Friday, March 6, 2015

More on Unmounting my UM stamps - New Craft Mat

Several people have e-mailed telling me that the EZ mount foam is there to cushion the stamps for a better image.  Yes, I do know that but I guess that is another factor I should have mentioned on why I felt it was o.k. to remove all of the foam cushion.

When I was lucky enough to be selected to be a member of the IMAGINE Crafts/Tsukineko AIR's (Artist in Residence) Team I rec'd one of their Craft Mats.  Prior to this I honestly didn't even know there were other types of craft mats on the market other than the one I had used for years. Well there is and I have to tell you this mat is unlike any other craft mat I have ever owned.  It's really remarkable and despite being on their DT I'm not just saying that to sell something.  I think most of you know by now that I wouldn't promote a product I didn't like and will freely tell you so.  Sometimes my honestly gets me in hot water but I'm not selling out my integrity so some company can make a few bucks.
IMAGINE Crafts Craft Mat

The IMAGINE Crafts craft mat is amazing - I'm not sure what it's made of but it almost feels like a silicone cushion. It's like having a thin foam surface to stamp on so basically I'm swapping my foam cushion for the craft mat.

This mat can be folded, rolled, even wadded up into a ball - you can unfold it and it will be just like new.  It doesn't stain, it doesn't get minute cracks where color mediums soak into, it doesn't get permanent bends or creases if it's moved wrong, it doesn't slip and stays where you put it.  I actually used my double stick tape to hold my old craft mat in place because it slid all over my table surface.

I have inked, stamped, spritzed, painted, glued, and more for the past 4 months and it still looks brand new.  My old mat - after about 3 weeks it would start to get minute cracks in the fiberglass and it would start to look nasty.  No matter how careful I was I would have to replace the mat every 6 -8 months or so.

When this mat gets gunky with lots of dried on glue - simply scrape it off with a finger nail or the edge of a credit card or gift card.  It it's a smaller amount of glue or it's still wet or maybe you get ink or paint or other color medium on it - spritz it with water and wipe it away.  Honestly it's that easy!  Below is a photo of the mat after a day of crafting....


I spritzed it with my water bottle and wiped it with a dry cloth....it's all gone!  The glue, ink, paint, over-spray from dye ink sprays.... all of it GONE!  You can see in the photo down at the bottom of the mat where the black bit of acrylic paint (under the M) was wiped off the mat but remained on my table. 


Trust me, I was skeptical at first...I even held onto my nasty 7 mo old craft mat just in case.  I put this down and from the first day it hasn't left my table!  I love it...it's so easy to care for and use, I would never buy any other mat.

There was one thing that I did have a hard time getting used to - since it's got a silicone feel to it things don't go anywhere - you lay something down and it doesn't roll away - it stays put.  It was wild...  I do every once in a while have a hard time picking up a piece of paper which sounds odd I know but it's true.  Normally if I have left over bits of paper that I have cut away from a stamped image I use my cloth to wipe them away because you can't just wipe them off like the surface of a table - they stay where they are put.

Anyway, that is the other reason why I have started removing my cling foam from my stamps.  I know it's not for everyone and it's a big change but in some circumstances like mine it makes sense. 

Oh and eeek...I don't think I'll take Ellie's suggestion on how to free up some space (by selling some of my older stamps) -  Makes me light headed & dizzy just thinking about it - LOL!!!  ;)  

15 comments:

  1. I'm like you. I didn't know there was another type of craft mat. Sounds like it is great, especially if you are considering unmounting your stamps. Does it have to be ordered from the Internet or do chain stores carry them (like JoAnn's, Michael's, or Hobby Lobby)? I don't think I have seen this type.

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    1. JoAnn's carries them - right now they are on sale for $9.99 :)

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  2. This sounds amazing Roni and I agree a good craft mat is everything. I love the fact that it has the extra cushion to make stamping with UMs that much easier.

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  3. grmph.. maybe you willl have to move out of your home one day, so your stamps can live there..Now serious: I use a smaller cushion like mat to stamp on sometimes, but what you recommend here is even better. Even for stamping with EZ mounted stamps it would be just splendid to be using.. 'Do you know whether there is a shop in Holland that carries this craft mat? I just invested in a thicker craft sheet from a dutch company, which is OK, but I would LOVE to own a craft mat that does not get damaged in some or other way.. Or mustn't I compare it to a craft sheet, but rather to a cutting mat?

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    1. I did some checking Ellie and one of my friends said that you might check at DeStempelwinkel. http://de-stempelwinkel.nl/index.php?action=home&lang=NL

      She said that she didn't see the mat on their web-site but they do carry some IMAGINE Crafts/Tsukineko products so they may be able to get it for you. She said they are very accommodating.

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  4. What an awesome mat! No wonder you do not hesitate to unmount the cling foam.

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  5. can I buy this mat online? love it!

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    1. Yes - You can buy it directly from IMAGINE Crafts - https://www.imaginecrafts.com/craft-mat/no-view/1936 It *was* available at JoAnn Fabric & Crafts half off (9.99) but this morning when I went to get the link it is sold out. I'm sure it's carried other places as well.

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  6. That is so interesting. I have never seen these mats here so I guess I will have to look online.

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  7. This sounds perfect! I need a new mat (yet again) and will have to look into one of these. My old mat could be used for glue gun stuff. I'm assuming this one wouldn't be as heat resistant? Off to look.....

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    1. It IS heat resistant...the web-site says it's •Heat resistant to 392°F / 200°C. I don't know how hot a glue gun gets but I've never had any problem with anything I've done so far.

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  8. Can you use the mat for alcohol ink techniques? Like squirting ink on the mat and then smooshing it up with a piece of glossy card? Or using it as a palette for mixing paint?

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    1. Yes Julie - you can use it for alcohol inks, paints, pigment & dye inks, etc. It's all good. The only thing I did find is that deep red ink will stain a bit if you leave it on over night. But the cool thing is that with time (and regular cleaning) it has faded to the point you can barely see it anymore.

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  9. It all sounds and looks good, hope it will be soon available in our part of the world :-)
    Helena

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  10. Thanks for sharing this Roni!
    I went right over to Joanne's the other morn,and put one in my cart, by the time i was done shopping- it was sold out! hah! Guess I wasn't fast enough! heehee

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Thanks for your thoughts and comments!