Wednesday 7 July 2010

The Digi Debate

Digital stamping is becoming more popular lately, with lots of companies moving into the digital field or offering digi versions of their 'real' stamps.

I've been holding back on including digi stamps in the magazine as I am not sure about how our readership would feel about them. What do you think?

For me, in the same way as I could never get into digi scrapbooking, I like the feel of real supplies in my hands; somehow I can't get excited about a digital file in the same way as a real piece of rubber (does that sound dubious!). The last thing I want to do after a day sitting in front of a screen at work is to use the computer in my crafting when I get home. Also digi stamps/images just can't ever be as versatile as real stamps. You can't achieve that handmade look as readily and for things like backgrounds it's hard to get the same level of depth and complexity as you can achieve layering real stamps.

However, on the other side of the debate there are clear advantages. They can be resized to an appropriate scale for your project, so no more hunting for a stamp that fits your Nestie perfectly. They are inexpensive so you can afford to get more images, and buy images that perhaps you'd only use once or twice and therefore wouldn't necessarily want to buy in rubber - I could see me getting a digi stamp for that one and only graduation card I'll ever make. There is no storage to worry about (OK there is digital storage but the files are not exactly huge and you could store squillions of images on a standard spec PC). And finally, of course there is no waiting for the postie to come as your download is instantaneous in most cases. Great for the impatient crafter!

So should we be exploring digi stamps in Craft Stamper magazine? What do you think?

Katy x

55 comments:

  1. What I don't understand about 'digi stamps' is how you can call them a stamp! Surely they are just a great image to colour in, so I refer to them as digi images. I can't stamp them using paint, it's difficult to emboss them; I can't do a lot of the things I can do with rubber stamps. I understand that within the world of photoshop and such programs they are 'stamps' but most people use them as great clip art. So my vote is no to digi stamps!

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  2. I think it's the re-sizing things that gives digi's their USP. If you want an image for invitations, place settings etc the same but in differing sizes they are perfect. Perhaps a couple of exploritary articles on what are they and what can I do with them? Then you could see what your readers opinions are.

    ** Kate **

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  3. I'm with you there, Katy, digital stuff has it's place, but you can't beat the real thing.

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  4. I have used digi's in the past, as I'm on a Design Team & sometimes companies like us to promote them, I must admit I really don't like them, For starters I use distress inks to watercolour so the image then bleeds. I know people use copics - but to be honest I just cant afford a good range of them. I think the only time I would pay for a digi is if it's for an usual card/occassion and I didn't want to fork out the full price of a rubber stamp.
    Like you I've never done digi scrapbooking - I like texture too much.
    Just hope they don't overtake rubber stamps.
    Big Hugz Fleur xXx
    P.S. I love your magazine
    x

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  5. Hi Katy, I can't imagine using digi stamps very much if at all really. I love the feeling of using paper and card. My printer isn't capable of printing on any thing thicker than about 180gsm so I'm unable to print off onto card, of course that means I'm unable to emboss the image and get dimension, which I love:).
    Also with rubber you have the ability to do all manner of techniques such as water colouring i.e, spiritzing the inked stamp and then using mixed colours with Marvy pens directly onto the rubber. Then what about ultra thick embossing, the list goes on........
    Of course I feel guilty and guess I should perhaps think about eco issues and using rubber for things that may sit in my box for a very long time, dilemmas is what it's all about:)
    Thanks for asking, it started me thinking all about why I love what I do:)xx

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  6. Personally I think there digi stamps have their place but real stamps can't not be beaten. I use both but prefer my real stamps. I would not like to see digi stamps in Craft Stamper only my personal opinion.

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  7. I think digi stamps are fab if you want a colour it in type image and as you say they are resized easily one of the only big advantages I can see. I love to dable with digital art and understand the layering that is needed but in no way can they ever...ever be as useful as tactile stamping for me :) It's always good to explore new things though.
    xoxo Sioux

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  8. Hi,
    I use both rubber and digi stamps, however I am much more interested to see rubber stamps used and featured in Craft Stamper.

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  9. I really can't imagine ever using digi stamps, I like the rubber feeling too Katy :o)

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  10. Digital art and manipulating images in a graphics can produce some amazing art work. Printing a single image out, colouring it in and combining it with other elements (generally purchased pre assemabled) can result in terrific cards. Mostly these styles are cute!

    Working with rubber and or polymer stamps is completely different there is just so many different techniques and styles and directions you can go in with physical stamps and that is what CS has been excellent over the years at showing us and encouraging us to develope our skills in. There are lots of magazines on the market and they often have CDs as the cover gift and have already developed a digi consumer market. CS has a niche market of rubber stampers there is no other magazine in the UK that caters for us specifically as CS does. Speaking personally I have a subscription to the magazine and am already unhappy about the amount of pink cute girly content and project repeats. Were the overall focus of the publication to be diluted with digital art it really would be time to reconsider my reading.

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  11. Aah Shock Horror..... its Craft Stamper Magazine, not Digi download mag. I will probably get booed and hissed off the planet, but I expect stamping from this fab magazine. Annette

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  12. I love my digi images and use them far more than I do the rubber ones. I have digi papers also and they really are a gods send.

    Im happy that everyone has a choice these days as more and more places are offering digis. I do see them as the way forward though with no worries about physical storage and for me, being disabled, the prices are much cheaper and give a perfect image each time - unlike with rubber!

    It would be great to see a couple of digis on offer as it would make a fab change from the rubber!

    Keryn

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  13. I'm completely torn. I've not tried digi "stamps" yet but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. in a way it's no worse than using collage images, but it isn't stamping. I don't think of them as stamps at all. I think their home is in more general crafting mags. I wouldn't mind seeing a very occasional article or feature, but if they appeared too often, it would be a big turn off to me.

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  14. Theres a place for digi stamps for those that want them but for me you cant beat the real thing its just not the same. there ok for one offs.

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  15. now I like digi stamps, tend to use them for cute images (would never buy cute in real stamps) that I would colour in with my pro markers, sometimes I just like colouring and if you print them onto bristol board and leave them to dry properly there are no bleeding problems. Paticularly love buying Mo Mannings Images, she is a great artist, so detailed and well drawn, some digi images from elsewhere are a bit sad and I wouldnt buy them as sure I could do better myself, and I cant draw to save me life, LOL.

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  16. I have used the odd digi stamp but they just don't have the wow factor that you get when you first stamp that new stamp! also I love layered stamping and using all kinds of techniques plus it is not everyone who has computer know how, a lot of my friends don't even have a computer !Personally I would not like to see digi stamps in Craft Stamper

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  17. On the whole I agree with Katy. I think the problem with digistamps is that they are called stamps! I too much prefer "proper" stamps, the qualities of which can never be replicated by digital images, but I also think that digistamps have a place, as long as you call them "clipart", which is what they really are. I don't see much difference between using them and using printed papers or pre-coloured clipart images. I have used them as part of mixed media projects, alongside real stamping, and there are certainly some lovely designs around. They are also cheaper and don't take up storage space, and are very useful, as Katy points out, for a one-off card when you wouldn't want to spend money on a stamp you might not use again.

    However, as to whether I'd like to see them in Craft Stamper; no, not really. A single article, maybe, but not as a regular feature.

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  18. I think digi Images have their place it would be interesting to see what some of your experts can come up with I would never get rid of my real stamps though!

    Carol Ann xx

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  19. Mmm... I love both and an article that looks at the quality digis, as well as the blogs that really do push the boundaries with them ( try Mel Stampz) would be fun. You can emboss them, you can print onto tissue paper to use for a candle, room for both and worthy of you mentioning them I'd say.

    But there are so many digis out there that are very poor, it will be interesting to see how many are still there in a year when the novelty wears off.

    Big advantage for me is that I often get smudges/partial images when I stamp, no problem with a digi :)

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  20. Digi stamps have their place, but you can't beat the versatility of real stamps. I use digi stamps and have converted a couple of my real stamps to digi stamps. I do think you should explore digi stamps in a couple of articles, but certainly not run a regular feature.

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  21. I understand completely what you are saying about sitting in front of a computer all day Katy and that crafting is not about that. My personal opinion about digital stamps is that I think they definitely have their own niche. Of course they will never be the same as real stamps, but the idea is not that they need to compete with real stamps, but rather add another dimension to our crafting alongside all of the rubber.

    Of course some people will never use digital images, but then again some people never emboss or use a brayer. For me it is simply another tool to add to the toolbox.

    I saw a gorgeous card the other day that had a huge butterfly image as a background (a digital image sized to cover a large portion of the card base)- almost like a watermark - and then the creator used a real stamped image as her focal point.

    I think taking a hybrid approach and combining the best of both worlds can work well. Using the inky goodness of real rubber as a staple, but having digi available for the times when you need a specific image in a specific size.

    I am a girl that likes options :)

    Thank you for the debate Katy, I enjoy reading what readers think.

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  22. I mainly use rubber stamps but it would be nice to have the option to purchase as a digi image - resizing and storage are my main two reasons for liking this option

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  23. It would make for an interesting one off article but I wouldnt want to see it as a regular item in CS,plus there are other magazines out there that will cover that subject.
    In my own opinion....what skill is there in printing something off and colouring it in?
    The only thing Ive included in my art that Ive printed is vintage photo's....the reason I love stamping is that Ive done the work,Ive created it by hand....and not some computer doing all the work for me.Great topic for debate.

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  24. If you made a card using a digi which is also available as a rubber stamp, coloured it as you would a rubber stamp and then used it on your card in the same way as a rubber stamp image, how would you tell if it was a digi?

    I think there is room for both, I love using both depending on how I feel at the time.

    Should it part of craft stamper? well if the card/project is stunning why not lol! xx

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  25. Noooo definitely not my cup of tea. I love to stamp but digital just doesnt do it for me
    hugs June xxx
    Ps, adore the free stamp this month

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  26. How about an article (probably just the one) giving an idiot guide on how to use digi stamps, what you can do, etc, just to get us started (for those who want to try them). I've seen a few online but haven't used any yet.

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  27. Reading through the comments i would have to agree with both sarah's first comment and Paulas last.. I personally think there is NO substuite to real rubber. I know that digis have there place now on the scene, but please not in your mag.

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  28. Digi stamping does not interest me in the slightest. I do not see it as 'real' stamping and would not be interested in this.

    I think that it would be a sad day if Craft Stamper started doing this - I see the financial advantages and business advantages, but I think it would 'turn me off' what is my favourute magazine. Also, would you really be able to call it 'Craft Stamper'!

    Regards
    Miriam Grazier

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  29. My view is they are not stamps they're 'colouring in' pictures....

    sorry, a big no-no for me. Its as far removed from stamping as you can get and have very limited use apart from sizes.

    Ephemera pics are used differently(I'm happy to use ephemera) but I'm guessing its the line drawings you are referring to?

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  30. Hi I am afraid i am with the dont do it train of thought. I have just finished a subscription with a magazine that includes digi's for you to cut out and keep. Where is the fun to having a perfect image every time!! I am sure it has its place but for me you cannot beat a good rubber stamp. Am addicted to the mag by the way.

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  31. I would hate it if Craft Stamper went over to digital images as I don't regard them as stamps at all. I have used them occasionally when required to do so for my DT position but I am never as happy with the results as when I use my rubber stamps.
    There might be a place for a one off article but definitely not as a regular feature.

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  32. I too sit in front of a computer in my day job and really don't want to have to sit in front of a screen to "craft". This is the reason why I do not use CD's in my work either. I have never got into digital scrapbooking or collage - though admit it looks very effective on occasions but I do wonder if the same satisfaction is achieved. No I would not like to see digi stamping in this fab mag! Long live rubber and acrylic :)

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  33. I much prefer my rubber stamps - I haven't used digi stamps - I agree with an earlier comment, how can you call it a stamp - though I can see the advantage if you just want to colour an image. I say NO to digi images in Craft Stamper.

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  34. Digis have their place and I can see their appeal, especially if you're a stamp-it, colour-it, Nestie-it, stick-it-on kind of crafter. But Craft STAMPER magazine is not a general papercrafts magazine, the clue is in the name - lol! I hate the fact people call them digital stamps - some clever soul came up with the idea of repackaging clip art to make it appeal to a wider market. More strength to their elbow but digital images are not stamps. A one off article might be fine and dandy but keeping the magazine's focus on tactile stamping gets my vote :o)

    I think brushes in Photoshop are at least as interesting and useful but I guess the fact you need the software as well as the computer makes them less universally appealing.

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  35. As Paula says a one off article about them would be an idea, putting across the points made by Katy and Sarah. I know that the digi images of actual stamp images are useful for those who find stamping difficult but want to use some of the great stamp images that are now available, makes them feel more included.

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  36. Personally, I think digital images (otherwise known as clip art, cos that's all they really are) are great in their own right, but using them honestly and truthfully can't be called stamping. Sorry. Stamping, by definition, involves a physical action, using inks (or other medium) and a stamp to create an impression. Using a digital image of any kind cannot possibly be called stamping. They're two totally separate things and really shouldn't be confused. Yes, there's skill involved in both of them but they're very different skills and very different hobbies!

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  37. Hi, this is a very interesting debate...when all is said and done I do prefer rubber stamps, having said that I do own some digi stamps, ..and cd's and they have there place...normally I find when someone asks me to make something specific and I do not have an appropriate image, then it is possible to find something at little cost and recieve it instantly....however I am limited to printing and colouring...so I think an occasional article that showed some really interesing techniques and showed new and different ways of of using them in a more "crafty" way I would be interested...but in genrel I would prefer to stick to rubber.

    Juls

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  38. Digital stamps are not stamps but vector line drawings which you can get from Google images for FREE. The images are usually excellent and there are so many topics available. Digital stamps have their place for those people who find stamping difficult but really they are just colouring in guides.

    I really don't like all the very pink and girlie topics that have been covered recently and would like to see something a tad different. We used to get some wonderful variations in colour and projects but since the magazine was taken over it's slowly going down IMHO.

    Please could you also look at how your tips are printed. I really can't read the pastel colours printed on a similar tone background with similar coloured ink, what are you thinking? Please could you go back to printing the text in black for example so we can read the tips etc.

    I subscribe to your magazine but am seriously thinking of stopping, especially if you feature colouring in (digi style)on a regular basis. There are already so many sites and magazines who seem to be jumping on the bandwagon, please try to be different, that's why i subscribe.

    Great subject for discussion and it's interesting to see people's reactions :-)

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  39. What are digi stamps? Aren't they just clip art printed out?? Not actually stamping with inks or paint or anything messy. I'd accept one article on their pros and cons but really as Craft Stamper is the only UK stamping magazine, then you should focus on stamps.

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  40. Am a new subscriber and just waiting for my first edition to drop thorugh the letter box...I really love stamping and can't get my head around Digi at all...it feels like cheating and tho I have used one once because I had a specific card order and didn't have a stamp to fit - I didn't enjoy it, had trouble painting it wihtout bleeding and it just looked like what it was - a coloured in picture!!

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  41. I sometimes use digital brushes in Photoshop which look far more stamp-like than the colouring-in 'digi stamps', in my opinion. Even so, there's no substitute for the real thing.

    I think a one-off article on digital brushes and stamps would be fine and not out of place in CS - BUT I would definitely not welcome them as a regular feature. Rubber, acrylic/polymer, inks and paints are what makes CS such a great magazine - and what differentiates it from the herd of papercrafting mags.

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  42. Maybe a comparison article would be interesting, but not a regular feature.
    They shouldn't be called Digistamps, it is just printed images.
    I don't think I would ever use them, I like the real thing!!!
    Viv

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  43. I feel like I am cheating if I use a digi stamp, printing and colouring just doesn't feel the same as stamp, ink and embossing powder!! Plus there is so much more you can do with a stamp - it's so verstile, a digi stamp just gives you one image whereas a stamp allows you to stamp all or part, mask bits and layer stamps to create a scene, and so on the list is endless.

    I love craft stamper because it specialises on real stamps, it would go down in my estimations if included digi stamps.

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  44. Humm I'm not a fan of the digi "stamp" for me they go hand in hand with the promarkers and those who just want to colour, not that I'm knocking that but craft stamper is all about being creative :)

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  45. As others have said, they are NOT a stamp! They are clip art/digital images/etc, call them anything else, but not stamps! So please, don't include them in the magazine: that is a place for REAL stamps!

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  46. I just love Craft Stamper and all the stamping and background techniques. I was so disappointed when you started having scrapbook features in it but then I saw that it was techniques I could use in my stamping and altered work.

    But when it comes to digi imaging....a big NO from me!

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  47. well, I'm the kind of girl who only really buys stamps that can be coloured in - so if I'm in a hurry for something digi stamps are an absolute Godsend. Many a time I've been asked to make a last minute card for someone and found that I didn't have anything suitable in rubber - but there are so many digi comapnies now to choose from that I've never had to refuse a commission. Most recently I used one of the humorous Stella stamps from Bugaboo Stamps for my mother in law - just perfect.
    I have to admit to owning more rubber and clear stamps than digi's, and I certainly wouldn't convert to digi's alone. But digi's certainly have their place for me and colouring them is never a problem with my trusty promarkers either
    Debbi
    xx

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  48. Digi images are not for me and I have a certificate in digital art. When it comes right down to it I like tactile, dimension, inks, inks and more inks. I have been a rubber stamper for 12 years, and I find I only gravitate to digital when I want to say something on my card that I don't have a stamp for. (I'm not admitting to how many I have in case my hubby reads this)

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  49. i have to say that personally i haven't got into digi 'stamping' as yet. however, i have seen some cards made with some beautiful images.
    i think that maybe each issue you could feature a digi stamp company and make some cards with their images so people know they exist and can decide for themselves.
    Cardmaking is forever evolving. try it out and see how it goes. i'm sure there are some people who would never have used anything other than wood-mounted stamps - until good quality polymer stamps appeared!!

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  50. Digi is not rubber stamping and as Craft stamper is a stamping magazine Digi art has no place between its covers...Would you accept a Digi art piece in your stamper of the year competition ? as one of the stipulations is that it must include rubber stamping. If your answer is no why even think of including this format in the magazine.

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  51. After fighting it for ages, I now use lots of digi stamps, but I still like to refer to them as line art. They are not stamps.
    I really wouldn't like to see them in the magazine. This mag is perfect as it is. A place for real stamps and stampers.

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  52. I have used digis on the various design teams I have had the priveledge of being a member, but I must say to me it is not stamping. I would rather stamp and get inky any day. I think digis are taking over, which is real shame, let's get back to our roots, rubber stamping is the name of the game. I actually have just started a new challenge blog for stampers, no digis, called Let's Ink It Up in the hope to challenge peeps to use stamps again. Seems to be working yeah!!

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  53. Well, I go along with weewiccababe - I usually use the hands-on stuff, but I also like the flexability to grab an image, size it to suit and then colour it - you can do that in any way really that you like - and if necessary you can layer it up for greater definition. You can emboss it or parts of it, used the glue and tinsel stuff on it, or print it on card and then run it through the Cuttlebug. You can print it on paper and then transfer it to the card as you do other printed images......so, yes, if you allow those in the magazine, some digi images also could be introduced. However, I would hate for them to take over and be all the same boring 'twee' images of little girls with kittens or 'animi' images. They have their place too, but not necessarily in the Craft Stamper! It is my favourite magazine and I wait and wait for it each month to arrive! In Tassie, it can take a while.

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  54. I personally can't stand digital images, that to me isn't stamping. I like to get inky, get down and get creative, what can one do with an image you print on your printer. There is nothing like the real thing, when you think about it it's where it all started and I think we should get back to our roots, so much so that I started my own challenge blog, which has taken off unbelievably, so there are many out there who think as I do. Get inky I say. I don't think digital images have a place in a stamping magazine either. Don't get me wrong they have their place, I just don't like them. Cheers.

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  55. like others I feel there is a time and a place for all,I am having health issues at the mo effecting my stamping so Digi is giving me some help.But didn't we all say acrylic clear stamps Yuk a litttle while ago! not the real thing,not a patch on good old rubber.Maybe its time moving on.

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