Wednesday 28 April 2010

No defence, more an explanation. Or not.

Great WOYWW everybody - really enjoyed that!



Taken late last night after a clear up, here is the basket of unwashed stamps that is vexing quite a few people. I know, it's torture. But it's OK. They're my stamps and I don't mind. As you can see from the glistening and gloopy black ink, there are a few that have pigment ink on them - and that amount of glycerine isn't drying anytime soon, so they'll clean up perfectly well. Others, like the clear stamps and any that I've used permanent ink on will still be cleaned. They may or may not be stained, but they will be clean. And they'll all be put away on their shelves. Not labelled or necessarily in any sort of group, but mount facing, for ease of reference.

I don't use chemicals to clean them unless I borrow a stamp from someone; then I do clean immediately after using - with Stazon cleaner. I may be lazy with my own stuff, but not with yours. I actually use a scrub pad, not unlike the SU! one, and I use washing up liquid and water on it. I don't run the wood mounted ones under the tap and I do wash the clear stamps in hot soapy water after a good scrub. I also always have the plug in - those little ones glide down the plug hole as easy as you like......

Another really interesting thing that came to light for me this week is the number of people that catalogue their stamp collections for fear of buying the same thing twice. Never done it - I can't be bothered, there's a surprise! But it doesn't matter. I can't tell you, list fashion, what I've got, but when I see it for sale I know I already have it, and I can walk into any shop that sells 'em and tell you from looking at their stamps what I haven't got. And I can (with the odd polymer exception), tell you the stamp manufacturer without handling it. I dunno if it's a gift per se, but it has proven useful! The incredible point of this erm, skill, is that I can barely remember what I had for breakfast most days, so this long term stuff is a teeny miracle!


So ya see, I do the right things, in my own time. I'm still living and breathing, my stamp collection is intact and everything is fine. Of course, I may well go to hell for these acts of idleness. But I suspect that I'll be so busy shaking hands with loads of other bloggers that I'll barely have time to be a stamp cleaner there, either!


And finally, as if asking for another wave of anxiety, here's another card from the Christmas stuff we did last week. Nesties bird...gotta love my scroll stamps again. Inkadinkado, btw!

32 comments:

Paige said...

You're far too busy being wonderful you and crafting to bother with cleaning them stamps! and don't you worry about it, if it works stick to your guns about it ;) I must say I was amazed at your stamp knowledge when we were at HC the other week.

Mandy said...

I sooooo like your thinking Julia....life is to short to spend scrubbing our stamps all day...if I cleaned a stamp everytime I used it or cleaned my desk, I would never get time to create and be a momma!

Rosie said...

I may have been (a bit) shocked but would defend to the death your right not to clean your stamps AT ALL (Tim Holtz never seems to)! The very thought of someone who actually knows the manufacturer of their stamps is AWESOME ... but I'm with you on the breakfast remembering.

airing cupboard crafts said...

I can never be bothered to clean stamps either. You should be on mastermind and when the ask your specialist subject you can say rubber stamps lol. The cars is lovely xx

airing cupboard crafts said...

Should have said card x

Spyder said...

yes, you're right, the stamps with that very sticky wet ink actually LOVE being covered in it, it's what they were made for!!
but I do have the odd very rare day, when I say...must clean my stamps...and then I lose one, tiny clear one, down the plug hole!
(Lyn)

Craft Addicts - Tracy Evans said...

Love the Christmas card Julia. I'm with you I cannot be bothered to catalogue my stamps, and I'm sure I know exactly what I've got. I'm organised but not that organised LOL. Tracy x x

Twiglet said...

Well I bet you feel better for getting that off your chest!! Lol - life is far to short to spend hours cleaning. My craft room is half done but here I am tweaking a wedding horseshoe with beads and hand embroidery! The rest can wait - I am busy. Lots of WOYWWers yesterday - well done!!

Annie said...

Oh look who just left you a comment :-) I seem to follow her around rather a lot :-) I have to agree with her too. Who wastes time cleaning when they can be having fun crafting instead?...if you could see the dust I'm looking at here you would know what I mean :-)...I'm immune to dust thankfully.
It was another fab WOYWW so thank you again for getting us all together.
A x

Helen said...

I do remember most of my stamps, but I just like to be sure!! And now I've started, I shall continue.... I use a scrub it mat too, with just water and only use stazon cleaner for stazon inked stamps, however I do try to clean as I go. We are all different and that's what's great! I was trying to find the very first post of WOYWW last year, but had fun looking!

Jamie said...

I love this idea! Bit late for this week but will try and join in next week:)

Patrice said...

Oh my goodness Julia, I thought I was bad not cleaning a half dozen or so stamps at the end of a crafting session, your 'large' container wins hands down lol!!!

Oh and I too have a list of all the stamps I own, and - wait for it - an image next to said set. I do know what I own so I use the list (with piccies) to find a particular image when I'm in the middle of 'creating'. Saves me getting off my bum and going to my stamp storage shelf and rummaging through!

Liverpool Lou (Anne) said...

Love the card Julia, love that bird :)
As for stamps well I do clean mine with a babywipe immediately after use unless I'm in a real hurry. I have one of those scrubpads too - 'cos I'd tried the SU one and liked it but didn't want to spend that amount when the babywipes were working perfectly well. What would people think of my stamps I wonder I tend to keep most of them in their packs but then just piked into the base cut off a cardboard box and mounted ones more or less plonked in similar base - most of those are unused though. I suppose though if I ever owned the amount that others do I may have to be more orderly.
Oh well off to do more snooping, didn't even get round half yesterday 'cos I did have to take the grandkids for their piano lesson then linedancing last night :)
Anne xx

Mummylade said...

I totally know all my stamps as well - buying a duplicate would never happen. But I categorize them nevertheless cause if I didn't they would be all over the place and my brain would melt =)

The Crafty Goat Girl said...

Hi Julia, lovely card, that bird is scrummy! Know what you mean re the stamps, I do clean mine immediately after using though, just with a soft baby wipe. I have had to on many occasion, take the odd one back due to having it more than once. Alot of my stamps are unused and unloved, but very much wanted, lol! I will have to go back and take a look as I cant remember half of what I have, lol! Enjoy your day, Heidi xx

Penni said...

I seem to know all the stamps I have too, I cannot name them all, but I've never bought a duplicate!!!

I do struggle with the day of the week and things like what I ate for breakfast though, and if something isn't on my calendar then it definately doesn't happy - which my mother in law recently discovered when we didn't turn up for dinner recently ooops!!!

Hugs
Penni
X

Darcy Marshall said...

Lovely lil birdie Julia, and I NEVER clean my own stamps, never,ever. Life is too short.x

I have also never bought duplicate stamps...paper pads yes, but stamps no.

Diana said...

You stamping ladies amaze me! I don't have a clue what to do with the few stamps I have. Yet I keep buying them. They are so nice looking, but when I get them home I have no idea...

Alix said...

great topic!
i have a personal theory that i like arty stuff to look paint/ink splattered and *used*...the dirtier my stamps are...the more i love them!!

peggy gatto said...

thanks for "freeing" me from obsessive occasional cleaning!!
you asked me about the "letter" from WOYWW!
Here goes!
My sister and I went to Paris(April!) 10 years ago. We stayed at a little Inn, La Lucarne aux Chouettes, owned and operated by Leslie Caron. I had read about it in Victoria magazine. We had a delightful time! The name means the "owl's nest". I took a small book of watercolor postcard and some pens. I sketched the Inn and a small owl's nest with owl! I gave it to the concierge to give to Leslie with a note on the back to say what a nice time we had!
the following december I got this note from her.
It was a thank you for the postcard drawing. Part of the letter says " How very kind of you and what a lovely decoration. I asked Alain (concierge) to put it in evidence on our Christmas decorations"!
Wasn't that sweet of her?
thanks for asking so I could remeber the story!!!

ally fiddy said...

Please, please don show your dirty stamps, you know how it freaks me out. I had to go into therapy after the last card marathon cos I couldnt run and gently clean each stamp after every use. :-D

Claire said...

Lurvely lil birdie Julia. I found 4 Tim Holtz Stamps that I didn't even know I owned the other day, I can remember what stash went with what kit & most of what I own stahs wise but I can never remember where it is when I need it.
Thanks for your lovely comment on my blog too.
x

Carmen said...

I just swish my stamps with a wet wipe - didn't even know there were scrubs and stuff... hey. I've only just learnt how to do housework so am a novice really ;)

I love your stamp basket you rebel you! I agree with Alix, I love seeing my paint brushes with paint up the handles and remnants of ink on my stamps. Proves they are used and not gathering dust :P

mckinkle said...

Good for you girl! Each to their own I reckon!

It was a great week on woyww, I just couldnt join in as still havent managed to clear my desk - my desk clearing and your stamp cleaning are the same I reckon!!

Lovely novel xmas card, fab colours Julia!

Have a great weekend!

Keryn x

Create With Joy said...

Oh too funny - one of the reasons I don't stamp more is because I am so obsessive about having to stop and clean them after EVERY SNGLE USE! I mean, I stamp something, I have to then stamp the ink off on scraps til it comes clean - THEN I have to obsessively clean them (with water AND stamp cleaner) til they are as new looking as I can get them (it PAINS me when I have yucky inky looking stamps!) I can live with light staining but I don't do well with the nasties! My mom is like that in the kitchen and I think it spilled over on me in the stamp room! (It's about the only thing I can think of that I am that obsessive clean with!) I have friends who LOVE to loan me their stamps because they KNOW they will get it back in better shape than they sent it, lol!

Ramona
http://create-with-joy.blogspot.com

Scrapcat 1 said...

I don't clean my stamps either if fact, stamp cleaners don't read this bit, I ink my new stamps up so i can see the detail on them before I even use them. I did try the SU cleaning pad thingy and liked it but I don't think i would use it as I don't have any mounted stamps anymore.
Love your birdie card
Tracy

HeARTworks said...

Is cleaning with baby wipes a no no? It doesn't take much to clean up after if it's as convenient as having a wipe by your side, is it? Anyway, stamps are so expensive here in the Philippines, I don't buy much. I make my own from erasers. But some erasers melt after it gets in contact with baby wipes!
:^) patsy

Joanne said...

Well, I got a few comments about having a tidy workroom, but to be honest, if I didn't put stuff away after using it, there would'nt be room to craft 'cos my space is so small. As for keeping it clean - well, that's another story. I think the dust adds character!!!! I do however, clean most of my stamps, oops! sorry ladies. xx

Mummylade said...

Sweden is still a very pagan country hehe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walpurgis_Night

SDCrafts said...

Without wishing (and with fearing) that I sound like a wouldbe stalker, we are remarkably alike in knowing what stamps we have without cataloguing. I am also aware that if I were to allow my stamps to amass before having a clean up, I'd actually do more stamping.

Let yourself GO, Shirl!

Great post.

Jennie -The Artistic Stamper said...

err who whashes stamps? lol mine are filthy! mind you i do wipe them when i have finished with them, but don't wash them that often... as for cataloguing , I have found the best way is to shift through them carefully to see if I have another one similar! lol Great post btw!

Tracey said...

Mine only get a quick wipe with a baby wipe, I do have some stazon cleaner but it has probably dried up by now. My unmounted are kept in the bags I buy them in and them and my wood mounted (don't have that many) are in plastic tool boxes, plastic boxes or with the kits I bought them with, no catalogueing for me either and have never duplicated a stamp. Loved your post too.
x