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Looking for some pictures or tell me what you did I have LOTS and LOTS of stamps and want to do this but need to see some real life examples and hear what you think.
I unmount some but not all of my stamps. It depends on what sort of stamp they are. For instance, I don't unmount they huge square background stamps as there isn't much to gain from doing this. I usually unmount stuff that I think will be easier to use (ie to see exactly where I am stamping). Thinking about it though, I have only unmounted SU stuff. Much of the rest I have bought unmounted.
Okay, here is what I do and it is very easy. I find this is easiest with new stamps but have done it with plenty of older sets and only once had a problem with the backing sticking on but still managed to get it off, it just took a bit longer. Just pick a corner or a bit of the design that sticks out a bit and pull it away from the grey cushion underneath. If it comes away cleanly, keep going. If some of the grey residue sticks, start in another part of the stamp. Then just pull the rubber bit up until it comes cleanly away from the grey bit. Then I put the rubber bit onto a sheet of EZ mount, cut around it and then put it onto an acrylic block when I want to use it.
Some people put their stamps into a microwave to soften the glue on the cushion a bit. I find this far too scary and have had no problems with my method, so I am sticking to it!!!
I unmount some but not all of my stamps. It depends on what sort of stamp they are. For instance, I don't unmount they huge square background stamps as there isn't much to gain from doing this. I usually unmount stuff that I think will be easier to use (ie to see exactly where I am stamping). Thinking about it though, I have only unmounted SU stuff. Much of the rest I have bought unmounted.
Okay, here is what I do and it is very easy. I find this is easiest with new stamps but have done it with plenty of older sets and only once had a problem with the backing sticking on but still managed to get it off, it just took a bit longer. Just pick a corner or a bit of the design that sticks out a bit and pull it away from the grey cushion underneath. If it comes away cleanly, keep going. If some of the grey residue sticks, start in another part of the stamp. Then just pull the rubber bit up until it comes cleanly away from the grey bit. Then I put the rubber bit onto a sheet of EZ mount, cut around it and then put it onto an acrylic block when I want to use it.
Some people put their stamps into a microwave to soften the glue on the cushion a bit. I find this far too scary and have had no problems with my method, so I am sticking to it!!!
I have heard about the 20 second rule for the microwave. and I think you have a good idea about NOT unmounting large stamps that block helps give it some stability I think
I unmounted about 200+ SU sets this summer. I am soooo happy with the amount of space I have saved.
What I did was this:
I pulled (and I DO mean pulled) the rubber off the foam and the wood. ( If it was really stuck on the foam, I microwaved the stamp for 5 seconds on high. Be careful! I was surprised how hot it could get.)
If there was any glue left on the rubber, I put the stamp into a pyrex dish that had just enough 91% rubbing alcohol in it to cover the rubber.
I wore latex gloves for that because your fingers start to look like prunes.
I let the rubber sit in the alcohol for a few minutes. It does NOT take too long, the glue just seems to "melt"
Then I dipped a paper towel in the dish to wet it and I rubbed any leftover glue off the stamp.
I washed the stamps in clear, warm water WITH THE STOPPER IN THE DRAIN!!! Don't take any chances of having a tiny stamp go down the drain and wind up with an incomplete set.
I dried the rubber with paper towels and let them finish drying on paper towels.
While they dried, I took 1/4 piece of typing paper, wrote the name of the set and the number of pieces on it and when the stamps were dry, I stamped each image.
Each set went into a zip lock bag with the paper.
I bought photo storage boxes at Michaels and A.C. Moore to store the bags.
Each photo storage box is labeled. For example, Christmas is by itself because I have a LOT of them. Autumn, Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving fit in 1 box. People, gnomes, fairies, elves fit in another box. Background stamps (the big ones) have 1 box. Small backgrounds, frames, small borders go in another. Nature is leaves, trees, etc. Flowers are in 1 box because there are sooo many flower SU sets.
ALL the sets are now stored in 11 photo boxes on 1 shelf.
I have acrylic blocks to use with these stamps. I bought Tack N Peel and cut it to fit the blocks. Now all I have to do is plop the stamp on the acrylic block, stamp on my cardstock, pull the rubber off, clean it and store it back in its zip-lock bag.
I did all of mine too, including background stamps. I have a large block to use those with. (In retrospect I should have left those on the block as I didn't have a lot of them anyway so storage wasn't really going to be an issue for them...)
But with all my others, I left them together as sets & all of mine are on EZ-mount too.
Here is the thread that was my reference as I unmounted well over 100 sets. Forums at Splitcoaststampers a few posts down is one from KimberlyinMN and she has pictures posted. The best part is ease of organization and second best is space savings! maybe the other way around! I am so happy with my unmounted stamps. I keep all SU sets together and stamp them on an sheet of paper or if they are new I photocopy the sticker sheet.
I have unmounted most of mine. I will not do any more. I think that I have to get used to it. If I could do it over I would not do the background stamps. It has freed up alot of space though.
I did all of mine too, including background stamps. I have a large block to use those with. (In retrospect I should have left those on the block as I didn't have a lot of them anyway so storage wasn't really going to be an issue for them...)
But with all my others, I left them together as sets & all of mine are on EZ-mount too.
that is what I was thinkign about my background ones as well
I love my acrylic and unmounted stamps...and I only buyunmounted if I can help it, but I haven't 'un-mounted' anything...yet. After seeing this photo though...I am off to do my wheels for sure!! They look so much easier to use and get perfectly straight!!
__________________ Cher No longer stamping...on to bigger things.
this is awesome just what I was looking for some real samples of someone that has done it.
do you leave your stampin up in sets or seperate them out and store as different things ie: animals, words, holiday???
My SU stamps are still stored in sets but I do have more than one set on a page/sheet in the storage system. Then I have my other UM rubber grouped together by manufacturer as well. I'm still using CD cases for my acrylic stamps because I have a hard time seeing what they are on the Little Monkeys dividers.
I have a somewhat haphazard system of organizing by a theme which I know will evolve over time. One thing I didn't do which I need to do is stamp and catalog my images in a binder so I know for sure what I have. I plan to try to work on this during the Winter Break.
__________________ Kathy
Proud Mama to Mason 4/3/99, Miles 5/25/02, and Maya 8/26/04
Oh, and I forgot to add, I have not unmounted my backgrounds, wheels, or alphabet stamps and don't think I'll be doing those in the foreseeable future.
__________________ Kathy
Proud Mama to Mason 4/3/99, Miles 5/25/02, and Maya 8/26/04
I stick new SU sets in the freezer for 15 or 20 minutes. It hardens the glue, and I have an easier time separating the stamp from the foam. If I use the microwave, things just seem to get stickier.
I stick new SU sets in the freezer for 15 or 20 minutes. It hardens the glue, and I have an easier time separating the stamp from the foam. If I use the microwave, things just seem to get stickier.
I leave my new SU stamps on the foam and dust the sticky side with baby powder! Sounds silly, I know, but it works for me.
For the actual stamp part, I pull the rubber off the foam (no microwaving), trim it up and put it on the EZ Mount. I then use a hot knife to trim the EZ Mount.
For the case, I pull the sticker off the wood (or paper!) and stick it to the CD or DVD case. It's usually still sticky enough, but if not, I just whip out my ATG and use that to take down the image. I then match up the stamp and the image and stick the stamp on the other side of the case. I sort my stamps by set.
As for organizing, I put them in bins that I got at the Container Store. You can see them here. I only got the DVD size and both CDs and DVDs go in there, sorted by category.
Oh, and I print the stamp set name, the number of stamps in the set and the category onto CD/DVD spine labels that I bought here. I use different colors to represent what company the stamps are from (black=SU!, blue=Papertrey, pink=Stamping Bella, etc).
I also unmount my wheels and put that wheel in a DVD case with it's matching set so they're together. This helps me SO much because I never remembered what sets had matching wheels, and even if I did, I then had to go hunt them down!
I'm not all the way done yet (I have about 200 sets), but when I do, I'll take pictures!
__________________ ~*~ Clara ~*~ If you can think it, you can ink it!
Most of mine pulled off from the wood -- foam and rubber. The foam was usually sticky enough to stick to CD cases. If the foam was not sticky enough, I put some Aileen's Tack it Over and Over on the back of the rubber and let it dry over night.
For the few where the rubber pulled of from the foam and wood, I just put some of the Tack it Over on the back of the rubber and use without foam.
I started applying the Tack it Over with a foam paintbrush, but it was honestly easier just to rub it on with my finger.
All but 5 of my SU sets fit into one CD case this way. You can fit more if you don't use foam with your rubber, though, since you can get them on both sides of the cases.
I have umounted all of my Stampin Up sets but did not unmount the background stamps. I have them stored in CD cases. I pulled the label off the wood blocks and they had enough adhesive left to stick to the CD cases so that I can easily see what the stamp looks like. I also have all of them stamped and in index binders. There are some pictures of the stamps in CD cases and index sheets in this ablum.
I have umounted all of my Stampin Up sets but did not unmount the background stamps. I have them stored in CD cases. I pulled the label off the wood blocks and they had enough adhesive left to stick to the CD cases so that I can easily see what the stamp looks like. I also have all of them stamped and in index binders. There are some pictures of the stamps in CD cases and index sheets in this ablum.
I am in the process of unmounting mine. Its much easier and quicker now that the SU sets are already die cut.
I actually do mine a bit differently where I'll either remove it from the sticker sheet if it is new or from the wood if already mounted.
Then I'll take the label and place the label on to the back of that and line it up as good as I can.
Then I use the mono multi and run it over the glossy sticker part and let it dry (to make it repositionable).
For my sticker sheet, I'll either stamp the image twice or use the scanned image sheet and do one image down and one mirrored image so I can see it clearly when it is in the binder and when it is out. Then I print it on heavier weight paper and take the Xyron cold laminate and apply it over the sheet. Stick the stamps in the proper place and then stick it all into a sheet protector.
I am in the process of unmounting mine. Its much easier and quicker now that the SU sets are already die cut.
I actually do mine a bit differently where I'll either remove it from the sticker sheet if it is new or from the wood if already mounted.
Then I'll take the label and place the label on to the back of that and line it up as good as I can.
Then I use the mono multi and run it over the glossy sticker part and let it dry (to make it repositionable).
For my sticker sheet, I'll either stamp the image twice or use the scanned image sheet and do one image down and one mirrored image so I can see it clearly when it is in the binder and when it is out. Then I print it on heavier weight paper and take the Xyron cold laminate and apply it over the sheet. Stick the stamps in the proper place and then stick it all into a sheet protector.
I didn't want to have buy EZ Mount since it is so expensive so here's what I did.
I sorted all of my stamps by theme.
Made 5x7 sheets of heavy cardstock.
Stamped the images on one side of the card stock.
Laminated the index cards (Xyron)
I microwaved the blocks (about 20 secs) and then just pulled off the stamps with the foam still on them.
THen I put Alene's Tack It Over and OVer Again on the backs of all of the stamps.
Once dry, I put them on the index sheets.
Filed the index sheets in plastic bins with labels separating the different themes.
I just pull the stamp off the index card and put it on the acrylic block
I did everything except my wheels.
I have a slightly different twist to unmounting. Most of my stamps are unmounted. However when I get my new SU sets from my demonstrator, I mount them on the wood. I tend to use my new stamps A LOT, so it saves me that extra step of mounting it on the acrylic block (granted it takes all of 5 seconds). Then when the honeymoon phase is over, I unmount the stamps, put them on EZMount, and store them in a CD case.
I have a slightly different twist to unmounting. Most of my stamps are unmounted. However when I get my new SU sets from my demonstrator, I mount them on the wood. I tend to use my new stamps A LOT, so it saves me that extra step of mounting it on the acrylic block (granted it takes all of 5 seconds). Then when the honeymoon phase is over, I unmount the stamps, put them on EZMount, and store them in a CD case.
Dina
that actually makes a lot of sense to me for some reason
I have unmounted all of my sets except for the background stamps (I have about 400 sets). I use and love the ez mount. I pull my rubber off of the foam. Trim it close to the image and put the cut rubber as close to each other as possible on the ez mount. It is amazing how little you waste of the ez mount this way. I have a hot knife (bought at Jo Anne's with one of Micheal's 50% off coupons) and use it to cut around the rubber image. If you are using ez mount you will love the hot knife! I store mine in the cd cases from rima.com for the regular sized sets, and the large super jewel boxes from Stamp by Step for the larger ones.
I have always kept a book with the copied images from the sticker sheets of my sets as an index. (Stamped the set if I bought it used and the stickers were already attached to the blocks). I am currently working on making an additional book by the type of stamps (flowers, animals, words, etc.). That is going to be a huge project and it seems to be taking a lot of time.
I love seeing where I am stamping and the space savings it fantasitic! The space was the main reason I started. I was reallly worried about reducing the value of my stamps but so far have never sold one so it wasn't a major consideration. (Lately I have noticed that the few sets that have been sold on ebay unmounted or with cling have been bought for about the same amount as those that are mounted to wood-the shipping has been cheaper too)
I do not regreat unmounting. It has been a long process, but thanks to this website I have been given a lot of ideas and it has been going pretty smoothly.
kitty14 said "If there was any glue left on the rubber, I put the stamp into a pyrex dish that had just enough 91% rubbing alcohol in it to cover the rubber."
Is that how everyone gets the glue off of the back of the rubber? I just spent 2 hours trying to get the glue off of one set (I didn't see the post about soaking it in alcohol until after, but I soaked it in warm soapy water, rubbed with alcohol, used a sticker remover....nothing worked very well) And will the alcohol or something like Goo-gone damage the rubber? I'm assuming they should be completely clean before applying to the EZ-Mount.
I did unmount all of mine and wouldn't have it any other way.
I remounted them on EZmount using the hot knife to trim. I store them in CD cases that are in 12 x 12 stackable plastic paper storage drawers. I can put 24 CD cases in each drawer. This keeps them sorted, organized and easily retrieved. For SU, I have three 3-drawer units, so 9 drawers in all, and they aren't all completely filled. So... under a couple of hundred sets, I guess.
I didn't unmount my BG stamps either. I did unmount my wheels - they have a drawer of their own. Storing wheels is just absurd to me.
I don't "unmount" my new SU stamps. I leave the backing paper on and use them with a acrylic blocks with Tack'n'Peel. When I get new SU sets now, I just toss the blocks and put them in a CD case. I'd love to buy them without blocks/cases.
I will sell unmounted stamps and it's okay with me if I get a little less but apparently a lot of people expect to save on shipping but the stamps hold their value. It's all about the image, I think. But - when they are unmounted, I'm much less likely to sell them anyway.
kitty14 said "If there was any glue left on the rubber, I put the stamp into a pyrex dish that had just enough 91% rubbing alcohol in it to cover the rubber."
Is that how everyone gets the glue off of the back of the rubber? I just spent 2 hours trying to get the glue off of one set (I didn't see the post about soaking it in alcohol until after, but I soaked it in warm soapy water, rubbed with alcohol, used a sticker remover....nothing worked very well) And will the alcohol or something like Goo-gone damage the rubber? I'm assuming they should be completely clean before applying to the EZ-Mount.
I unmounted over 200+ SU sets like this and never have had a problem because of the alcohol. And I do not bother with EZ MOUNT any more. With the number of stamps I have, it would have been too expensive to buy EZ MOUNT and those storage boards and binders. I figured the cost would be almost like purchasing the sets again! So I chose Tack N Peel instead. Tack N Peel is placed on the ACRYLIC block. Nothing goes on the unmounted rubber. Tack N Peel stays on the block permanently and cost about $8-$9 for a sheet about 5 inches X 6 inches approx. It comes with a clear protective sheet that you leave on the block when not in use. Just cut the Tack N Peel to fit the block. If it looses its stickiness, just run the block under warm water and let it air dry. The stickiness comes back!
I have never regretted my decision.
Others warm the residue glue for 5 seconds in the microwave and then rub it off. Just be careful not to burn your fingers and if 5 seconds is not enough, just add by 1 second increments.
Good Luck!
I unmounted over 200+ SU sets like this and never have had a problem because of the alcohol. And I do not bother with EZ MOUNT any more. With the number of stamps I have, it would have been too expensive to buy EZ MOUNT and those storage boards and binders. I figured the cost would be almost like purchasing the sets again! So I chose Tack N Peel instead. Tack N Peel is placed on the ACRYLIC block. Nothing goes on the unmounted rubber. Tack N Peel stays on the block permanently and cost about $8-$9 for a sheet about 5 inches X 6 inches approx. It comes with a clear protective sheet that you leave on the block when not in use. Just cut the Tack N Peel to fit the block. If it looses its stickiness, just run the block under warm water and let it air dry. The stickiness comes back!
I have never regretted my decision.
Others warm the residue glue for 5 seconds in the microwave and then rub it off. Just be careful not to burn your fingers and if 5 seconds is not enough, just add by 1 second increments.
Good Luck!
Tack N Peel users: How do you store your stamps? I understand how to use the Tack N Peel, I'm just not sure how to store the stamps.
SU sets I keep in CD cases. I keep some groups of rubber only in SU clamshell cases, some are in the blue SU punch tins, some are just in the 12 x 12 paper storage drawers. I sort SU by theme and non-SU generally by company. It's really more organized than it sounds :mrgreen:
There are a lot of great ideas and comments here. I haven't started the unmounting process yet, but it may become one of my 2009 goals. We'll see what happens!
unmounting su stamps. who has done it
