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OMG - What have I gotten myself into???? I have started unmounting my SU wood mount stamps. The bookshelf I use to store my stamp sets was overflowing. I much prefer the clear mount stamps. So, because I like the clear mount and because I need the storage space, it was the next logical step.
I had never counted how many stamp sets I have - turns out I have 71 sets not including Christmas -- and now this seems like a never-ending project!!! Holy cow - I've been microwaving stamps for days LOL! I am like a woman possessed - I just want to get this done.
I have 13 more sets to unmount (not counting my Christmas stamps, which were never stored on the overstuffed bookshelf - I'm going to put off doing those until I have the rest of them done).
Someone please tell me that I will be happy I did this!! At this point, I need some encouragement LOL!
You will love it once you are done. Be sure to make some sort of file system so you can easily find them. I was really hesitant about unmounting and I love it! No more digging through boxes looking for stamps. Plus the extra storage room is wonderful!
I bought 6 racks from Ikea. Regular price is $9.95 each, but found them on sale for $4.00 each. I had planned on painting or staining them, but started using them as is.
They hold 29 DVD cases per unit. I just used liquid nails to adhere them together and mounted them on my wall. I almost put them together and placed on wheels to be mobile, but at the last moment, changed my mind and mounted them on the wall.
And as you can see, I have a "few" more spaces left to fill.
OMG - What have I gotten myself into???? I have started unmounting my SU wood mount stamps. The bookshelf I use to store my stamp sets was overflowing. I much prefer the clear mount stamps. So, because I like the clear mount and because I need the storage space, it was the next logical step.
I had never counted how many stamp sets I have - turns out I have 71 sets not including Christmas -- and now this seems like a never-ending project!!! Holy cow - I've been microwaving stamps for days LOL! I am like a woman possessed - I just want to get this done.
I have 13 more sets to unmount (not counting my Christmas stamps, which were never stored on the overstuffed bookshelf - I'm going to put off doing those until I have the rest of them done).
Someone please tell me that I will be happy I did this!! At this point, I need some encouragement LOL!
I am impressed! I purchased the materials months ago, but have not had the nerve to start the process yet....you have inspired me to start this week.
I am impressed! I purchased the materials months ago, but have not had the nerve to start the process yet....you have inspired me to start this week.
I hope you don't hate me after you start LOL!
I did three more sets tonight.. after a while, my hands just get so sore I have to stop.
I do think this will be a really good answer for me.
I am so close to being finished that I'm like a woman possessed!! My family is so tired of hearing the microwave beep, they are getting a little cranky LOL!
Does it affect the resale value of the stamps if you unmount them?
I'm sure it does. But I don't buy stamps as an investment ;-)
Seriously, I would rather have the accessible and usable than try to preserve a resale value.
That said, I did take a look at stampin up sets on ebay the other night and it seemed that sets were selling for a pittance. So I am going to keep my sets for the long haul, consider them art supplies and forget about selling them.
I did pull out about 15 sets that I just don't see me using again and will try to sell those. I'm not going to unmount those, obviously..
I bought 6 racks from Ikea. Regular price is $9.95 each, but found them on sale for $4.00 each. I had planned on painting or staining them, but started using them as is.
They hold 29 DVD cases per unit. I just used liquid nails to adhere them together and mounted them on my wall. I almost put them together and placed on wheels to be mobile, but at the last moment, changed my mind and mounted them on the wall.
And as you can see, I have a "few" more spaces left to fill.
UNMOUNTING IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO!
AWESOME!! I am so jealous!! Your space looks wonderful!
My thoughts on resale value is this: Since SU has started making unmounted stamps and it is a "legitimate" option now...Unmounteds will have a viable part of the market.
There are a lot of folks going to the unmounted option.
There are a lot of other companies who are making unmounted rubber.
I think the resale market is going to be just as active in both types. Unmounteds are less expensive to start with so the resale price is going to be less, but I don't think it will be a negative factor.
Vicki...
You are fortunate to have only seventy-some sets.
I unmounted close to 300 sets and I have a few singles to remove yet.
Just an FYI...If your goal is to remove the rubber from the foam, most of the time it will come off without microwaving.
However, if you are removing the foam from the wood and want it undamaged, my experience is that about half the time, you don't need the microwave.
I don't think I used it on more than one or two sets, although I wasn't trying to save the foam...I transferred to EZMount.
I think you'll start seeing more SU sets that are unmounted on the market now that they are selling cling foam in the catalog. You'll never (unless you're lucky enough to have one of the sets people will pay $50 for) sell the sets for what you paid for them, so if unmounting yours will improve your crafting area/life then you should definitely go for it!
It IS a big job but so worth it. I found putting the stamps in my freezer worked better for me than microwaving them. To speed up the process what I did was used the micro for some and left a lot of stamps in the freezer overnight. The next day they unmounted easily. Some will always be stubborn no matter what method you use but for the most part, I got alot of stamps done doing that. Like you, I just wanted to get it done.
I completed my unmounting project earlier this year but I didn't do them all at once. I did it over about 6 monthsas I have about 5,000 stamps. I love the results as I know have more room to buy more. I only had a few that I had to microwave - most just pulled off. The only stamps I didn't unmount were those I plan to sell and my small stamps I use for making landscapes.
When you finish you will love the room and the sense of accomplishment. Keep going it's worth it!!!!!!!
Wow!! That's alot of stamps. You're making me look normal - lol. It must be a little difficult to decide what stamps you want to use for a project.
Actually unmounting made it easier to find a stamp. I store almost all my stamps by categories (baby, trees, leaves, etc). I only keep a few stamps by sets because they all go together. My sentiments are also stored by category (thanks, thinking of you, etc.).
My starting place varies from project to project. I may start with a color, a die, technique, or stamp. My room is messy but very organized so I can easily find items of the same color or theme. When starting a new project I just shop my room for ideas. :razz:
It sounds like you're very organized. Makes life easier. I had a bedroom made over and am using it as my craft room. Right now it's total chaos but I'm working on it. The problem is that NY like so many other places is having a heatwave. That room doesn't have an air conditioner and it's way too hot to stay in there for any length of time.
Ok, phew!! They are all unmounted, stickers on the back, TIOAO applied. Now I have decided to make an index sheet for each set and insert it into the cover of the SU clear case. This way I will be able to see if all the stamps are there after I use the set. I did six sets tonight - stamping both sides of the sheet. PITA, to be sure -- and slow going! But I am **** about not losing stamps - and that, for me, is the only down side of clear mount. I am more likely to lose stamps. If I have an index sheet, I apply the stamps against their images and I can see right away if a stamp is missing.
I can't wait for this part to be done!!!! This makes the peeling process look like a piece of cake.
Ok, phew!! They are all unmounted, stickers on the back, TIOAO applied. Now I have decided to make an index sheet for each set and insert it into the cover of the SU clear case. This way I will be able to see if all the stamps are there after I use the set. I did six sets tonight - stamping both sides of the sheet. PITA, to be sure -- and slow going! But I am **** about not losing stamps - and that, for me, is the only down side of clear mount. I am more likely to lose stamps. If I have an index sheet, I apply the stamps against their images and I can see right away if a stamp is missing.
I can't wait for this part to be done!!!! This makes the peeling process look like a piece of cake.
I feel your pain - I realy got tired of cleaning stamps!!
When I unmounted mine I stamped the index then unmounted the stamp so that it done all at the same time.
One good thing is that you are in the home stretch --
Ok, phew!! They are all unmounted, stickers on the back, TIOAO applied. Now I have decided to make an index sheet for each set and insert it into the cover of the SU clear case. This way I will be able to see if all the stamps are there after I use the set. I did six sets tonight - stamping both sides of the sheet. PITA, to be sure -- and slow going! But I am **** about not losing stamps - and that, for me, is the only down side of clear mount. I am more likely to lose stamps. If I have an index sheet, I apply the stamps against their images and I can see right away if a stamp is missing.
I can't wait for this part to be done!!!! This makes the peeling process look like a piece of cake.
If you're indexing the whole set like that, one thing that I've found really helpful is to use a nice big block and just slap on all of the stamps and ink them up all at once. If you don't have a block big enough, try an extra Cuttlebug plate. One of my large blocks has little marks that I put on it to show the boundaries for my index pages (5 x 8 index cards) - super simple to put a big bunch of stamps on it and know that they'll fit on the sheet.
Also, cleaning with a baby wipe is much easier than using a scrubber when you have a big block with tons of stamps on it. Just buy the cheapest alcohol-free brand. Cheap is better because they leave less fuzz behind than the expensive kinds.
Vicki!
You can do it! You are so close! Keep it up girl and you'll be done before you know it (maybe you are done already???) ;)
I too am in the midst of this process and just blogged about it tonight. If anyone reading this is needing a bit of ideas/instructions on how to unmount, here is the route I took: The Williamson Clan: Unmounting stamps and organizing my craft area
__________________ Karen in Colorado Springs; wife to a wonderful man and mother of 2 sweet young boys My SCS Gallery My Blog
This has probably been asked and answered but......when you have taken your stamp down to bare rubber, what did you use to stamp an image on the back of the red rubber so you can see what the stamp image is? I was thinking of doing that using the clear acrylic window sheets and Stazon. Is this workable or would/could something else work as well? So far with all the stamps I have unmounted, I didn't bother doing this. I just stamped the image on an index sheet and also one in a looseleaf where I keep a written and image record of all the stamps I have. Not quite finished doing that because now I decided to reorganize them and put them in categories. Are we EVER done organizing and reorganizing? Hmmm, I don't think so - lol.
This has probably been asked and answered but......when you have taken your stamp down to bare rubber, what did you use to stamp an image on the back of the red rubber so you can see what the stamp image is? I was thinking of doing that using the clear acrylic window sheets and Stazon. Is this workable or would/could something else work as well? So far with all the stamps I have unmounted, I didn't bother doing this. I just stamped the image on an index sheet and also one in a looseleaf where I keep a written and image record of all the stamps I have. Not quite finished doing that because now I decided to reorganize them and put them in categories. Are we EVER done organizing and reorganizing? Hmmm, I don't think so - lol.
I use EZ Mount, so it's easier to get the image onto the back. I either stamp with StazOn onto the EZ Mount before taking the stamp off the wood block, or if it's already down to bare rubber, I just lay the rubber face up on the table to ink it, then press the EZ Mount onto it, or pick up the inked rubber and lay it face down on the EZ Mount. Either way, I press with an acrylic block to make sure I get a good image on the foam.
Wow ladies:
I'm so far behind on catching up on things i never knew SU now sells Unmounteds..
I too Love my Unmounteds and I use Arleenes Tack it over and over I bought the bottles online as there are no crafts shops no wheres near me.
I order the emptied Cd's cases online too and I just love unmounteds..
I got CD towers and racks and that is where i keep my unmounteds...
I also bought on lawn sales the desk top swivel cd's storage units and i keep them immediate stamps or my favorite stamps on top of my work table...
So much fun...
__________________ Sincerely
Lillibet
Creations By Lillibet
on Face Book also you can find my etsy shop under
Creations By Lillibet
Vicki!
You can do it! You are so close! Keep it up girl and you'll be done before you know it (maybe you are done already???) ;)
I too am in the midst of this process and just blogged about it tonight. If anyone reading this is needing a bit of ideas/instructions on how to unmount, here is the route I took: The Williamson Clan: Unmounting stamps and organizing my craft area
I just read your blog -- you are really going to town with the reorganizing -- good for you!
I have hit a plateau in my unmounting process. We went out of town for a few days so nothing much has gotten done. But it's finally raining here today, so I am going to spend an hour or so stamping index sheets. So far, this is the most tedious part of the process. I'm about half way done with the indexing. Then I need to make nice labels so I can see what is in which DVD box while they are on the shelf. Then I'm DONE!!! Whoo hoooo - the finish line is in sight!
If you're indexing the whole set like that, one thing that I've found really helpful is to use a nice big block and just slap on all of the stamps and ink them up all at once. If you don't have a block big enough, try an extra Cuttlebug plate. One of my large blocks has little marks that I put on it to show the boundaries for my index pages (5 x 8 index cards) - super simple to put a big bunch of stamps on it and know that they'll fit on the sheet.
Also, cleaning with a baby wipe is much easier than using a scrubber when you have a big block with tons of stamps on it. Just buy the cheapest alcohol-free brand. Cheap is better because they leave less fuzz behind than the expensive kinds.
I finally figured out the big block trick last night -- and you're right, that is much easier!
And I am heading to Walmart for baby wipes --- MUCH better method for cleaning stamps. Thank you for that tip!!
You will be so happy when you finish the unmounting!! It took me awhile, but I LOVE the unmounted much better! I have so much more space in my craft room now. I bought the media wall unit from The Container Store, so I can add extra shelf units as needed, & each of those shelf units holds about 40 CD/DVD cases! Right now I have about 7 shelves and can get at least 3 more on the wall bracket!
I just started unmounting my SU stamp sets. I got 37 sets into 9 clearmount cases! Two of the cases have 5 sets each in them. Can you believe it?
Fortunately, when I first started buying stamps, I made a habit of making two copies of the sticker sheet before I pulled them off and stuck them on the wood. I put one cut down copy into the bottom of the clamshell case and a full size sheet into a notebook separated by categories like the SU catalog. (Elements, Nature, Growing Up, etc.) When I buy a clearmount set, I copy the sheet and put it in my index notebook. Now that I am unmounting, I can take the copy out of the clamshell and slip it into the sleeve of the clearmount case. I feel SOOOOOO clever! ;)
All my stamps are in numbered boxes and the number of the box is on the sheet in my index notebook, so I can just go to the right box and pull out the set I need. I am keeping those numbers for the moment and may just line the cases up on shelves with the numbers together (all the ones, all the twos, etc.)
This is going to be a big job, but since my craft room upstairs is not airconditioned, the foam is coming off the wood nicely without having to microwave it.
My only dislike is being so sticky with the mounting glue and the TIOAO, I can't let go of the stamps sometmes to lay them out to dry! Any suggestions along those lines?
__________________ Sylvia D.
Melodious Mingler Grandma My Gallery
My only dislike is being so sticky with the mounting glue and the TIOAO, I can't let go of the stamps sometmes to lay them out to dry! Any suggestions along those lines?
This is exactly one of the reasons I stopped using TIOAO. I had stamps laying all over my room until they dried. Can't help for a suggestion since I went back to EZ Mount. For me, it's worth the cost to be able to make my index sheet, unmount, remount, and put the set away in one session.
This is exactly one of the reasons I stopped using TIOAO. I had stamps laying all over my room until they dried. Can't help for a suggestion since I went back to EZ Mount. For me, it's worth the cost to be able to make my index sheet, unmount, remount, and put the set away in one session.
I thought about using the EZ Mount, but I hated trimming my stamps in the first place when I got them new. I would REALLY hate to think about having to cut them all out again, not to mention the expense of buying all that EZ Mount! I guess I will just have to get sticky. :(
__________________ Sylvia D.
Melodious Mingler Grandma My Gallery
Sylvia -- I am in AWE of your organizational foresight. Why didn't I think of that???? Making copies of the sticker sheets would have eliminated tons of work!
I have been removing the stamps from the blocks, dab on the tIOAO, place them in the original clamshell box to dry. That way they stay dust free, organized by set while they dry.
I dilute my TIOAO with a little water. This is what I do to restick my cricut mats. Since I already had a container of diluted glue, I used that to dab on the stamps. Makes it just a little bit less tacky.
I do that, too, Vicki! I can do lots of sets at a time without having to wait for more drying space. I just put them back in the clamshell and stack them up to dry.
Now why didn't I think of diluting the TIOAO? I'm going to try that. Thanks for the hint.
By the way, you can copy the picture on the blocks even after they have been mounted, although the copy quality is not quite as good. Just put the blocks on the copier. I have done that with sets I bought on Ebay and it sure saves a lot of stamping to make indexes. It works best if you make a "mask" by cutting a square in the center of a sheet of copy paper about the size of the set of stamps and putting the blocks in the hole. KWIM?
You can also peel off the sticker and stick it to the foam on the unmounted stamp. I did that after reading the instructions on this website suggested by Karen in post #21. http://www.williamsonclan.us/2011/07...nizing-my.html
To be honest I was doing that, but was tired of being sticky so now I only do it if I don't have a good copy of the stamp set.
__________________ Sylvia D.
Melodious Mingler Grandma My Gallery
Vicki ( vdoyle8 ) mentioned that she diluted her TIOAO and I tried it. What a difference! I am not nearly as sticky as I was with the full strength TIOAO! I tried it last night and checked the stamps this morning and they are still EXTREMELY tacky, plenty enough to stick to my acrylic blocks for stamping! YOU GOTTA TRY THIS, GIRLS!!!!
Thank you for the comment, Vicki! You saved me from the sticky monster!
__________________ Sylvia D.
Melodious Mingler Grandma My Gallery
You are so welcome -- I'm delighted I helped someone! I keep a little rubbermaid container with the diluted TIOAO on hand because it's what I use to resticky my cricut mats.
I completed my unmounting project earlier this year but I didn't do them all at once. I did it over about 6 monthsas I have about 5,000 stamps. I love the results as I know have more room to buy more. I only had a few that I had to microwave - most just pulled off. The only stamps I didn't unmount were those I plan to sell and my small stamps I use for making landscapes.
When you finish you will love the room and the sense of accomplishment. Keep going it's worth it!!!!!!!
Did you use the SU cases or cd cases to put yours in? I am doing mine and I am not sure which I should use. If you used cd cases did you buy a particular brand? I love the space I am saving, it is amazing. I figured it would probably be cheaper to use the cd cases when I could... Thanks for the info
Patti
You are so welcome -- I'm delighted I helped someone! I keep a little rubbermaid container with the diluted TIOAO on hand because it's what I use to resticky my cricut mats.
Ohhhhhhhhhhh thanks for the tip. I will for sure dilute mine, do you have a formula half and half???
I'm sure it does. But I don't buy stamps as an investment ;-)
Seriously, I would rather have the accessible and usable than try to preserve a resale value.
That said, I did take a look at stampin up sets on ebay the other night and it seemed that sets were selling for a pittance. So I am going to keep my sets for the long haul, consider them art supplies and forget about selling them.
I did pull out about 15 sets that I just don't see me using again and will try to sell those. I'm not going to unmount those, obviously..
It greatly reduces the value of the stamp sets when you unmount them. Make sure they are ones you plan to keep!
Used sets aren't getting prices like they did 4 years ago, but some still fetch high prices. It doesn't go by the original price,, it goes by the design of the set. Ones that are a few brush stroke lines, and look like a very simple drawing are very common and don't have much resale value at all. Give them to kids to use! However the ones with great designs, the unusual, and detailed, will always sell well.
Used the advanced search and put in the set and look for "completed listings last 15 days" and you can see what that set sold for in the last two weeks.
Did you use the SU cases or cd cases to put yours in? I am doing mine and I am not sure which I should use. If you used cd cases did you buy a particular brand? I love the space I am saving, it is amazing. I figured it would probably be cheaper to use the cd cases when I could... Thanks for the info
Patti
I'm sure the cd cases would be cheaper but I bought my cases from SU. I don't love the cd cases my papertreyink stamps come in, don't know why... they just seem flimsier to me. So I splurged and bought the SU cases, thankfully before they increased the price.
I used about 14 less cases than I bought because I was able to fit at least two sets in each case. I also put some sets in with existing clear mount sets, maximizing those cases as well.
Did you use the SU cases or cd cases to put yours in? I am doing mine and I am not sure which I should use. If you used cd cases did you buy a particular brand? I love the space I am saving, it is amazing. I figured it would probably be cheaper to use the cd cases when I could... Thanks for the info
Patti
I originally used the SU! clearmount cases, but when they increased the price to $5.95 for 4 cases, I started looking for something a little less expensive. My hubby and I are on a fixed income and I don't have a lot of dollars to throw around. I tried to find DVD cases like the ones from SU!, but couldn't find any without the little DVD holder in it. I just bit the bullet and bought a pack of 10 for $3.29 at Micro Center (a local computer parts store) to try and they work great! I still can usually put at least two stamp sets in each one. I just work it out so one set has large stamps and one set has smaller stamps that I can stick around the little post in the middle. It works great and I am paying $.32 each instead of $1.50 each. A BIG SAVINGS!! I will use a few more cases since I can get maybe three sets or even four in a SU! case, and only one or two in the regular DVD case, but the savings are still phenomenal!
__________________ Sylvia D.
Melodious Mingler Grandma My Gallery
I need an unmounting pep talk!
