Several weeks ago I began the task of unmounting my rubber stamps. It’s been a pretty easy albeit time consuming process, but the rewards are well worth the effort. I have about 22 stamp sets total, all of which I kept in a 12×12 drawer that was intended to be for paper but was converted for stamp storage instead. I’ve unmounted over half of it already. Here’s a photo of what my storage drawer used to look like:

And here’s what the drawer looks like now:

The ones I have left to unmount are the really small rubber stamps that would require the thinner EZ Mount. It’s recommended to use the thinner foam cling on stamps smaller than 1″ to prevent “rocking” and uneven images when stamping.

Storing Unmounted Rubber Stamps

I’m still trying to solve the problem of storing my unmounted rubber stamps. Right now I have them in old CD cases with the CD tray removed, which is working right now. But when I think about longterm storage and portability, I may have to think of something else like using the Stamp ‘N Store storage panels. It would suck having to find a way to carry 20-30 CD cases to a scrap night or retreat.

Another thing about storing stamps in CD cases is the cases are rather flimsy. If you don’t have a full case, or if your stamps are on the thinner EZ Mount and therefore not thick enough to hold up the case walls, you may end up with some cracked stamp cases. When closed, CD cases also have a gap at the hinge to allow them to lay flat when opened (see below).

However, when the CD case is opened flat, there’s minimal gap between the two panels:

So far I haven’t seen any reason to go back to the way I was stamping. I’m really loving the unmounted stamps not only for the ample storage space it’s freed up, but also for the ability to see where the stamp is being place. Granted, there will still be a need for a Stamp-a-majig
for even more precise stamp placement, but being able to see through the stamping block is a great help. Mine is already ordered. I can’t wait!