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I'm am so annoyed with myself . Finally got some mojo back and started on some Christmas cards. I spent several hours working on two cards and realized I'm a messy stamper.. I had to destroy one card after almost finishing it because I had glue smudges everywhere and dirt or smudges that were probably ink elsewhere. I have started to use more liquid glue so that I have a few minutes to move things but have noticed it can be hard to work with. I try to use small amounts so it doesn't squeeze out but I still struggle. I try to keep wipes on my desk so that if I notice I have anything on my hands I can clean them, but again that must not be good enough. I have a very small place to work in which is part of the issue. I am a very neat person in my real life so this is not my m.o..So any hints here...I waste so much project because of this issue! I know we all make mistakes at times and I'm pretty good at hiding them at times but I think I waste more than I should because of this issue.
One of the worst things is when glue or tape get on our card and we can not use it. I have this product "Xyron Adhesive 2 Inch by 2 Inch Eraser" which I find a life saver. Works great with tape runners.
__________________ Mary Jo
prairiepapercrafter.blogspot.com
I'm also a messy stamper but I've taught myself some things that help. I also use a lot of liquid glue because my ATG (tape runner) can be awkward. My hints:
Get a glue eraser. It will remove most liquid glue and tape, but not glossy accents
Put small amount of glue on scrap paper and apply with a toothpick
Use tweezers to hold and pick-up sticky items - this really saves me from getting glue on my fingers. I buy these cheap tweezers and considered them "disposable" because I usually ruin them after about 6 months.
When I glue something down, instead of pressing it down with my bare hands, I put a paper towel or scrap paper over the area and press it down to keep my hands clean.
I really have to remind myself to wipe my hands frequently. It takes practice and it's still not second nature, but I am getting better.
Clean your tools - my tools are always sticky so every now and then I stop and clean them with a citrus cleaner or odorless mineral spirits (OMS).
From teaching classes, I've learned that most people use waaaaaaaaaaaaay to much glue. Instead of a lot of glue, it's better to put a wee amount of glue in the right places.
And at last resort - add an embellishment! LOL I'll always be a messy stamper, in fact I kind of like not worrying about the mess I make right up to the point I ruin something and then there are cuss words involved ;)
I almost ruined a card today by having glue on my craft mat. It must have squeezed out from the edges of the card because I try and just put a little bead around the edges so the layer doesn't lift. I didn't see the glue because it was already getting clear!
So, now I'm having a microfiber cloth nearby that's damp. I can easily wipe the craft mat every so often even if it looks like it's clean! Wipes up ink smudges and embossing powder, too.
__________________ We can't all be stars but we can all twinkle.
I use the same glue eraser Mary Jo told you about,
one more thing is to add some purell? hand sanitizer to your table... it cleans off things you will not remove with just a regular baby wipe. ( I do not have a sink upstairs)
this stuff removes paint off my hands and or ink off my bigshot plates if I cut a sentiment too soon. ( its the weather is wonky here so, some sentiments I stamped yesterday were still not dry today and how I found that out was die cutting one, then die cutting the second and having the inking words transfer to the second...)
yes, I get that. I am not messy in real life so it is annoying every time this happens.
Thanks everyone. I too do not have a sink close to where I craft so I love the purell idea. I do always keep cloths and paper towels handy and that has helped. I could probably use less glue which I will work on. I think also I need to just work more slowly...the creative process takes me so long that by the time I get to putting the card together maybe I hurry more than I realized.
I keep cotton swaps on my table and run a damp one around the edge of a stamp after inking to keep from getting smudges on a card
I found pointy Qtips in the make up department. I also keep tooth picks handy for picking off liquid glue as well as squirting a bit of glue on a scrap piece of paper and using tooth pick to put dots of glue on strategic points.
Another tip - use an embossing buddy to "destick" any glue that might have eeked out from somewhere after it has dried. Hope that is clear. The little deals that are full of talc powder.... (wipe off whatever you can before the glue dries of course, but after it has dried it can still cause problems)
I'm also a messy stamper but I've taught myself some things that help. I also use a lot of liquid glue because my ATG (tape runner) can be awkward. My hints:
Get a glue eraser. It will remove most liquid glue and tape, but not glossy accents
Put small amount of glue on scrap paper and apply with a toothpick
Use tweezers to hold and pick-up sticky items - this really saves me from getting glue on my fingers. I buy these cheap tweezers and considered them "disposable" because I usually ruin them after about 6 months.
When I glue something down, instead of pressing it down with my bare hands, I put a paper towel or scrap paper over the area and press it down to keep my hands clean.
I really have to remind myself to wipe my hands frequently. It takes practice and it's still not second nature, but I am getting better.
Clean your tools - my tools are always sticky so every now and then I stop and clean them with a citrus cleaner or odorless mineral spirits (OMS).
From teaching classes, I've learned that most people use waaaaaaaaaaaaay to much glue. Instead of a lot of glue, it's better to put a wee amount of glue in the right places.
And at last resort - add an embellishment! LOL I'll always be a messy stamper, in fact I kind of like not worrying about the mess I make right up to the point I ruin something and then there are cuss words involved ;)
I bought a great set of two very fine tip tweezers on ebay for less than a buck. Look in nail art. They are terrific for crafting. I use them to set tiny pearls & rhinestones.
I too had gluing problems. I never apply glue to something while it's actually on my project. I use those single sheet ads that come in an envelope from advertising companies all the time. I grab one and instead put glue on using them as a scratch paper. Then use tweezers to place the piece onto the project. Once there is a glue mess on this scratch paper I throw it away and grab another piece from the envelope.
For glue I use the Zig 2 Way Glue pen. It is easy to use and keeps a small amount of glue where I want it to be. They come in various widths.
It also is easier to place a small dot of glue on your project where you want to place a small items like a sequin and then use tweezers to place it onto the glue. I do use the Tombow Multi with green cap for heavier things and do have problems with it on my hands. It is very hard to get off. I will try the hand sanitizer trick!
For me, the mess is often on the part of the card I'm not working on, such as the back. I finish the card and then find out I have a smudge that I picked up from my craft mat. One tip that really prevents this is to use a piece of masking film or large Post-it note to cover the card back before I start making the card. It works great...... when I remember to do it!!;)
I gave up gluing things and I invested in a Xyron Create a Sticker machine. Wow, it makes dealing with die cuts so much easier as it makes the die cut a sticker. For small pearls and findings I purchased Bling size glue dots... such a life saver. Tweezers are your best friend for tiny things and I have 4 different kinds and sizes of tweezers.
As far as keeping my fingers clean when I use inks well that's a different story. I use baby wipes and I am very lucky that my craft room is close to a bathroom and I have liquid soap there to keep them clean! I learned a long time ago to ink stamps facing up and apply the ink to the stamp that way so I keep my fingers away from the ink pad and can watch where the ink is going so I don't get it on places where it shouldn't be.
As has been stated before, if I do get glue on my card, the Xyron glue remover that is 2x2 inches in size is ideal for removing glue, but the glue I might get on my card is using from tape runners.
For the ink problem, I find that the MISTI has been a tremendous help in keeping ink off my fingers. I use Ranger Matte Medium to adhere small things as well as foam to the back of my top layer for dimension. I use to use the green top Tombow glue but it was always leaving yellow spots when it would seep out. The Matte Medium doesn't show if it seeps a bit. I put the medium in a needle nose bottle so it comes out in tiny bits and it is great for using to adhere sequins, rhinestones, die cuts, etc. One other piece of advice is to use double stick tape (with whatever paper you want) for your tiny die cut on the top. Then I die cut and peel off the backing and it will be self sticking! A wonderful idea but sometimes, I forget to do that and use the Matte Medium in those cases. Just use tiny dots all around it and use needle nose tweezers to place it. HTH!
First you need to find a bigger space! Even if it's just a table you set up temporarily! It's impossible to work cleanly when you have no room to move.
When you use liquid glue, don't put it too close to the edges! Then use a scrap of Cardstock or a glue spreader (kids use them in school) to get the glue in a thin layer near the edge but not too close.
Don't just wipe your hands but also wipe the edges of your ink pads and your acrylic block as they can have ink on them too.
Dye inks might work better than pigment inks which it sounds like you are using. They dry faster so you don't have to worry about smudges so often.
And don't trash something because of a small smudge! Cover it with a sequin, rhinestone, pearl or enamel dot (add a few others too)!!
I make messes as well, but its a part of the creative process, lol... I try to keep it to a minimum by keeping a spray bottle filled with 90% alcohol close at hand to spray and wipe up ink off my mat and hands in addition to baby wipes... As for removing glue I use the glue remover eraser and as previously stated embellish over a stain. I also keep plenty of old towels around that I moisten with a few sprays of alcohol to clean up with while I'm working with alcohol inks and acrylics... When spraying inks I use a cardboard box bottom layered with old newspapers to contain the over spray... I use acrylic box frames as trays to corral the stamps and inks that I'm working with, as well as setting up a cleaning station for used stamps which holds stamp cleaners, drying towels and scrubbers and a flip top sandwich container or a plastic shoe box with water and a touch of DAWN to dip stencils in to give them a quick clean or soak.
In addition, I purchased a stack of foam rectangular trays, like they use in the meat department, at the local dollar store (paper plate area). I use them as paint palettes, embellishment trays, coasters for water containers and more.
I'm am so annoyed with myself . Finally got some mojo back and started on some Christmas cards. I spent several hours working on two cards and realized I'm a messy stamper.. I had to destroy one card after almost finishing it because I had glue smudges everywhere and dirt or smudges that were probably ink elsewhere. I have started to use more liquid glue so that I have a few minutes to move things but have noticed it can be hard to work with. I try to use small amounts so it doesn't squeeze out but I still struggle. I try to keep wipes on my desk so that if I notice I have anything on my hands I can clean them, but again that must not be good enough. I have a very small place to work in which is part of the issue. I am a very neat person in my real life so this is not my m.o..So any hints here...I waste so much project because of this issue! I know we all make mistakes at times and I'm pretty good at hiding them at times but I think I waste more than I should because of this issue.
That's why I like tape for my adhesive---I'm so messy when it comes to glue. Undo will easily remove a layer taped on crooked or whatever with no residual mess. Using tape has cut down on one mess for me.
I too had gluing problems. I never apply glue to something while it's actually on my project. I use those single sheet ads that come in an envelope from advertising companies all the time. I grab one and instead put glue on using them as a scratch paper. Then use tweezers to place the piece onto the project. Once there is a glue mess on this scratch paper I throw it away and grab another piece from the envelope.
For glue I use the Zig 2 Way Glue pen. It is easy to use and keeps a small amount of glue where I want it to be. They come in various widths.
It also is easier to place a small dot of glue on your project where you want to place a small items like a sequin and then use tweezers to place it onto the glue. I do use the Tombow Multi with green cap for heavier things and do have problems with it on my hands. It is very hard to get off. I will try the hand sanitizer trick!
Since I still have a landline, I use old phone books for gluing projects. When one page gets sticky, I just rip it off and throw it away. It's compact and can sit right next to me for quick use.
Are you a messy stamper...any hints to do better
Messy Stamping
