As you know from my review of the LaBlanche stamps last week, I am a stamp girl. Â I love trying stamps on all kinds of mediums and using different types of inks, and I rarely make a project without incorporating stamps into it somehow. Â So I was delighted to be able to review not one, but two types of stamps from Unity Stamp Company. Â I received both a cling mount stamp set (Art & Soul by Marah Johnson) and a wood mount stamp (Watercolor 7 by Donna Downey) Â to review.
The cling mount stamps are red rubber on cling mount foam, and arrived in a plastic bag with the set pre-cut but still all together in a sheet. Â I found them relatively easy to pull apart with minimal effort.
If you are not familiar with cling-mount rubber stamps, they are simple to use. Â These ones had a paper backing on them when they arrived, which is to be removed and thrown away. Â Then, to use the stamp, you simply place the stamp on a smooth surface, such as an acrylic stamping block. Â It will stick by itself, with no adhesive needed.
I was impressed by the size of these stamps. Â To help you better visualize the size of them, I placed all of the stamps in this set on a sheet of 12″ x 12″ paper. Â The set nearly filled the paper.
I tried these stamps using several types of inks. Â First, I stamped the bird with chalk ink onto PolyShrink and heated it, shrinking it down. Â I loved the result, and I used it as an embellishment on the project below.
Next, I used the stamps with Distress Inks. Â I was equally pleased with the crisp images and how the details of the bird and flourish showed.
Next, I had made a tag covered in UTEE for another review, and decided to try one of the stamps using Staz-On ink over the UTEE. Â Again, the stamp performed wonderfully, even on the uneven surface.
I then moved on to the wood-mounted stamp. Â This is a very large stamp, at 2.5″ x 7″!! Â It feels very substantial in the hand. Â It is the same deeply-etched red rubber as the cling-mount stamps, just mounted on wood. Â I decided to try this one out in my art journal with some acrylic paint. Â This was quite a challenge, since the journal is very thick and bumpy by now, and I had decoupaged the page with book text and done a whitewash over it before stamping – so I didn’t get a perfect image from the stamp every time I stamped. Â However, I think that was more related to my journal and the fact that I was using paint than anything related to the actual stamp. Â I actually LOVED the stamp itself and the ability to paint it in with my watercolor crayons and a watercolor brush.
Overall, I loved using these stamps from Unity. Â The quality was wonderful, and in a craft world where cheap clear stamps are available just about anywhere you go, I was reminded of how much I actually prefer a really good quality red rubber stamp. Â The images are more clear than their cheaper counterparts, even on a variety of surfaces, and you can use a variety of stamping mediums and inks. Â However, upon looking up their prices, I was also reminded of how much I don’t like the prices of really good quality red rubber stamps. Â The Art & Soul set retails for $40.00, and the wood-mounted Watercolor 7 stamp retails for $27.00. Â Sometimes, though, you get what you pay for!
Unity stamps are widely available at online stamp and scrapbooking stores, as well as local scrapbooking and stamp stores, as well as from their own website. Â They have a variety of sets in a wide range of price ranges, and have even partnered with other companies to develop stamps to coordinate with paper lines, such as Webster’s Pages. Â Bottom line? Â I give Unity Stamps two thumbs up, and I will definitely be using these stamps in many projects to come!!
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JoAnn K Delery says
Unity Stamp Co. produces exceptional quality stamps at affordable prices. The stamps sold as sets are the higher priced stamps, or the name or co-branded stamps a little higher still. But, they also have a monthly stamp kit club that knocks the prices down so far, who wouldn’t want to be a kit club member. They have so many choices and venues available to to the consumer, it is well worth your time to find out the many ways you can purchase stamps from Unity.