OK, so this has been an ongoing & evolving issue.It also seems like this time of the year is when I get into overhauling storage to make it more user friendly. When I first started buying stamps, almost everything was wood-mounted. Then Barbara Gray came up with Clear stamps, and the market boomed. Sheets of rubber stamps started to become readily available, then individual rubber stamps, all unmounted. At the outset, the main option here was to attach the stamps to a foam layer, usually EZ Mount, or Kling-on being the two most well known. The lack of wood mount did help with storage,as the foam layer clung to laminated sheets just like clear stamps. Personally, I noticed after a few years, some of the foam had started to shrink on the back of the stamps, causing them to not stay on the storage sheets, and making the stamp itself curve in a concave fashion. It also still took up more space than bare rubber- but then you need a method of attaching the stamps to a carrier sheet. After I removed the foam from the majority of my stamps, I looked at how to do this. Most recommendations were for Aileenes Tack It Over & Over, or Tombow Mono Multi glues for this. I've tried both, along with Quickie Glue pens, and to be honest have had mixed results with all of them.Then, quite by chance, I saw this method being used, and to be honest, I thought it was sheer genius.
I was watching one of Kevin Nakagawas recent Stampscaping 101 videos, and noticed he had his bare rubber stored in the storage sheets you use to keep coin/banknote/postcard collections in. So, I dived in and ordered some sheets. They come in a wide variety of options- 2/3/4/6/8/9/20 pockets per sheet, and I'll give the link to them at the end.
I transferred first my Stampscapes stamps, as there are a number of
small filler stamps in this range, and they have a nasty habit of
dropping off the sheet. These tiny stamps go into the coin holder sheets.
I made up index pages in Photoshop to go in plastic document pockets opposite each page of stamps.
Medium sized stamps go into the 4 pocket pages.
Larger ones into the 3 pocket ones.
Others fit nicely into the 9 pocket pages.
The whole beauty of this is that now I don't need any adhesive on the back of my stamps, just some Tack'N'Peel on a few acrylic blocks, which I've already done, and the jobs a good 'un!
The Tack'N'Peel is transparent, so your block can still be used for
other stamps on the opposite side. And if it starts to loose it's
tackiness, just rinse under the tap and let it air dry. As long as you keep the clear plastic protective sheet on the Tacky side when not in use, you'll have no problems with it.
This is the supplier I got mine from,
Westgate Supplies, originally via Amazon, but the second batch direct from them. A huge selection of sheets, and very good prices, I thought.
The link takes you directly to the page with the storage pockets on, and then you can pick what you want from the drop down list on the left.
Tack'N'Peel available from Amazon,
here.
It comes in A5 sized sheets, and is easily cut to size to fit your block, by placing the block on the Sticky side of the T&P, then cutting around it with a craft knife.
