Hi,

I've used the pink stuff happily, but now & then a stamp seems to pick
up oil easily. I clean it with anything that will cut grease
(technically, any surfactant will work) such as dishwashing liquid or
shampoo.

It's important to rinse the product off very well, so residue doesn't
linger and dry out the stamp.

I hope that helps!

Cheerfully,
Aisling D'Art
http://www.aisling.net/

> What do I have to do to the surface to get it to stop
> resisting the ink?

My experience with the pink stuff, it isn't particularly resistant to
ink. Perhaps the ink itself may not be a good match for the carving block?

-- Ryan

Thank you both for the suggestions - when I found out there were
little colored pads and pens one could use for inking, I went to get
some to replace the big red commercial stamp pad I was carrying around
- looking now I see they are both made by same mfg., Rubber Stampede.
I bought a set of 10 little square pads and a small pen set. I'll
try washing the stamp with some gentle dish soap and see if that helps
and will try a different brand of ink next time. I've seen the cat's
eye pads and know now that they would be good because of their shape
anyway. I had the impression one was not supposed to wash the stamps
with anything except plain water. Mine are probably just a bit oily
from my hands. Actually my personal stamp is doing it too, and it is
on some white stuff someone gave me, no idea what brand that was, so
it is probably the ink or just oil on the surface. If they keep doing
this I will just pretend I'm going for a colorwash effect - I tried
fooling around with a camp Q-tip and smearing colors together and got
some interesting images that way. Thanks again - have a good weekend.
--Calli-K

Try giving the stamp a light rub on some very fine sandpaper.



--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Kathy" wrote:
> Have subsequently found another product I like much better for
> carving, but I have several stamps that I made with speedball speedy
> stamp in pink. What do I have to do to the surface to get it to stop
> resisting the ink? The ink seems to kind of separate instead of
> spreading smoothly and thoroughly over the surface - the resultant
> image often look like a color wash effect or one of those other
> effects people try for on their household walls. I don't think my
> hands are particularly oily or anything. The same inks don't do this
> on the white stuff that I like better. Will they ink better after
> these stamps have been used a bunch of times? Is there something I
> should treat the surface with or wash it with or something?

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "ontario_cacher"
wrote:
> Try giving the stamp a light rub on some very fine sandpaper.

Washed, rubbed with light paper, washed again - much better, is
holding more ink without the ink separating so much. Thanks again all
of you.