Vinyl Sheets for Better Cling-ability

Stampin’ Up! offers two choices for most of it’s stamp sets: wood mount or clear mount.

  • Each of the wood mount stamps come with a coordinating wood blocks. No work to switch between stamps. You just clean it off, put it back in the case and grab the next stamp.
  • Clear mount stamps are stored in DVD cases and are easier to organize (and you can pack up more of them when you want to travel to my house to stamp with me). You adhere the clear mount stamps to an acrylic block when you are ready to stamp with them. In my opinion, the clear mount stamps are infinitely better than the wood mount stamps with the exception of small stamps (like Teeny Tiny Wishes) that are more difficult to adhere and unadhere from the acrylic blocks – I prefer wood mount stamps for these little ones.

There’s only one problem with the clear mount stamps: when fully assembled according to the instructions in the stamp case, they don’t really hold tight to the acrylic block like they are supposed to. They pop off the acrylic block when you are inking them up or when you are cleaning them. That’s not very excellent, now is it? When the clear image of the stamp is adhered to the clear mount foam on the back of the stamp, some of the stamp’s cling-ability is lost. That’s why you’ll see a lot of online videos from amazing Stampin’ Up! demonstrators who have decided to NOT adhere the clear image to the back of the stamp. That’s no good! I want to see the image I am stamping. I want it to work the way it should work.

I have found the solution. After reading about several demonstrators who found cheap clear vinyl at the big box stores, I did some investigating and purchased a high-quality, clear vinyl that’s sold in large rolls. 

I cut the vinyl into sizes that fit on each of my acrylic blocks:
20120819-155250.jpgI pealed off the vinyl and attached it to my block:
20120819-155307.jpg and then pressed on my stamp (clear label and all):
20120819-155317.jpgThat puppy ain’t moving until I move it. 🙂  You can just keep the vinyl on your acrylic blocks, and it’s ready for the next stamp you want to adhere.

As an independent demonstrator for Stampin’ Up!, I am unable to sell these vinyl sheets (even though they infinitely enhance the stamping experience). I am, however, able to offer you these vinyl sheets as an incentive or bonus. Because this has changed my stamping experience, I really want you to try it. That’s why I am offering you a set vinyl sheets (cut to the size of a set of Stampin’ Up! acrylic blocks) when you place an order directly from my demonstrator site here. When you place a $50 order, I will mail you the vinyl sheets that coordinate with the Clear Block Starter Bundle (C, D and H).  When you place a $100 order, I will mail you the vinyl sheets that coordinate with the entire bundle of Clear Blocks (A through I).  I hope you’ll give it a try!  You’ll be ready to adhere those images for a complete stamping experience.

Please email me at [email protected] if you have any questions!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

33 Comments

  1. Ho! Big Wow here! I’ve not heard of this tip at all! Nice find Brian! Can you email me how many mil thick this vinyl is. (only because I”m a Demo and shant be ordering from you!) Nice offer though to provide this service to your customers. You would make such a nice up-line 🙂

  2. Brian, I love all your rhetoric and enthusiasm! I have not been a sub to your blog very long, but I am a fellow SU demo. Would you care to share with me the vinyl you found works best? I have all but given up even putting the labels on my clear mount stamps if they are less than two inches! If not, that is OK, but I did want to tell you how much I enjoy your blog! Thanks Dianne

  3. Great idea must have a look and source some in Scotland. I am fairly new to Stampin Up
    and thought perhaps I was doing something wrong . It’s a bind when the stamp drops just as your about to place it on the card . Still love SU products and there stamps give quality images.

  4. Great idea Brian! Maybe you should tell Stampin’ Up! about this, so they will get some for us to buy in their catalog! I love the clear stamps too…but I also give my blocks a good “washing” with Dawn dish detergent and they come back to life. But I like your idea much better…. I mean, who wants to do “dishes” (that’s what I have a dishwasher for! ) 🙂

    • Too funny, Bobbi! I agree that the acrylic blocks should be MORE work. I called Stampin’ Up! and have added the suggestion to their sandbox of product ideas. I know others have also made the suggestion as I was not the first to find this solution. Here’s to hoping they fix this. Until then, I’m set.

  5. Hi Brian,

    I have found the same results with the Stampin’ Up! cling / grid vinyl that is already precut to fit our Stampin’ Up! blocks. This seems counter productive to me – when you could be selling SU product!

    Just saying… Joni Kelly

    • Joni,

      I appreciate your feedback, but I don’t believe it’s counter productive for me to help others who are experiencing issues with their stamps. I received emails from a couple of others yesterday who work with the grid vinyl from Stampin’ Up! and don’t have problems. That makes me happy. I received emails from MANY who want to know more about this solution because the grid vinyl doesn’t work for them.

      When my upline purchased the grid vinyl to see if it would help, we played around with it. Unfortunately, it didn’t work any better for us. I would like to blame it on the humidity in Atlanta, but I can’t write it off to that because I know of people in all parts of the country who have the same issues. She ended up applying the grid vinyl and then this vinyl to the block. I’ve discussed it with Stampin’ Up! at length (both verbal and written), and I have submitted it as a suggestion to their sandbox. Currently, there’s no Stampin’ Up! product (that isn’t an adhesive) they can offer.

      I am a very brand loyal person. I am especially brand loyal to Stampin’ Up! In my experience, these vinyl sheets greatly enhance my customer’s happiness with their clear mount stamps (thereby, encouraging them to purchase more and stamp more).

      Thanks,

      Brian

  6. Hi Brian, I’m another demo who loves to follow your blog. Love your style! I too have the problem with the clear mount stamps and was beginning to regret I ever bought them. For the past two days I’ve been hitting stores looking for the vinyl rolls, but haven’t been able to find it. I have found some online, have found it from 4 gauge to 40 gauge. Can you possibly shed more light on what is working for you? It sure would be appreciated! Thanks!

  7. Another demo here that loves your blog! I too would love more info about this vinyl. I found some to try but it doesn’t cling worth a darn unfortunately. I would try the grids for the Stampin’ blocks but as of right now I’m fairly new to being a demo (just signed up) and don’t have the extra $ for the blocks right now. Any info would be much appreciated! Again, your blog is awesome!

  8. is it sticky on one side? does it just stick because it is vinyl? Will it make my blocks sticky if I remove it?

  9. Brian, I’m from Australia and would love to get hold of some of this product. Buying Stampin Up profucts from you is not really an option, but could you let me know the name of the product and possibly a supplier so that I can buy it on-line? Thanks for any help you can give.

  10. Have you had any trouble with the vinyl not staying on the blocks? I bought some vinyl to try this method not long ago, and, while I love that it makes the clear-mount stamps adhere to the blocks better, I found on most of my blocks, esp. the larger ones but some smaller, the vinyl isn’t staying on the block well enough. Is there any trick you’ve found to that?

  11. Hi Brian, another one from downunder only I’m in New Zealand. I found you tonight on my google rabbit trail 🙂 I too would so love to know how I can get hold of this vinyl you speak of. I love CM sets but am embarrassed for SU whom I love in all other respects when my class attendees go to stamp on the card and the stamp falls off the block! Your help will be so so so much appreciated.
    M

    • Michelle, Brian kindly sent me the name and availability of these sheets. Grafix 9″ x 12″ Cling Film sheets. I bought mine through Amazon. They work great! Thanks, Brian (also from my friends to whom I gave a sheet each).

  12. I live in the u.k and cannot get the vinyl anywhere. My Daughter lives in Aus.so as a last resort I shall be asking her to look for some as she is coming over soon.
    Perhaps you could help me to obtain it for which would be eternally gratefukind regards,Ellen

  13. maybe you can just list where you got the vinyl, since you cannot sell it… that way people can just purchase their own where they live. brand name maybe? store purchased at???
    thanks!

  14. Thanks, Brian for this tip. I just found it. Here’s a link for a pack of 6 sheets 9 x 12 for less money. I’m anxious to try it.
    http://www.amazon.com/Grafix-9-Inch-12-Inch-Cling-6-Pack/dp/B002J6CO9I/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_img_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1GVCAKZBVSY9G2Z4G036

  15. What is the grid vinyl that Stampin’ Up sells? I’m not familiar with that product.

  16. I have always used two way glue on my clear stamps to solve the problem of sticking to my blocks. If I use the vinyl do I still need to use the two way glue?

  17. I live in a pretty rural area but found that Joann fabrics or Hobby Lobby stores carry rolls of vinyl and depending upon how many blocks you have an eighth of a yard only cost me $.35 for a piece of vinyl then I can cut them down to size it worked like a charm.

  18. Thanks so much, Brian! I sure need this, I have tried SU products and others but still problems. Going to get this for sure. : )

  19. Hi Brian, from Australia. I have just discovered this hint, THANK YOU. I have found that especially those tiny sentiments tend to not hold and end up ‘staining’ my cards, or I resort to glue dots to hold the stamp in place. Not quite sure what I was looking for in Australia, I visited a local car/home window tinter today to see if he could sell me any scraps of any shade so I could give this a go. He very generously gave me sizeable offcut of clear and said ‘Have fun’. Tried it out and WOOHOO! It works a treat. Many thanks for a simple and effective solution. P.S. I love the clean, simple lines on your cards. Thanks for sharing.

  20. Brilliant! I use my Misti a lot, but it’s nice to have the clear blocks ready to go for a second layer of a different color!

  21. Thanks Brian, my friend Kim told me about your tip and to google you. I am so happy I did. You have so many great ideas and I will be hunting down some clear vinyl to put on my blocks. Like you I definately like to see what I am stamping. Thank you again and I look forward to reading all you blogs and watching your videos.

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