Frequently Asked Questions
We've put
together this library of our customers' most frequently asked questions and our
answers. We hope you'll find the information that you need. If you still have
questions, or if you need some clarification, please send us email at [email protected].
One of our customer care representatives will answer your question!
Frequently Asked Questions
Categories:
Purchasing Information
Using
Technique Tuesday Products
Solving
Common Problems
Purchasing Information
Where can
I buy Technique Tuesday products?
Until
recently, Technique Tuesday products were only available in a few stores in the
Pacific Northwest and from our website. We are in the process of offering our
products through scrapbook stores across the U.S.A. and around the world. We
appreciate your interest in Technique Tuesday products and hope that you will
use the store locator on our website to find our products in a scrapbook store
near you. If your favorite scrapbook store doesn’t carry Technique Tuesday
products, please let them know that you are interested in our products. You are
always welcome to order Technique Tuesday products directly from our website but
we hope that you will support your local scrapbook stores whenever
possible.
May I setup a wholesale account?
Technique
Tuesday only accepts wholesale orders from licensed retailers. If you are a
licensed retailer, please see our
Retailer section for more
information.
Using Technique Tuesday Products
How do I get started using Technique Tuesday
stamps?
Technique Tuesday clear stamps come on lightweight storage
sheets that are easy to take to crops. When you are ready to stamp, gently peel
a clear stamp off the storage sheet and put it on a clear block. If you want to
stamp faster, place several clear stamps on one of our larger clear blocks, so
that you can stamp entire words, phrases, or scenes. When you are done stamping,
clean your clear stamps using a damp sponge, a wet cloth, or mild soap and
water. Then peel the stamps off the clear block, and return them to the storage
sheet.
How are Technique Tuesday clear stamps different from other
clear stamps?
While
Technique Tuesday clear stamps may resemble other clear stamps, ours have some
important advantages. First, Technique Tuesday clear stamps are designed by
scrapbookers especially for scrapbookers. Many other rubber and clear stamps are
really designed for card-makers. Our large sized alphabets are 1-inch tall –
perfect for page titles. Our medium-sized alphabets are ½-inch tall and work
great for subtitles. Our image stamps are sized to make scrapbook page
embellishments. Yes, you can use Technique Tuesday clear stamps to make
great-looking cards, decorate fabric or your walls, stamp onto ceramics, and
much more. But we are first and foremost scrapbookers so our stamps are all
going to work great in your scrapbook.
Another important difference is that Technique Tuesday
stamps come in sets rather than as individual stamps. The stamps within each set
not only coordinate with each other but also coordinate with many of the other
Technique Tuesday stamp sets. For example, our large and medium sized alphabet
stamps fit perfectly inside our Shadows, Rings and
Little Things stamped images.
The
materials and technology that we use to make our stamps are the finest available
anywhere. The unique properties of our clear stamps allow them to consistently
and firmly cling to the smooth surface of a block. The material used in our
clear stamps allows the ink to cover the stamp without beading or bleeding. The
advanced technology used to make our stamps produces a deeply etched stamp that
will give a clear and detailed stamped image. Our clear stamps are not cut out
and they don’t have a large area around the image. Stamps that are cutout or
have wider areas around the stamp's image often catch extra ink that can come into contact with the paper
and mar your page. The special process that we use allows our entire stamp to be
shaped like the main stamped image so you can stamp into things like paper clay,
polymer clay, and thick embossing enamel to produce deep, clear intaglio
images.
What kind of ink should I use?
Technique
Tuesday clear stamps work well with many different kinds of inkpads. We
recommend using inkpads, markers, paints, or dyes that are designed to be used
with art stamps. For scrapbooking, look for color-fast, acid-free, archival
inks. If you’d like to learn more about the different types of inkpads, see the
“Choosing an Inkpad” section in our Tips and Techniques center on our website.
With proper care and wise ink choices, your stamps will last for many
years.
Technique
Tuesday offers inkpads that are designed especially for scrapbookers. You can
find more information about our inkpads in the “Shop Our Products” section of
our website.
Can I use solvent-based inks and bleach with clear
stamps?
Some
stamping enthusiasts use solvents, bleach, acids, and other caustic or abrasive
materials for some stamp projects. These materials are hard on all types of
stamps. We recommend that you do not use these materials on your clear stamps.
If you choose to do so, clean your stamps immediately and very thoroughly.
Can I use markers with Technique Tuesday clear
stamps?
Yes, there are a
couple ways that you can use your scrapbook-safe markers with Technique Tuesday
clear stamps. An easy way to add more color to your stamped images is to use
markers. You can also apply color directly on the stamp with a marker. For more
information see our Tips and Techniques pages.
Can I use Technique Tuesday
clear stamps with any acrylic block?
Technique
Tuesday clear stamps will stick to any smooth acrylic block. However, if you
don’t have acrylic blocks, we’d like to tell you more about our clear blocks.
How are Technique Tuesday clear blocks different from
acrylic blocks?
Technique
Tuesday clear blocks are specially designed to make stamping easier. Our clear
blocks are ¾ inch thick while most other companies offer acrylic blocks that are
only ½ of an inch thick. Because our clear blocks are thicker, they are more
comfortable to hold, help keep your fingers out of the ink, and are more
manageable so that you can stamp more accurately. Other companies sell acrylic
blocks that have rough saw-cut edges that are hard to hold, can irate your
fingers, and have cloudy edges that are hard to see through. Technique Tuesday
clear blocks go through a six-step manufacturing process that assures a
comfortable fit in your hand and a crystal clear finish.
Technique
Tuesday clear blocks are also sized to fit our stamps. Our 1.5 inch by 1.5 inch
block is sized for single letters from our large sized letters or several
letters from medium alphabet sets. If you want to stamp entire words at one time
and like to work fast, you’ll want a longer clear block such as our 1.5 inch by
6 inch block or our longest clear block which is 1.5 inch by 10 inches. Our 2
inch by 3 inch block is designed to fit our image stamps and for the frames and
shadow stamps that come with our large sized alphabet sets. No matter which set
of Technique Tuesday clear blocks that you choose, you love how they feel in
your hand and how fast you'll be able to work.
How many letters will fit on a block?
It
depends on the style and size of alphabet set that you are using.
How big are your letter stamps?
Technique Tuesday alphabet stamps
are sized to make it easy to create great scrapbook page titles
and subtitles and amazing embellishments for cards and other
paper crafts. Our Extra Large letter and number sets
are about 2 inches tall. The large alphabet sets are roughly
1 inch tall while the medium sets are about 1/2 inch tall.
And the small sets are around 1/4 inch tall.
How are clear stamps different than wood mounted
stamps?
Technique
Tuesday clear stamps are, well… clear! You can see straight through to your
layout so you can tell when the stamp is in the right position. Our clear stamps
come ready to be used. You don’t need to trim them and you don’t have to pay
for, store, and carry wood blocks to crops. Technique Tuesday clear stamps can
be stamped individually or be combined on a larger clear block to stamp entire
words, phrases, or scenes. Both beginning scrapbookers and seasoned stamp
artists tell us that Technique Tuesday clear stamps make it easy to create
beautiful titles, subtitles and embellishment in the colors that complement
their photos and their memories.
What if I want to change the
shape of my clear stamps?
Our clear stamps are
flexible. As you place them on a block, you can bend
and contort the stamps to change the look of your letter
and image stamps! Although we haven’t heard of this
actually being a problem, we don’t recommend that you
leave them in a bent or contorted shape for too long.
It’s probably best to return the stamp to its original
shape as soon as you’re done stamping. So have fun! Add
curves where there weren’t any. Straightened things out
where there were curves. Or change the angles to make
new shapes. Be gentle but firm to keep your stamps in
good working condition.
What are Technique Tuesday
clear stamps made out of?
The
materials and technology used to make Technique Tuesday clear stamps are the
finest available anywhere. The technology used to create our clear stamps has
been used to make “business stamps” since the 1970s. These business stamps are
used by banks and post offices because they are extremely durable. We are using
the same technology and even more advanced materials to make our clear
stamps.
How long
will Technique Tuesday clear stamps last?
If you
keep your Technique Tuesday clear stamps out of the sun, keep them clean, and
choose your inkpads wisely, your clear stamps will last for many
years.
Are people allowed to sell things that they have made using
Technique Tuesday clear stamps?
Yes.
Technique Tuesday's angel policy allows customers to sell scrapbook layouts,
cards, and other projects that were individually hand stamped with Technique
Tuesday alphabets and images. Please see our complete angel policy on our
website for further details.
Where can I learn more about using Technique
Tuesday clear stamps and products?
You can visit our
Tips and Techniques pages!
Or visit one of the retail
stores listed on our store locator page.
Solving Common Problems
I just got some Technique Tuesday clear
stamps and they are sticking to my project when I’m trying to stamp. What should
I do?
Technique Tuesday clear stamps are pretty sticky when
they are brand new. The best thing to do is to either ink them up and stamp
them a couple times on scratch paper or wash them with some mild soap and
water.
Why have my clear stamps become tinted and
stained?
Some colors of ink and some types of ink will stain
your clear stamps. The transparent color will not affect the stamped image that
your clear stamp makes. In some ways, tinted clear stamps are a benefit. When
our stamps are new, they are so clear that it is hard to tell what the stamp
image is and they are so clear that it is easy to lose them. Once the clear
stamps have been tinted, the transparent color makes it easier to tell what the
stamped image is and to know where the clear stamp is. One of our design team
members “tints” her stamps purple so that she can tell which stamps are hers.
If you’d like to try tinting your clear stamps a particular color, the first
time you use your clear stamps use a dye-based or permanent ink that is
designed for use with art stamps.
Do Technique Tuesday clear stamps ever quit
sticking to the storage sheet or to the Technique Tuesday clear
blocks?
We’d like to say that our clear stamps stick
because we add a little magic to them during the manufacturing process. But the
truth is that they stick because of simple physics - surface adhesion. If your
Technique Tuesday stamps stop sticking to the clear block or to the storage
sheet, it means one of two things. Either the stamp, especially the back of the
stamps, needs to be cleaned. Or the stamp is too wet. To restore the stickiness,
plug a sink and use water and regular hand soap to thoroughly clean your stamps.
Then either let the stamps air dry or dry them with a towel that doesn't have
very much lint.
I lost a letter. Can I purchase replacement letters? (Or my
child is named Eelleennee. Can I purchase some extra e’s?)
Yes! If you’ve lost a stamp
or want to purchase some extra letters, the price is $4 per
stamp which includes shipping within the continental U.S.A. Just send the
following information to [email protected].
- Name
of the stamp set (found in the upper left corner of the storage sheet)
- Description of the letter, number, or image stamps you
need
- Your
first and last name, address, city, state, zip code, and phone
number, and email address.
We’ll contact you to work out payment
details.
If you
are outside the continental U.S.A. please send us the same information. We’ll
contact you to let you know what the charges including shipping will be and
finalize payment information.
Do you guarantee Technique Tuesday products?
At
Technique Tuesday, we are proud of our products and guarantee our products to be
free from manufacturing defects. When you get your Technique Tuesday products,
please inspect them. If you notice something wrong, follow the steps outlined in
our return policy to initiate an exchange.
|