OMG... So much work and it didn't even stamp well. 😭 I'm going to try again... Maybe something with thinner lines? Thank you for checking out my video! ❤️
Thanks for sharing and trying this out for us crafters Linh. "It's kinda crunchy" was a funny line! I've only seen 1 other video from a crafter about this machine. It does seem to make "handmade" looking stamp images. Some may be into that, some may not. If I had an electronic cutting machine, I'd be tempted to get this to make stamps with my kiddo. (I heard someone mention there is a blue plastic liner on the bottom plate of the UV machine that can peel off - maybe that will help with the curing process) Good Luck, Kristin
Hi Kristin!! Thanks so much... LOL... the things I say when I'm recording real-time with no edits. LOL 🤣 I didn't want to peel that off b/c I'm not sure if I will keep it. I am sure they will still take it back even if I did peel it off, but I just like to try to keep it as usable for the next person as possible. I wonder if it does make much of a difference though b/c the most it would do is help reflect some of the UV but I think longer under the lamps would do the same thing? To your point though, when I showed it to my husband, he liked it. He liked that mottled look. He thought it was supposed to be that way. LOL.
😂 I know right??? I'm going to try different images and see if there's maybe an ideal type of image or if it's just that the material is not suited well for this.
My bet is this goes back asap. This is based on the comment made to you on IG about the heat lamp question you had. The limited size of stamps you can make. The time involved will take up your crafty time. I choose to leave the stamp making to our stamp companies. I don’t see this product lasting on the market. Linh you crack me up you can buy the mini press & a pressure tool. 💜
Lol!! I don't want the mini press. Just the pressure tool. 🤣 I'm going to experiment more but yeah... I'm leaning towards a return. I had such high hopes
This looks super fun! I wonder what would happen at 9mins and then running it under hot water, if it would make a difference? Also wonder what would happen if you used your press? Idk I want this to work 😂😂😂 it looks so fun!! 😂😂
LOL! I want this to work too!! I'm going to try both those things... so instead of just luke warm water to start I'll go direct to the sink. I did the initial rinse for video sake so I could show a little bit of the process in, but I'll skip that next time. I'm also going to wait 24 hrs before using it. I got that tip from another viewer. So... stay tuned! I'm not giving up on it. :)
Lin this is so much fun …I’m a science geek…the broad difference in cure times is based on stamp line thickness or thin-ness..thicker more cure time thinner less cure time…like cooking noodles…the second cure time varies based on how much was washed away you have to cure the indented base…lots of wash away…more time…less wash away less time. No surprise to you I have the pro stamp makers set up here with the plates photo polymer liquid and setting light if you want the info for it let me know if you’re keeping the lamp you won’t need to purchase another one😉💕💕
Also..comment below… yes we use printed acetate as the filter to cure the stamp material. I get mine printed at my local print shop …so no you don’t need to do the vinyl thing ….it’s not the only way to do this🤗
Ok... so that was sort of my guess about cure time, when I saw how "solid" or think my image was I was thinking it meant I'd need to cure for longer, but "longer" compared to what? LOL. I'm not sure if 6 mins was too long or too short. Another viewer said that the cure time also depends on how "old" the polyer plates are... I need to look up the pro stamp maker. You aren't the first to mention it. Can you tell me more? Or do you have a video I can check out? Thx so much, friend!
I watched your video and saw the results then I went to HSN to see it and watched their video. Then I read the customer reviews. There were only a couple but what I found interesting was the people who liked it both cured under the uv light 15 and 16 minutes and got good results. And then cleaned and put back under light for another 15 or 16 minutes even though her video says 6-9. Maybe that was the problem, it really needs more time.
Hi Phyllis, thank you so much for sharing your research! I was planning on curing for longer but 15 minutes?! I wouldn't have thought to go that long. Thank you for the info. I'm planning to try again this weekend so I'm glad you left a comment. I would have only gone for 9 minutes and that still might not have been long enough given what those other customers experienced. Thank you so much!!! ❤️
Thanks for sharing. I just received my Forge a few days ago but haven’t opened it yet. I also have the mint and like it but the stamp blocks are so small compared to the forge. I already own a cricut so no headache there. I can’t wait to try out the forge. Thanks again for sharing
You can send your artwork to a custom stamp retailer and they'll do what you want in the size you want and mail it to you done without the weeding. It doesn't take long and they're not expensive. I suspect a dozen bespoke images done by professionals would be far less expensive than investing in that system.
Thanks so much!! In the past when I've looked into custom stamps it's around $15-30 for maybe a 4x6 stamp.... and that's if you have the final art for them already designed. Have prices come down? It's been a while since I've checked. Considering the Stamp Forge was only $55, I figure I'm ahead on price if I make a handful of stamps... except... come to find they aren't stamping very well, which defeats the purpose. So admittedly there's that, but I got some tips on what to try instead to try to get better results, so if I can get it to work, it's possible I do end up keeping it but I'm glad HSN has a good return policy. LOL
Omg too much to deal with. They always have tools that don’t work good. It’s just like the button maker and the typewriter (now you can’t buy the tapes) I only like their envelope maker small and large and their ribbon cutter 21:41
I think it looks like a clever system. I like the way they’ve layered the photopolymer gel onto the solid backing. It saves having to cure the ‘floor’ of your stamp like you do with other systems. I’d like to see how it works with a printed image. Probably best to use a laser printer to get a solid black image.
Hi Lesley! Thanks for checking out my review. I didn't think about using a laser printer to get the transfer design instead of cutting it out of vinyl. I'll give that a try!! Thank you for the tip!
Thank you for such a thorough and honest review. I watched the HSN presentation like you did and initially going in was very interested, I had all kinds of ideas and they said everything was included and then that I’d need a cutting machine and I was out! I don’t have one nor do I want one. I agree with you completely that was deceptive marketing and I’m glad you mentioned it! I noticed in the HSN demo that the woman had to ink her stamp up a second time as the first was similar result to yours. I’m curious did you try in the Misti and what was the result? What did it look like once it was stamped multiple times?
I don't have a misti, but I did try it in my stamping platform which also has a foam cushion and that didn't help. I also tried to sand the surface a little to rough it up hoping that would help but it didn't. I am going to try making something with thinner lines to see if it is better
Hi LV.... you created yourself a "distressed" coffee stamp tim holtz would love a lot...😊... and I love ❤ the look as well.... even though it is not what you expected... I have an idea, why it turned out this way, because many years ago, I made polymer stamps. It could be, you cleaned it to gentle, bevore the last curing (some polymer residue caused the surface to become bumpy... or the first exposure wasn't long enough, and uncured polymer was removed... i guess it's the first one)... just keep on trying, I also run into similar problems, that where caused by "timing". Go9d luck
@@Ms7art thanks so much for the tip! When I feel the surface of the stamp, it's smooth. Off camera, I even lightly sanded it with a very fine sand block and that didn't help. I'll try a longer cure time. My husband actually liked the look too.. And I agree, it's nice if it's what you're going for. 🤪
@@LVHandcrafted kinda happy accident for Distress Look.. 😉... longer exposure to uv light is also what I would try next 👍 (it is a Bold image). It's a long time ago, i bought my kit (I had to use 100 Watt Light bulb and a certain distance/time to cure) it was important, that the polymer gel pad was totali fllat. It was pressed with a acrylic plate and super magnets against the background plate. If it wasn't totally flat, I got a uneven print. After a while I got the hang of it though. I hope it works out for you. I hope you understand my English, it's not my native language...
@@LVHandcrafted ...I think, once the final cure is done, there is not much you can do , but did you try to clean it with rubbing alcohol? I had to do that, but my system was different from wrmk. The polymer was a gel in a plastic and at the end it needed a special salt bath. Wrmk says, you have to wash it for quite a while... (it was the same with my system.... it took a long time).
I don't know anything about this product, but I've had the Teresa Collins stampmaker back in I think 2010-2012 and it was kind of similar, but at thhe same time not as the Stampmaker you had to use the cd with the program to make stamps, and you needed to print onto a plastic film and it actually ended up breaking my laser printer as the transparencies they sold as laser printer ones was actually not suitable for laser printers and that's why mine broke. I think the stampmaker also lacked some sort of instruction manual that was actually understandable, it was only like a few pictures and you couldn't get the text in other languages than I think it was french and spanish in addition to English. This was before RUclips was really popular so it wasn't any videos out there about how to use this machine. I was exited to see that WRMK have made an updated version of the old ones and I might actually want to buy it to make my own "made by" stamps and small stamps for people as a gift. Now I need to watch more videos of this new product to see if it's worth the cost.
Hi Caroline! Thanks for checking out my video! Thanks for letting me know how that previous product works. I'm going to try printing on a transparency to make my next stamp and see if it can do the original designs I had planned. You might want to check out my review of the Silhouette Mint because that's another option -- very different technology but I think it would be very well-suited for a "made by" stamp. Right now I'm liking the Mint better than this Stamp Forge, but I haven't given up on it. I want to try it a couple more times before I decide whether or not to keep it.
@@LVHandcrafted Thanks for your answer. Unfortunately the Mint is no longer available in Norway, but I had it on my wishlist before but didn't get it. I've just checked out some RUclips videos with the Teresa Collins stamp maker and I think I will try to make another stamp with it if I can find it, I have stored it somewhere and don't remember where 😅🙈. I thought I had to use the program on the CD, but it turned out that the people in the videos I watched actually used Word or Photoshop so it might work. I now have an inkjet printer too so it shouldn't break my printer this time. It's really fun to be able to make your own stamp designs and I think this new one from WRM will probably make people use the old ones too if they still have it, but if my old one doesn't work I might want to buy a new one. I have not found this new one from WRM in Norway yet, but we always get things much later than the rest of the world if it actually comes. Sorry for my bad English 😊
HSN sells the photopolymer sheets for $26 for a set of 8 sheets (which are about 3 in x 4). So that works out to $3.25 per 3" x 4" stamp sheet. So in terms of how cost per individual stamp, I guess it depends on how many stamps you can fit on a 3x4 sheet. That doesn't take into account the machine itself though.
@@LVHandcrafted That’s why I searched for you. 😊 While I love so many things from We R Memory Keepers/We R Makers-and so much of my craft space is filled with their products-there’s no reason to keep costly tools that don’t work well.
It almost looks like the surface of the stamp is being degraded as you stamp….if you make another one do the full 9 min cure after you wash it then let it rest for 24 hours before trying to use it….photopolymer and almost anything chemically changing state as a result of a uv energy initiated reaction will always continue to finish up the reaction many hours later.
@@LVHandcrafted bahaha ..😁don’t know everything but love to learn, experiment and try things! You and I have curious minds and that’s what helps you know a lot….I know there are a number of things i don’t know that I would love to pick your brain for 😉
My algorithm is algorithming! Loving this craft equivalent to industrial photopolymer stamp making. I’m a returning printmaker, and the jury isn’t out on barehandling uncured photopolymer plates unfortunately. The main concerns with photopolymer plates is whether you’re exposing your skin to uncured photopolymer, esp in the water, which your skin could absorb or get contact dermatitis, if there are any fumes, did you notice a scent? But the most concerning is if you’re pouring that uncured photopolymer down your sink into your wastewater. My algorithm knows I’ve been researching this 😭 because I’m trying to find environmentally friendly but also easily accessible materials. This doesn’t even come up in UK stores. Appreciate the demonstration and honest review. I think they kinda con you by saying you need to vinyl cut, if industry use laser (or inkjet) printouts for negatives.
@@Schmambo oh! Good tip on the photopolymer safety. I read it was non toxic as I was researching but clearly didn't research enough. There was no smell at all that I noticed. Hopefully that's a good sign. :) I'm going to try to laser print into acetate and see how it does with the text. I'll be wearing gloves next time. But sadly it will still go down the drain. I'm glad the algorithm brought you to my video. Thank you for the tips!!!
I know, right?? I actually thought after I saw the stamp it was going to be awesome. Lol I'm gonna try something and hopefully see if an image with thinner lines will be different. Thanks for watching!
@@melaD333 it's not at all like the regular clear photopolymer stamps we're used to. The photopolymer is backed by a plastic. And it becomes a hard plastic after it's been cured. It's kind of crunchy when I cut through it. I think that's why it's not grabbing and transferring the ink like I would have expected. But I'm going to try again. Maybe this first one was a fluke. 🤪
@@LVHandcrafted the demo on their channel shows scrubbing under running hot water for a while and the plate turns a more yellow than green. Maybe that’s the difference?
@@melaD333 could be. But I did that too. only scrubbed a little with the warm water to show it on camera.. But the rest of the time I scrubbed under warm running water. 🤷♀️
Hi. I work in digital printing and have had a thought that may work with this system. I'm wondering if you printed your design on heatproof/printable acetate, would that work in place of cutting vinyl? I presume that as there isn't an electric cutting machine that can cut fine detail, if this could replace it. I think if that worked it would make the process easier and less time consuming. I don't think I would bother purchasing this system if I couldn't create fine and detailed stamps. ALSO...(sorry, correct wording may falter as I have a headache).. you would have to create a box around your image and make the image white so it would mimic the cut vinyl. What do you think? Edit: I always watch review videos of WRMK machine type products before even carting anything. They are not always what they say they are. Often consumables are so expensive that it negates the 'making it yourself' thrill. So, thank you for this video.
@@kymmaraldo1365 hi!! I'm going to try this! Another viewer said they had an older product where that was exactly what was required. Also, I saw someone just use a sharpie marker and vellum to trace an image. But I'm going to try what you are suggesting first. I'm hoping I can try to then make my original design. And if that works out, I think it makes this worth keeping. I bought some acetate that will go through a laser printer so I'm going to give it a go! Wish me luck. Lol 😂
@@LVHandcrafted Ha, I wish you more than luck! You'll obviously let us know whether it works or not. I can't see how it wouldn't. Would vellum allow enough light through? Just a thought with your first attempt with that process, re: poor image. Maybe the photopolymer was cured too long and is now hard like plastic. Or...without being able to eyeball the surface from over here in Melbourne, Aust, was it 'damaged' with the initial scrubbing? I would actually wonder if it's the first option tbh. I got my grandsprogs some cheap stamps when they were little. They were rigid plastic and useless. Just a thought. I think the wide range in cure time is due to the unstable nature of the product. Shelf life of 12mths? This would mean that it would take less time to cure as they age. Pretty sure I won't be purchasing this system. After the initial flush of creating stamps, the machine could possibly sit on the shelf for a year or two, not being used before I grabbed it again. Good luck and happy stamp making. Take care xx
@@LVHandcrafted to be honest, I don't know as I have never done this. Can only speak from experience with different stamps and other materials I have used over many years. I think that if the one you made in your video is rigid then that would explain why it didn't give you a clean image. Have you tried giving it a gentle bend to see if the stamp is flexible. If not flexible that would explain why it didn't stamp well. The more I think about this product, the more I know I wouldn't buy it. Thinking of the short shelf life...finding the sweet spot with curing will be time-consuming and expensive. A lot of sheets could be wasted. Then with the sheets disintergrating over time, that would alter cure times. Or is that my cynical POV with wrmk products? I do not think so. Good luck with the laser printed acetate, I think that could be a winner. I know I'm long winded. Sorry. If the stamp you made is rigid, maybe try putting on fine wet n dry sandpaper and roughing up the surface. I figure you have nothing to lose at this point as the darn thing doesn't stamp cleanly anyway.
@@kymmaraldo1365 yep! I tried to sand it and no luck. It is rigid... Like hard plastic. I'll try again and will definitely post a video if I get it to work.... Well, maybe will also post even if it doesn't. Lol 🤣
Yep! I knew going in before I bought it but I'm just surprised they would say that. Because well, it's clearly not the case. Lol it's the first step. Lol 😂😂
@@LVHandcrafted HSN is known to leave out details. I don’t think they read the directions either. If they did they’d known the extras needed. Definitely reach out to them with the presenters name that misstated this is all you need.
@@bertas-cards thanks! I did know before I bought it because I had seen the we r makers promo video. But I'm more worried about everyone else who might have seen that presentation for the first time. I've never returned anything to HSN before but I read their policy and they seem pretty flexible about it. I have one thing I want to try before i give up on the stamp forge tho. hopefully I can get to that in the next couple days.
@@bertas-cards yeah, I feel bad if someone bought it and didn't realize they needed an electric cutting machine. But I'm going to try printing on acetate to see if it'll work. Not sure if laser printer ink is opaque enough to block out the UV light. If it works it'll mean I can print the original design I made. :)
Thank you for presenting this in real time! 😊 Love your videos! It seems like a lot of work for one stamp!
OMG... So much work and it didn't even stamp well. 😭 I'm going to try again... Maybe something with thinner lines? Thank you for checking out my video! ❤️
Thanks for sharing and trying this out for us crafters Linh. "It's kinda crunchy" was a funny line! I've only seen 1 other video from a crafter about this machine. It does seem to make "handmade" looking stamp images. Some may be into that, some may not. If I had an electronic cutting machine, I'd be tempted to get this to make stamps with my kiddo. (I heard someone mention there is a blue plastic liner on the bottom plate of the UV machine that can peel off - maybe that will help with the curing process) Good Luck, Kristin
Hi Kristin!! Thanks so much... LOL... the things I say when I'm recording real-time with no edits. LOL 🤣 I didn't want to peel that off b/c I'm not sure if I will keep it. I am sure they will still take it back even if I did peel it off, but I just like to try to keep it as usable for the next person as possible. I wonder if it does make much of a difference though b/c the most it would do is help reflect some of the UV but I think longer under the lamps would do the same thing?
To your point though, when I showed it to my husband, he liked it. He liked that mottled look. He thought it was supposed to be that way. LOL.
Thank you - this is the first I’m seeing of this product!
Thanks for checking out my video! ❤️
Seems like a great tool to have if it works!! Thanks for the video!!
😂 I know right??? I'm going to try different images and see if there's maybe an ideal type of image or if it's just that the material is not suited well for this.
Also... Thanks for hanging with us on the Livestream! ❤️
My bet is this goes back asap. This is based on the comment made to you on IG about the heat lamp question you had. The limited size of stamps you can make. The time involved will take up your crafty time. I choose to leave the stamp making to our stamp companies. I don’t see this product lasting on the market.
Linh you crack me up you can buy the mini press & a pressure tool. 💜
Lol!! I don't want the mini press. Just the pressure tool. 🤣 I'm going to experiment more but yeah... I'm leaning towards a return. I had such high hopes
@@LVHandcrafted 🤣
This looks super fun! I wonder what would happen at 9mins and then running it under hot water, if it would make a difference? Also wonder what would happen if you used your press? Idk I want this to work 😂😂😂 it looks so fun!! 😂😂
LOL! I want this to work too!! I'm going to try both those things... so instead of just luke warm water to start I'll go direct to the sink. I did the initial rinse for video sake so I could show a little bit of the process in, but I'll skip that next time. I'm also going to wait 24 hrs before using it. I got that tip from another viewer. So... stay tuned! I'm not giving up on it. :)
@@LVHandcrafted yay! Definitely can’t wait.
Lin this is so much fun …I’m a science geek…the broad difference in cure times is based on stamp line thickness or thin-ness..thicker more cure time thinner less cure time…like cooking noodles…the second cure time varies based on how much was washed away you have to cure the indented base…lots of wash away…more time…less wash away less time. No surprise to you I have the pro stamp makers set up here with the plates photo polymer liquid and setting light if you want the info for it let me know if you’re keeping the lamp you won’t need to purchase another one😉💕💕
Also..comment below… yes we use printed acetate as the filter to cure the stamp material. I get mine printed at my local print shop …so no you don’t need to do the vinyl thing ….it’s not the only way to do this🤗
I'm definitely gonna give this a go! I have some acetate that will go through my laser printer so... 🤞🤞
Ok... so that was sort of my guess about cure time, when I saw how "solid" or think my image was I was thinking it meant I'd need to cure for longer, but "longer" compared to what? LOL. I'm not sure if 6 mins was too long or too short. Another viewer said that the cure time also depends on how "old" the polyer plates are...
I need to look up the pro stamp maker. You aren't the first to mention it. Can you tell me more? Or do you have a video I can check out? Thx so much, friend!
Beautiful stamp Linh 🥰 I love your stamp design and your honest review ❤️ thanks for sharing your creativity Hugs xx
@@JoanOrloffDK thank you so much, Joan!! 💕
I watched your video and saw the results then I went to HSN to see it and watched their video. Then I read the customer reviews. There were only a couple but what I found interesting was the people who liked it both cured under the uv light 15 and 16 minutes and got good results. And then cleaned and put back under light for another 15 or 16 minutes even though her video says 6-9. Maybe that was the problem, it really needs more time.
Hi Phyllis, thank you so much for sharing your research! I was planning on curing for longer but 15 minutes?! I wouldn't have thought to go that long. Thank you for the info. I'm planning to try again this weekend so I'm glad you left a comment. I would have only gone for 9 minutes and that still might not have been long enough given what those other customers experienced. Thank you so much!!! ❤️
Interesting video, thanks for sharing the review!
Thanks for watching, Shanna! ❤️
You can buy photopolymer pouches with just the liquid. The final product may be better than using the plates.
Oh, that's something I'll need to look up. Thank you so much for the tip! 💗
Good review. Very interesting! Big maybe here…. Thanks
Thank you so much!! ❤️❤️
Thanks for sharing. I just received my Forge a few days ago but haven’t opened it yet. I also have the mint and like it but the stamp blocks are so small compared to the forge. I already own a cricut so no headache there. I can’t wait to try out the forge. Thanks again for sharing
Awesome!! Can you let me know how it works for you? I'm going to try it again this weekend but would love to hear your experience
@@LVHandcrafted i sure will let you know
You can send your artwork to a custom stamp retailer and they'll do what you want in the size you want and mail it to you done without the weeding. It doesn't take long and they're not expensive. I suspect a dozen bespoke images done by professionals would be far less expensive than investing in that system.
Thanks so much!! In the past when I've looked into custom stamps it's around $15-30 for maybe a 4x6 stamp.... and that's if you have the final art for them already designed. Have prices come down? It's been a while since I've checked. Considering the Stamp Forge was only $55, I figure I'm ahead on price if I make a handful of stamps... except... come to find they aren't stamping very well, which defeats the purpose. So admittedly there's that, but I got some tips on what to try instead to try to get better results, so if I can get it to work, it's possible I do end up keeping it but I'm glad HSN has a good return policy. LOL
Omg too much to deal with. They always have tools that don’t work good. It’s just like the button maker and the typewriter (now you can’t buy the tapes) I only like their envelope maker small and large and their ribbon cutter 21:41
Oh you don't like your button maker? I love mine. For me it works pretty consistently ... Maybe 9 out of 10 times.
@@LVHandcrafted no it’s poorly made. I bought a better one
@@gaylemora1390 :( sorry to hear it but glad you got a better one!
i have a stamp holder like that from we r memory keepers, and i add foam under the paper to get a crisper image :)
Yep! It came with one. I "installed" it. :) thanks for the tip!
This is WAY too fiddly for me. TYSM for the video!
It's a bit much. Lol 🤣🤣 thx for checking out my video!
Shouldn't you use a soft mat under a photopolymer stamp?
I just followed how We R Makers demonstrated in their videos and on HSN. Usually it's red rubber stamps that are foam mounted tho
I think it looks like a clever system. I like the way they’ve layered the photopolymer gel onto the solid backing. It saves having to cure the ‘floor’ of your stamp like you do with other systems. I’d like to see how it works with a printed image. Probably best to use a laser printer to get a solid black image.
Hi Lesley! Thanks for checking out my review. I didn't think about using a laser printer to get the transfer design instead of cutting it out of vinyl. I'll give that a try!! Thank you for the tip!
Thank you for such a thorough and honest review. I watched the HSN presentation like you did and initially going in was very interested, I had all kinds of ideas and they said everything was included and then that I’d need a cutting machine and I was out! I don’t have one nor do I want one. I agree with you completely that was deceptive marketing and I’m glad you mentioned it! I noticed in the HSN demo that the woman had to ink her stamp up a second time as the first was similar result to yours. I’m curious did you try in the Misti and what was the result? What did it look like once it was stamped multiple times?
Perhaps use this stand in your “Misti” with a foam cushion for a better impression?
I don't have a misti, but I did try it in my stamping platform which also has a foam cushion and that didn't help. I also tried to sand the surface a little to rough it up hoping that would help but it didn't. I am going to try making something with thinner lines to see if it is better
Hi LV.... you created yourself a "distressed" coffee stamp tim holtz would love a lot...😊... and I love ❤ the look as well.... even though it is not what you expected... I have an idea, why it turned out this way, because many years ago, I made polymer stamps. It could be, you cleaned it to gentle, bevore the last curing (some polymer residue caused the surface to become bumpy... or the first exposure wasn't long enough, and uncured polymer was removed... i guess it's the first one)... just keep on trying, I also run into similar problems, that where caused by "timing". Go9d luck
@@Ms7art thanks so much for the tip! When I feel the surface of the stamp, it's smooth. Off camera, I even lightly sanded it with a very fine sand block and that didn't help. I'll try a longer cure time.
My husband actually liked the look too.. And I agree, it's nice if it's what you're going for. 🤪
@@LVHandcrafted kinda happy accident for Distress Look.. 😉... longer exposure to uv light is also what I would try next 👍 (it is a Bold image). It's a long time ago, i bought my kit (I had to use 100 Watt Light bulb and a certain distance/time to cure) it was important, that the polymer gel pad was totali fllat. It was pressed with a acrylic plate and super magnets against the background plate. If it wasn't totally flat, I got a uneven print. After a while I got the hang of it though. I hope it works out for you. I hope you understand my English, it's not my native language...
@@LVHandcrafted ...I think, once the final cure is done, there is not much you can do , but did you try to clean it with rubbing alcohol? I had to do that, but my system was different from wrmk. The polymer was a gel in a plastic and at the end it needed a special salt bath. Wrmk says, you have to wash it for quite a while... (it was the same with my system.... it took a long time).
I don't know anything about this product, but I've had the Teresa Collins stampmaker back in I think 2010-2012 and it was kind of similar, but at thhe same time not as the Stampmaker you had to use the cd with the program to make stamps, and you needed to print onto a plastic film and it actually ended up breaking my laser printer as the transparencies they sold as laser printer ones was actually not suitable for laser printers and that's why mine broke. I think the stampmaker also lacked some sort of instruction manual that was actually understandable, it was only like a few pictures and you couldn't get the text in other languages than I think it was french and spanish in addition to English. This was before RUclips was really popular so it wasn't any videos out there about how to use this machine. I was exited to see that WRMK have made an updated version of the old ones and I might actually want to buy it to make my own "made by" stamps and small stamps for people as a gift. Now I need to watch more videos of this new product to see if it's worth the cost.
Hi Caroline! Thanks for checking out my video! Thanks for letting me know how that previous product works. I'm going to try printing on a transparency to make my next stamp and see if it can do the original designs I had planned. You might want to check out my review of the Silhouette Mint because that's another option -- very different technology but I think it would be very well-suited for a "made by" stamp. Right now I'm liking the Mint better than this Stamp Forge, but I haven't given up on it. I want to try it a couple more times before I decide whether or not to keep it.
@@LVHandcrafted Thanks for your answer. Unfortunately the Mint is no longer available in Norway, but I had it on my wishlist before but didn't get it. I've just checked out some RUclips videos with the Teresa Collins stamp maker and I think I will try to make another stamp with it if I can find it, I have stored it somewhere and don't remember where 😅🙈. I thought I had to use the program on the CD, but it turned out that the people in the videos I watched actually used Word or Photoshop so it might work. I now have an inkjet printer too so it shouldn't break my printer this time. It's really fun to be able to make your own stamp designs and I think this new one from WRM will probably make people use the old ones too if they still have it, but if my old one doesn't work I might want to buy a new one. I have not found this new one from WRM in Norway yet, but we always get things much later than the rest of the world if it actually comes. Sorry for my bad English 😊
@@carolinecordelia oh so sorry. I forget how spoiled we are with products and accessibility here in the US
So how much exactly will it cost for me to make a stamp?
HSN sells the photopolymer sheets for $26 for a set of 8 sheets (which are about 3 in x 4). So that works out to $3.25 per 3" x 4" stamp sheet. So in terms of how cost per individual stamp, I guess it depends on how many stamps you can fit on a 3x4 sheet. That doesn't take into account the machine itself though.
The stamp pressure tool can be purchased separately for about $9.
LOL... Cool!! If I return this, I think I might get that pressure tool. 🤣
@@LVHandcrafted That’s why I searched for you. 😊 While I love so many things from We R Memory Keepers/We R Makers-and so much of my craft space is filled with their products-there’s no reason to keep costly tools that don’t work well.
@@Jesus-Loves-You. I totally agree!! Thank you so much for letting me know. I have it saved to a wishlist on Amazon. Lol 🤣
Great review! lots of steps and time consuming compared to the previous kit!
Yes, it's way more work and more cumbersome. Lol but if it stamped well it would be cool and worth it.
It almost looks like the surface of the stamp is being degraded as you stamp….if you make another one do the full 9 min cure after you wash it then let it rest for 24 hours before trying to use it….photopolymer and almost anything chemically changing state as a result of a uv energy initiated reaction will always continue to finish up the reaction many hours later.
Oooh!! Good tips! I will do exactly that. Thanks so much, friend! You know everything! :)
@@LVHandcrafted bahaha ..😁don’t know everything but love to learn, experiment and try things! You and I have curious minds and that’s what helps you know a lot….I know there are a number of things i don’t know that I would love to pick your brain for 😉
My algorithm is algorithming! Loving this craft equivalent to industrial photopolymer stamp making. I’m a returning printmaker, and the jury isn’t out on barehandling uncured photopolymer plates unfortunately. The main concerns with photopolymer plates is whether you’re exposing your skin to uncured photopolymer, esp in the water, which your skin could absorb or get contact dermatitis, if there are any fumes, did you notice a scent? But the most concerning is if you’re pouring that uncured photopolymer down your sink into your wastewater. My algorithm knows I’ve been researching this 😭 because I’m trying to find environmentally friendly but also easily accessible materials. This doesn’t even come up in UK stores. Appreciate the demonstration and honest review. I think they kinda con you by saying you need to vinyl cut, if industry use laser (or inkjet) printouts for negatives.
@@Schmambo oh! Good tip on the photopolymer safety. I read it was non toxic as I was researching but clearly didn't research enough. There was no smell at all that I noticed. Hopefully that's a good sign. :)
I'm going to try to laser print into acetate and see how it does with the text. I'll be wearing gloves next time. But sadly it will still go down the drain.
I'm glad the algorithm brought you to my video. Thank you for the tips!!!
Hi Linh. This was interesting and I was hoping for a great image. I think is a whole lot of work. Sorry it was anticlimactic.😔
I know, right?? I actually thought after I saw the stamp it was going to be awesome. Lol I'm gonna try something and hopefully see if an image with thinner lines will be different. Thanks for watching!
The stamp looks really hard.. is it? The demo video I watched, the stamps were flexible like normal poly stamps. Maybe it didn’t complete the process.
@@melaD333 it's not at all like the regular clear photopolymer stamps we're used to. The photopolymer is backed by a plastic. And it becomes a hard plastic after it's been cured. It's kind of crunchy when I cut through it. I think that's why it's not grabbing and transferring the ink like I would have expected. But I'm going to try again. Maybe this first one was a fluke. 🤪
@@LVHandcrafted the demo on their channel shows scrubbing under running hot water for a while and the plate turns a more yellow than green. Maybe that’s the difference?
@@melaD333 could be. But I did that too. only scrubbed a little with the warm water to show it on camera.. But the rest of the time I scrubbed under warm running water. 🤷♀️
Hi. I work in digital printing and have had a thought that may work with this system. I'm wondering if you printed your design on heatproof/printable acetate, would that work in place of cutting vinyl? I presume that as there isn't an electric cutting machine that can cut fine detail, if this could replace it. I think if that worked it would make the process easier and less time consuming. I don't think I would bother purchasing this system if I couldn't create fine and detailed stamps. ALSO...(sorry, correct wording may falter as I have a headache).. you would have to create a box around your image and make the image white so it would mimic the cut vinyl. What do you think?
Edit:
I always watch review videos of WRMK machine type products before even carting anything. They are not always what they say they are. Often consumables are so expensive that it negates the 'making it yourself' thrill. So, thank you for this video.
@@kymmaraldo1365 hi!! I'm going to try this! Another viewer said they had an older product where that was exactly what was required. Also, I saw someone just use a sharpie marker and vellum to trace an image. But I'm going to try what you are suggesting first. I'm hoping I can try to then make my original design. And if that works out, I think it makes this worth keeping. I bought some acetate that will go through a laser printer so I'm going to give it a go! Wish me luck. Lol 😂
@@LVHandcrafted Ha, I wish you more than luck! You'll obviously let us know whether it works or not. I can't see how it wouldn't. Would vellum allow enough light through?
Just a thought with your first attempt with that process, re: poor image. Maybe the photopolymer was cured too long and is now hard like plastic. Or...without being able to eyeball the surface from over here in Melbourne, Aust, was it 'damaged' with the initial scrubbing? I would actually wonder if it's the first option tbh. I got my grandsprogs some cheap stamps when they were little. They were rigid plastic and useless.
Just a thought. I think the wide range in cure time is due to the unstable nature of the product. Shelf life of 12mths? This would mean that it would take less time to cure as they age.
Pretty sure I won't be purchasing this system. After the initial flush of creating stamps, the machine could possibly sit on the shelf for a year or two, not being used before I grabbed it again.
Good luck and happy stamp making. Take care xx
@@kymmaraldo1365 oh, interesting... So maybe I'll try just 3 minutes for the first cure? Is there a way to test it before rinsing the whole thing?
@@LVHandcrafted to be honest, I don't know as I have never done this. Can only speak from experience with different stamps and other materials I have used over many years. I think that if the one you made in your video is rigid then that would explain why it didn't give you a clean image. Have you tried giving it a gentle bend to see if the stamp is flexible. If not flexible that would explain why it didn't stamp well.
The more I think about this product, the more I know I wouldn't buy it. Thinking of the short shelf life...finding the sweet spot with curing will be time-consuming and expensive. A lot of sheets could be wasted. Then with the sheets disintergrating over time, that would alter cure times.
Or is that my cynical POV with wrmk products? I do not think so.
Good luck with the laser printed acetate, I think that could be a winner.
I know I'm long winded. Sorry.
If the stamp you made is rigid, maybe try putting on fine wet n dry sandpaper and roughing up the surface. I figure you have nothing to lose at this point as the darn thing doesn't stamp cleanly anyway.
@@kymmaraldo1365 yep! I tried to sand it and no luck. It is rigid... Like hard plastic. I'll try again and will definitely post a video if I get it to work.... Well, maybe will also post even if it doesn't. Lol 🤣
They always lie. You have to research first about the product before you buy it 2:19
Yep! I knew going in before I bought it but I'm just surprised they would say that. Because well, it's clearly not the case. Lol it's the first step. Lol 😂😂
@@LVHandcrafted HSN is known to leave out details. I don’t think they read the directions either. If they did they’d known the extras needed. Definitely reach out to them with the presenters name that misstated this is all you need.
@@bertas-cards thanks! I did know before I bought it because I had seen the we r makers promo video. But I'm more worried about everyone else who might have seen that presentation for the first time. I've never returned anything to HSN before but I read their policy and they seem pretty flexible about it. I have one thing I want to try before i give up on the stamp forge tho. hopefully I can get to that in the next couple days.
@@LVHandcrafted do you mean you are worried about others seeing & hearing the same thing you did? Yes the return process is pretty easy.
@@bertas-cards yeah, I feel bad if someone bought it and didn't realize they needed an electric cutting machine. But I'm going to try printing on acetate to see if it'll work. Not sure if laser printer ink is opaque enough to block out the UV light. If it works it'll mean I can print the original design I made. :)