Adding a handle to your clear mounted stamps

Just a quick tip today, something I found useful when using clear stamps that are mounted onto thin acrylic blocks. I realise this is a bit of a niche problem that I found a solution too, I'm sharing just in case anyone out there finds it useful too! This post contains affiliate links to the products I used. If you purchase an item using a link you will not be charged any extra but Sum of their Stories will receive a small commission.

I was originally going to call todays post "How to use clear stamps mounted on thin acrylic blocks with a traditional office ink pad without getting your hands dirty" Snappy title eh?  A few months ago Sum of their Stories had a makeover and a bit of a rebrand. I designed myself a new logo and the lovely Fran at Little Stamp Store made me some custom stamps. I am SO pleased with my stamps and the custom service from Little Stamp Store was amazing.  I use my stamps for a few things, one goes on the back of greeting cards that I make for sale, one is just the logo which is handy for all sorts of things and one I used for mass producing my business cards. 

I make my business cards from old greeting cards and packaging. Kleenex tissue box are one of my favourites, they are so pretty and perfect for turning into business cards.  When I make these I use a regular office style ink pad and this was where I ran into an issue with my lovely mounted stamps.  I didn't take any before photos so this is a bit of a spoiler! You have to imagine this but without the cork.

See how my fingers end up in the ink? I know for fancy stamping you are supposed to do ink pad to stamp so the whole thing is upside down but for speedy mass production on business cards or stamping on the back of 20 handmade greeting cards I want to do a quick stamp, stamp, stamp.

The solution was easy. I glued a cork to the stamp and now I have a fine and dandy handle. 

For some reason I felt an action photo was necessary. Maybe I felt this would be too hard for you to visualise! 

You just need to make sure you use a super strong glue. I used Gorilla Glue 60ml which expands as it sets hence it is a bit messy around the join, but this baby is not going anywhere. I'm sure other strong glues would work just as well. 

That's it, old corks turned into handles for my mounted stamps.

I have a small collection of clear stamps, the rest are the cling ones (mostly freebies that have come with magazines) that you pop on and off the acrylic blocks. I have a couple of the acrylic blocks which are thicker so this issue doesn't arise with them, it was just these Sum of their Stories ones that were already attached to their thin blocks that left me with inky fingers. Anyone who stamps will know once ink is on your fingers it's on your work, your table, your face - everywhere!

Anyway, this has worked for me. Maybe one day you will have a similar issue and have a vague recollection of this simple solution.