Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Stampin Up new products review!




First, I would like to thank PaperCrafters Corner for picking me as a member of their new Product Review Team. I would also like to thank Stampin' Up for the opportunity to review some of their new products.Items I was provided to use and review: Vintage Vogue stamp set, clear blocks F, D, B & H, and the corner scallop punch.
When I first heard that Stampin' Up was introducing unmounted stamps, I was excited but confused. How would I be able to see the image I was going to stamp? I knew that the new stamps would be traditional SU rubber but for use with clear acrylic stamping blocks and I didn't "get" how that would work.
As it turns out, Stampin' Up had a great solution! The new stamps come with a clear sticker to put on the back of your stamp so you can see just what and where you are stamping. It is a bit tricky to get the labeling sticker on just right... In fact, I have yet to get any perfectly lined up, but close enough :)
Have I mentioned the cases for the stamps yet? They are great! They are the size of a DVD case and also have the pictures of the stamps right on them so you will always know what stamp goes with each set. I know I will love that feature. Sometimes if I am using more than one set at a time I have to go back to the catalog to make sure I am storing each stamp back with the correct set. (That's one great thing about stamps -- mixing and matching designs from several sets to create your own unique project!)
Now let's see how they stamp. Wow, do they stamp great! They stamp just as well as if they were mounted on the wood. I am on the fence about whether I prefer the wood or the clear mount. The wood mounts are "easier" in that you do not have to go find a block to put the stamps on. However, I LOVE how you can almost see through the stamp, which allows you to know where you are stamping.
Now onto the punch. This pattern on the punch is really cute! After testing, though, I have to say that I think the punch could be a little better designed. This is hard to describe, but I had a hard time lining the punch up just right with the edge of my paper. Even using the image guide on the bottom of the punch, it was tough to line up perfectly to avoid having extra paper hanging-off the edge of my paper after punching. (A quick snip from my precision scissors took care of the hanging paper, though, easily enough.)
On the plus side, this punch folds clamps shut for storage, allowing for some space-savings. The folding mechanism is very sturdy and easily opens & closes for use or storage.
But enough talk.
Here are a couple of projects I made using the products: This first card I made using versa mark and one stamp on the green paper, the F block, and the Friend stamp.
The second card I made using the corner punch on the brown and pattern paper. I also used the long stamp and the flower stamp.

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