I need to confess something. I'm wheel challenged. I have purchased a number of Stampin' Up! wheels (the patterns are fabulous and the projects using them divine) but fail miserably in committing them to the production line. I have become unglued over this, literally.
Today's tutorial shows you how I "unraveled" a regular Stampin' Up! wheel. It's quite easy and can be done with a jumbo wheel, too. Now before you grab your hobby blade, remember that if you want to scrapbook or create a project larger than 6 3/4" inches (the approximate length of the new flat "stamp"), keep the wheels just the way they are. However, if you are a die hard card maker (like me), you may be generating thunderous applause as you read.
Here's my nemesis (and first "patient," the Boho Friend Wheel).
Pre-surgery. Note the seam. It cuts easily with a hobby knife.
Post Op. TIP: I gently peeled the rubber from the wheel.
Meet EZ Mount. There is a sticky side and a static cling side. I purchased it through Sunday International (after getting the idea from the Splitcoast Stampers Forum). TIP: Since there is no foam backing on the wheel (just rubber), you need to choose the EZ Mount Static Cling Mounting Foam (it comes in 8.5 x 11 sheets), not the EZ Thin Mount, which is designed for stamps with an adhesive foam backing.
TIP: I use my "gunky" scissors (an extra pair of Stampin' Up!'s Craft & Rubber Scissors) specifically for projects like this. I tied a little piece of ribbon on the handle to distinguish it from my always clean pair. This way I only have one pair to clean up (Goo Gone) vs. dirtying two.
Adhere the sticky side to the rubber and cut close to the design, removing the excess.
Peel off the paper liner to expose the static cling side. When you mount the static cling side to the acrylic block (2"x 7" is the perfect size for the wheel), I promise you, it's not going anywhere. Kind of magical really.
TIP: The jumbo wheel "unraveled" should also fit on this same block (I haven't tried it yet). However, it would need to go on the flat side (wider) vs. the side with the beveled edge. The stamps are simple to remove from the block and tuck away on Stamp N' Stor Panels.
One hour post surgery . . . The 4.25 x 5.5 card base is Stampin' Up!'s Chocolate Chip Textured card stock with a layer of Whisper White on top. The white card stock embosses beautifully using my Big Shot and the Cuttlebug Divine Swirls Embossing Folder. TIP: The sandwich from the bottom– Big Shot Multi-purpose Platform Tab 1, Acrylic Cutting Pad, Embossing Folder with card stock inside, Acrylic Cutting Pad. For more details on how to enjoy the Big Shot, please see Big Shot 101.
The vertical panel shows off the Boho Friend Wheel (now a stamp, per the steps above) dipped in Baja Breeze Ink. It gets a delicious Baja Breeze accent courtesy of Stampin' Up!'s new Scallop Edge Punch (see Scallop Edge Punch Tutorial). The Perfect Touch is three white pearls from the Pretties Kit, attached with Mini Glue Dots ("wardrobe failure" resistant).
The sentiment was stamped twice, first in Baja Breeze and second in Chocolate Chip (Whisper White card stock). I dissected only two words from the chocolate version and mounted them with Stampin' Dimensionals (cut to fit) on the Baja version. The sentiment and the subsequent Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip mats were clipped with a Ticket Corner Punch. The final touch was a luscious piece of Chocolate Chip 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon.
Are you wheel challenged ("I can't wait to try this") or a wheel princess ("Mary is nuts . . .wheels are soooo easy")? Please leave me a comment below. I would love to hear from you!
The Big Shot Die Cutting machine (download Big Shot brochure) and Stampin' Up!'s exclusive dies go on sale today. I'm ready to help you with Big Shot questions (leave me a comment–I'll get back to you) or to place your order on-line.
Hugs and Pretties . . . . Mary
Stamp Set: Full of Life, Boho Friend Wheel
Paper: Chocolate Chip Textured, Baja Breeze, Whisper White
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze
Cool Tools: Big Shot, Cuttlebug Divine Swirls Embossing Folder, Ticket Corner Punch, Scallop Edge Punch
The Perfect Touch: Chocolate Chip 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, Pretties (Pearls), Stampin' Dimensionals
I did mine too but now I have a box of rubber strips!!
http://marielovestostamp.blogspot.com/2008/05/what-heck.html
I did find that my local glass place will cut acrylic blocks to any size I need so I have “custom” blocks for my wheels.
I choose not to go the Ez-mount route but instead use Aleens Tack It on all my unmounted rubber.
I have always wanted to take my wheels apart, thanks for posting this!
I love it! Thanks for sharing this fantastic idea. I can totally see myself using my “wheels” more often if they were so handy.
Hugs,
Jen
Never would I think to do that! Even better is that Rollagraph now makes an acrylic wheel for cling stamps. I use my wheels to make backgrounds for matting but find it awkward using them for smaller pieces. I think this is the perfect fix!
Sheer brilliance, my friend!!
I love this idea.
Love your pretty card ! Great idea with the wheels , I have been thinking about doing this with mine for sometime now , guess I better order some EZmount and just do it !
What a great idea, Mary! Never thought about disecting my wheels, wow!
Love your card; the colors, the cuttlebug and the ribbon. Lovely!
Blessings, Maria
I just did this to my wheels last week and put it on my blog. Great minds think alike, lol!
I am very much wheel challenged. I’ve never been able to use them very well.
love it as usual! beatuiful color choice and the pearls are a perfect little polished addition…beautiful!!
Hi All: I wanted to share this cool idea that I received from Shari. Thanks Mary
I absolutely LOVE your blog. I’m so glad I subscribed. I do have a suggestion for you to consider when cutting out your stamps on EZ mount. My husband is my stamp mounterer and a friend of mine on Club Posh came up with this idea. . . . to use a hot knife. It works so wonderfully. The hot knife cuts through the cushion like butter because it is so hot. Ours is a Walnut Hollow from Michael’s. We just take the back off the EZ mount and stick it onto a piece of glass which keeps it from moving around and then peel back the top and stick down the stamps and then cut out with hot knife. We also use the thin EZ mount for the SU stamps so the cushion isn’t so thick. Works really nice for the tiny stamps that we cut out. We get ours from Sunday International, but I’m sure both sizes are available from other sources. Keep up the good work and bring joy to my life.
Isn’t great ‘unraveling’ them as it frees up space in your stamping room and allows you to buy more. 🙂 I do the same thing – I UM my one and only wheel since I’m “wheel” challenged also. I didn’t use EZ Mount but instead stick my ‘unraveled’ (and uncushioned) wheel onto my acrylic block which has Tack’N’Peel on it. I always stamp on a cushioned surface and haven’t had issues with an “uncushioned” stamp.
Thanks for sharing the tutorial – I shied away from the EZ Mount since it seemed complicated to try and instead went the route of TnP. I may try the EZ Mount in the future – if I find it in a local store as I just want to try out one sheet before investing in it for all of my stamps. Your tutorial showed me how to use the EZ Mount and it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. LOL
first of all, i love your card, color is great!
second, i love the ez mount. i have unmounted all of my wheels, and use them much more often now. i learned from some others on scs about stamping on the cling side of the ez mount. i learned this after i had already unmounted 2 of my wheels. 🙁
i use the black stazon and stamp on the cling side before i stick the rubber to the sticky side. that way, i know exactly which ones they are by seeing the pic, instead of trying to figure it out by looking at the rubber side. 🙂
just thought i would share my info, in case you also wanted to do it.
veronica
Oh,my oh my!! You, Ms. Mary have taken the “air” out of my wheel!! Now just how clever are you! Many thanks for the solution to a “round-about” problem I have with my “wheelies”. You remain the best ever!
You are brilliant!! Though I am a lucky one who is not wheel challenged, I love this idea, and who knows, I may unravel a couple of them anyway!!!
I love your card!!
Hi Mary! I just ordered my first standard wheel! I’m a bit nervous as I’ve used them in workshops with not too much success! Now I have a new way to use them if it does not cooperate with me! Thanks so much for the idea. I never knew you could do this with them! I will now look a wheels alittle differently 🙂 I LOVE the card…the colors are fabulous!
I’m TOTALLY wheel challenged. This intrigues and SCARES me. It’s so final… but then I might actually use them! And I bet they’re a LOT easier to line up and keep straight on a clear block! hmmmmm… thanks so much for the tip!
Very cool. This makes me take a 2nd look at the wheel images as I never consider them! 🙂
Gorgeous card, Mary! I always think about unmounting my wheels, but haven’t done it yet. Maybe this is the push I needed to finally take the plunge.
Hugs and smiles
Mary – you are one clever lady – love your idea to transfer it….as I’m also wheel challenged -LOL!!!
Your card is gorgeous!!! I love the colors, layout and of course the fab pearls!!!
You brave woman! I’ve heard of people doing this, but I have not witnessed the surgery myself. Great tutorial. I’ve always been a bit nervous around the wheels, but I may try this with one and give it a shot.
What a GREAT idea; thanks! Much easier to ink up if you don’t have ink cartridges in the color you want.
Hi Kathy:
I lay the mounted stamp with the rubber face up and ink face down (using an ink pad). You can see your coverage better that way and get a better impression!
Hugs,
M
I am impressed!!! Wheels and I do not get along very well either.
Hi Mary! First of all, the card is amazingly beautiful. I love the pearls and the way you popped some of the words. Fabulous!
Secondly, you totally made me smile with your wheel tutorial! Too funny! I am ok with the wheel, but this is a good idea. You are clever.
Wow! I would have never thought to take the stamp off the wheel. It makes me look at my stamps in a new light. Thsnks for sharing this idea.
Mary – you are a genius!!! Thanks for sharing!!
Even though I try to use my wheels (they’re perfect for making your own wrapping paper), I think you have a GREAT idea for the ones that have never seen ink!! Thanks for the step by step instructions and the beautiful card!!
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Gotta go and unravel all 1600 wheels! WhooHoo!
I have approximately 20 wheels, which have only been used once or none at all. I’m ordering that ezmount today and now I can buy more wheels. Can’t wait to try it. I still have the wheel guide in my drawer still in the wrapper. Thanks so much.
I’m with you Mary…totally wheel challenged!! I think I’m going to order some more EZMount and do just this…then maybe all of the wheels that fill up a basket in my stampin room will actually get some love:-) Thanks for the tutorial and the gorgeous card! Have a wonderful day!! Kelly