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Oh no! I just found my stamps in a box left in the garage all winter!! In NJ it has been below freezing many days. Will this affect the stamp quality or life?
If they're red rubber stamps, you should be good. They'll do best with some TLC, but it's a pretty durable material. I'd let them come up to room temp on their own, then inspect them. Might want to give them a brush of re-conditioner just to be on the safe side, but all in all, I think you'll be fine.
I'm not as familiar with the care and feeding and life spans of the other types of stamps.
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
Last edited by jeaniebean55; 03-15-2015 at 01:21 PM..
I usually just ink them with Versamark to recondition them, I don't clean it off just put them away until I need them. Be sure to check to see if the rubber is cracked that can affect the stamped image.
Think about it for a minute - did you park your car in that same garage? Did the tires fall apart? Tires are rubber, too . . .
As far as stamps, the thing that is really, REALLY bad for them is storing them in direct sunlight. The cold isn't going to hurt the rubber much - although it might affect the adhesive holding them onto their blocks.
The glycerine is probably your cheapest bet. In general the cold shouldn't hurt them depending on how long they've been sitting. It's the same thing with a car, the tires will deteriorate over time but it would be a long, long time (eight years to be exact).
__________________ Leslie Harnish
Sambro, Nova Scotia
Canada
Reconditioner? Can you recommend one? Do you mean inspect them for cracks?
Sorry, I meant conditioner, and lots of good advice shared in the thread. I use the SU! cleaner conditioner mostly, but thefrugalcrafter has a nice video on a DIY version. (she has a bunch of great videos, actually. ) Yep, it's the glycerin that adds life to your stamps.
and yep, inspect for cracks. Most likely, no damage, but just check.
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
Thanks so much! Tires on a car? Who cares? As long as my stamps are good.... ha ha....
Good info. I will look for glycerine. not sure where to buy that yet, but I will find it.
So far the stamps look good. they are red rubber stamps that you use with an acrylic block, and I will try them out this weekend.
Funny story. When I went to my local pharmacy (Walgreens, no less) they sent me to the suppository section! Uh ... nope. It's the bottle of glycerin I'm looking for, and not that expensive one I found at the next pharmacy. It was a bit of an adventure. The first place I went to was my local, very small, art supply store, where they thought I'd grown an extra head when asking for glycerin. For me, online has the best prices, but I did eventually find it locally.
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
Or the baking aisle in the supermarket- its added to icing to stop it going too hard.
I have never heard of this use. I don't ever remember seeing glycerin in the baking aisle in US grocery stores, at least in my area -- but I'll look next time because now I am curious. Maybe its an England thing ;-)
and I think shops that have supplies for soap making carry it, too.
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
You IL folk. Always so up to date on trends. State St, Wauwatosa, WI ... gonna have to settle for a suppository. LOL!
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
Thanks so much! Tires on a car? Who cares? As long as my stamps are good.... ha ha....
Good info. I will look for glycerine. not sure where to buy that yet, but I will find it.
So far the stamps look good. they are red rubber stamps that you use with an acrylic block, and I will try them out this weekend.
and once you have the glycerin, Lindsay (the frugal crafter) has a nice video on a whole bunch of ways crafters can use it in their crafting space. (If you're not familiar with Lindsay, you'll want your coffee before tuning in. Definitely a high energy gal! lol!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ajp_DvjbW4
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter