Hi MommaKaat,

Welcome to this enjoyable hobby. Glad you are already working on your
stamp. Mounting is a personal preference, between cushions, types of
mounts, adhesive, etc. Foam will work, but it won't be as durable as
say wood. But if you're in a hurry, just use the foam. Some folks I
know use those thin cutting boards as a backer, cut down for sizing of
course.

BTW, if you aren't already signed up, you should check out the
SouthEast list as well. Here's the link...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/letterbox-southeast/

Hope this helps,
Mark (in GA)



--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, Ru wrote:
>
> Hi Y'all,
>
> I am very new, and just finished carving my first stamp. I have
**NO** artistic ability, none, so it is a simple one. I do have a
question about mounting. I have read conflicting advice about the need
for a coushin before mounting on a block og wood. I was thinking of
raiding my youngest daughters craft supplies for the flat foam stuff
she has and using that. Do you think that would work?
>
> I cannot wait to go find boxes.
>
> Newboxer in GA
>
> MommaKaat
>
>
> Ru
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Congrats on carving your first stamp, Ru.

Perhaps, some of the conflicting advise you have been getting may
come from people who have not carved their own stamps, but do have
experience with comercially produced unmount rubber stamps.

Those kind of machine made stamps quite often are made of a very thin
valcanized rubber material. They will give their best impression if
they have some kind of "cushion" to work with. (Either between the
stamp and the wood/mounting surface or under the paper being stamped
on.)

Most of the materials used for carving letterbox stamps are
sufficently thick that they don't need any cushion. However, they
will last longer and be easier to use if you do mount them.

I have a few stamps mounted to the thick style of fun foam. They've
been "out there" for several months and so far are holding up well.
Using the fun foam was an idea I got from someone on this list.

However, the material I most often use to mount my stamps to is
posterboard. I have a stamp mounting tutorial, with photos, at our
picture trail site. www.picturetrail.com/bindle_boxers

Enjoy!
---Bindle Babe

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, Ru wrote:
>
> Hi Y'all,
>
> I am very new, and just finished carving my first stamp. I have
**NO** artistic ability, none, so it is a simple one. I do have a
question about mounting. I have read conflicting advice about the
need for a coushin before mounting on a block og wood. I was thinking
of raiding my youngest daughters craft supplies for the flat foam
stuff she has and using that. Do you think that would work?

Thanks for posting that, that's a great tuturial!!

Liz


On Wed, Aug 18, 2004 at 03:43:15AM -0000, bindlestiff_boxer wrote:
> Congrats on carving your first stamp, Ru.
>
> Perhaps, some of the conflicting advise you have been getting may
> come from people who have not carved their own stamps, but do have
> experience with comercially produced unmount rubber stamps.
>
> Those kind of machine made stamps quite often are made of a very thin
> valcanized rubber material. They will give their best impression if
> they have some kind of "cushion" to work with. (Either between the
> stamp and the wood/mounting surface or under the paper being stamped
> on.)
>
> Most of the materials used for carving letterbox stamps are
> sufficently thick that they don't need any cushion. However, they
> will last longer and be easier to use if you do mount them.
>
> I have a few stamps mounted to the thick style of fun foam. They've
> been "out there" for several months and so far are holding up well.
> Using the fun foam was an idea I got from someone on this list.
>
> However, the material I most often use to mount my stamps to is
> posterboard. I have a stamp mounting tutorial, with photos, at our
> picture trail site. www.picturetrail.com/bindle_boxers
>
> Enjoy!
> ---Bindle Babe
>
> --- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, Ru wrote:
> >
> > Hi Y'all,
> >
> > I am very new, and just finished carving my first stamp. I have
> **NO** artistic ability, none, so it is a simple one. I do have a
> question about mounting. I have read conflicting advice about the
> need for a coushin before mounting on a block og wood. I was thinking
> of raiding my youngest daughters craft supplies for the flat foam
> stuff she has and using that. Do you think that would work?
>
>
>

Thanks! This method looks good. I am off to Michaels tomorrow (after the dreaded iron infusion =P
Ru
)0(

***************************************
However, the material I most often use to mount my stamps to is
posterboard. I have a stamp mounting tutorial, with photos, at our
picture trail site. www.picturetrail.com/bindle_boxers


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]