home and about a year or so ago - I started keeping all the keep all the papers that we print that we would normally throw away - rough draft proposals and such and use these - after I started doing this I was amazed how many papers that we use to throw away. I now give them to my friends also.

I have the large self-healing mat from Making Memories. They're on sale at Joaans for around $14. I love it because it's large and has a nice grid on it. My lss uses them at all of their crop tables, so they can handle a lot of abuse!

Teeheehee! I do the same thing most times. It really does come clean. Sometimes if there is residue left over I'll baby wipe the rest off but otherwise, they're clean and ready to go! :mrgreen:

i have a fiskars 18x36" self-healing cutting mat. the kind like quilters use with their rotary cutters. it's also wonderful to have so that i always have a place to use my xacto knives and my CM cutting system without having to pull out an extra cutting mat. it's already right there!! i do use the SU grid paper on top of it, but rarely stamp off onto the mat. it's also helpful because the fiskars mat has a ruler and grid lines too for quick measuring!
hope this helps!

I also use my quilting self healing mat. I save scrap paper to put directly under the paper I am working on but it is to protect the cardstock and not the mat. It is so sturdy I don't worry about it.

Inque has the best stamp mat that can be used for stamping or paper piercing. I also use one for my parchment art. The best is I believe they are only $3.98 and last forever. I do know you can get them at www.scrapperscove.com if you don't see it on their online store email them because they do have it in the store as I was there yesterday. Also if you spend $50.00 you get FREE shipping.

I bring home used computer paper from my office that would otherwise get tossed into the recycle bin. I put a piece or two down on my stamping table before I start a project. We use it for shopping lists, homework scratch paper and general doodling too! I can't see buying paper that is just going to get tossed.

I use a variety. A non-stick sheet from Ranger that's good for inky things. A making memories mat for most work, a glass mat for cutting, and paper when I need a disposable surface. Glue is a bother to peel up from the non-stick mat and it is too 'staticky' for embossing powders. Is staticky a word? It ought to be!

I bought a desk mat from Ikea, it's a clear semi soft plastic. I also use Ikea packing sheets for when I need to stamp off the edge of my cards or test stamp for color etc. Love Ikea!