It’s Technique Tuesday! While usually I give you a tip or a new way to create, today I want to tell you how to revive your dried out stamps. This only works for the red rubber ones, not the photopolymer. I am writing this now because several of you are working on (or finishing up) your Christmas cards. And I know with Christmas cards there may be certain stamps that are only pulled out for this season. If your red rubber starts to crack, look dry, or even cloudy then take a look at how to revive them.
Take two teaspoons of glycerin and add to 1/2 cup of distilled water. Mix together and pour into a shallow dish. Place your rubber stamps into the dish to soak overnight. Make sure the mixture is shallow enough to cover the rubber but not the wood mounts and/or cushioning. (Nowadays this is normally only the cushioning.) Give them a thorough rinse and cleaning in the morning, if still not soft enough you may want to give them a longer soak. Be sure you are using the plain glycerin and not glycerin/alcohol mix. If it is the mix, the alcohol dries the rubber out counteracting any benefit the glycerin has.
I hope this helps you to bring some of your stamps back to life.
Happy Crafting!
With inky fingers,
Joni 🙂
Stamping With Joni and the Red Door Crafters 