Tuesday Trick or Treat!

Hello, Memory Bound Friends!

Every Tuesday during the month of October, we thought it would be fun to share a trick or treat! So today we are starting off with a trick!! 

Do you season your stamps?

I asked to borrow a Tim Holtz stamp set from Maggie. She had yet to use it and then shared with me that she likes to "season" her new stamps before using them...just like Tim Holtz!(imagine that!) 

She went on to explain how when you use a brand new stamp, the image wasn't so great, but got better as time went along and you used the stamp more often. You are actually  conditioning the stamp on your own over time!  But wouldn't you like to have a nice clean image from the very first stamp? Let me share with you how to season or condition your stamps.

This is the stamp set that I borrowed from Maggie.

 

To season it, Maggie explained, I needed to take the stamp set out of the package and leave the stamps on the plastic, with the stamp side facing up.

 

Then use Ranger Archival Black Ink to began the seasoning. I inked all the stamps with Archival Black and..wait for it...let the ink dry on the stamp!

 

Done! Your stamps are seasoned! No cleaning off the ink...ever! I did, however,  use embossing ink on the stamps and cleaned off the ink with warm water. But, when stamping with inks, no need to clean!

Here is an actual before seasoning and an after "seasoning" stamp! WOW!! The difference is particularly noticeable with solid images, such as this one. The un-seasoned stamp leaves a blotchy image. So, why is seasoning necessary? Brand new stamps have a film or residue on the rubber as a result of the manufacturing process. This prevents them from absorbing the ink optimally.

I am sure there are other ways to season stamps that you may know of or have tried with success! If you would like to share, leave your idea in the comments!

What will you stamp today?!

Katie