Is it me? Whispers stamps

[sweetpea]

I've got a few of these stamps that came in kits and went to use one the other day and it jsut didn't take the ink well at all. They are rubber, not clear stamps but I just couldn't get an even layer at all.

Is there anything that can be done with these or are they just permanently naff? I quite like the shapes I have so i'd like to be able to use them

Thanks!

[Hysteri-CAL]

Have you 'treated' the rubber before you have used the stamps ?

I always take some sellotape and 'pat' the rubber, as this pulls off any residue from the rubber. You could also give the stamps a bit of a clean with stazon cleaner or soap and water.

If these stamps are image heavy - as in lots of detail - then with rubber stamps of this nature, I always brayer the ink onto the stamp to ensure an equal covering.

Sometimes with really large detailed stamps, i'll brayer the ink on, and then rather take the stamp to the paper .... I leave the stamp upside down with the image facing up, and take the paper to the ink.

I hope one of these ideas will help you. x

[MaryAnne]

I just read somewhere, I forget where it was, about "conditioning" your stamps - but I think it was referring specifically to polymer stamps - by rubbing over the image area with one of those rubber cement pick-up squares. You might try that and see if it helps?
Here is one that may help
http://www.scrapbook-advice.com/Rubb...ditioning.html

[shimelle]

I haven't used the whispers stamps, but I have found that on some brands, rubbing with a white eraser helps get the reside off too and then the ink doesn't bead.

[Mystik Nat]

If they are just regular red rubber or grey rubber I have always used used some strips of sellotape (the more tacky variety) to take the coating off the stamped image. It has always fixed the problem for me, especially if I have rubbed down on the Sellotape to make sure it has really stuck well to all of the image.

[Flo]

If they are just regular red rubber or grey rubber I have always used used some strips of sellotape (the more tacky variety) to take the coating off the stamped image. It has always fixed the problem for me, especially if I have rubbed down on the Sellotape to make sure it has really stuck well to all of the image.

I do this too with any new stamps

[sweetpea]

ah! I've done this with the clear stamps but didn't realise it was the same with the rubber ones too. I shall try these techniques and then have another go. Thanks for all the help and suggestions; I'm glad I'm not going to have to bin them all!