HOW TO MOUNT RUBBER STAMPS

   Welcome to the wonderful world of unmounted rubber stamps! By buying your stamps unmounted you get a lot more for your money and you can cut down on the bulk of storing them.
   There are many different systems for mounting stamps. Here is one way that the Stampsmith and friends really like - it’s fast, easy, inexpensive and works beautifully:

   Buy a large sheet of foam board or foam core, found in any craft store, business-supply store or even local drugstore. I have found it in two thicknesses - 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch. They both work well, though the thicker kind gives a bit better grip.
1) Cut out your rubber stamp image.
2) Put the foam core on a cutting mat on your table.  Wipe rubber cement on the back of the stamp, then press it onto the foam board.
3) With a craft knife that has a new or sharp blade, cut or chop through your foam board around the image. It's a bit harder to cut through the thicker foam, but again, worth it. When you're done cutting you are ready to stamp!
You can grip the stamp mount and the foam in the middle provides cushion. If you'd like to see the image, you can stamp it on sticker paper, cut it out and stick it to the top of your stamp. That's it, try it!

   Alternative: Cut out one size of foam board and use tacky glue on the back of your stamps. That way, you can put a stamp on the foam block temporarily.

   Alternative: Use tacky glue to temporarily affix a stamp to an acrylic block. Place cushion, such as a mouse pad, underneath your cardstock or paper. Stamp away!

   Storing unmounteds: A wonderful way to store rubber stamps is to affix them with tacky glue to a clear plastic binder sheet and keep in a binder. Stamp all the images on the sheet onto a piece of paper that faces your stamps so you can "read" the images.

Here's how Susan Leclerc stores her unmounteds, using Sailor 2 in 1 Glue to affix the rubber to the plastic sheets.