Sharpening Tid Bit…

 Q&A

Q: Is there anything special that I need to do to take care of my punches and scissors?

A: That’s a great question. Because Stampin’ Up! focuses on providing quality products, your tools – like punches and scissors – are things that you’ll have and use for a long time to come. A little bit of care can help you get the best use and longevity from them.

Punches
Stampin’ Up! punches can punch out hundreds and hundreds of shapes for you without any special care. Over time, you may notice that the edges or part of a shape isn’t punching as cleanly as it did before or it seems to stick a bit. No worries! To sharpen the punch, get some standard kitchen tin foil. Any kind will work, but the heavy duty kind is easier to use. Use the punch to punch the tin foil about 15-20 times. Test the punch on some scrap paper and repeat punching the foil another time if necessary. If your punch seems to stick a bit, punch through standard waxed paper 5-10 times to lubricate the punch.  WHAT I LIKE TO DO is to layer the waxed paper INSIDE the foil (like a sandwich) and punch through both at the same time, it's multi-tasking and we allllll know how much women love to multi-task!

I also use a VERY fine grade sandpaper, that too helps with the functionality of your punch.

Scissors
Stampin’ Up! scissors are useful for so many projects and can be used to cut many different types of materials. You’ll get the best results if you use the scissors for their intended purpose.

 •   Use the Paper Snips (#103579) for detailed paper cutting.
 •   Get clean cuts on ribbon and fabric with the Craft and Paper Scissors (#108360) – they say you can use them on paper but you know me….I NEVER use them on paper – these are my material scissors – use your papersnips for paper!! 
 •   Use the Craft & Rubber Scissors (#103179) for more heavy-duty cutting like twine, rubber, wood sheets, wire, and more.

Here are few tips to keep your scissors in tiptop condition. If any of the scissors get gummed up or dirty, clean them with dish soap and dry thoroughly. The Craft & Rubber scissors can get really gummed up when you use them to trim rubber stamps, so keep them clean with rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball. If you’re cutting wire with the Craft & Rubber Scissors, cut the wire at the back of the blade, near the hinge, for greater leverage and to keep the tips of the blade sharper. If, over time, you find your scissors have become a bit dull, you can cut through tin foil to sharpen them. If your scissors need more sharpening, they can usually be sharpened professionally because they are high quality. Some fabric or kitchen stores have knife/scissor sharpening services or they can recommend a reputable company.

With a little care, your punches and scissors will be around to help you create projects of all types for a long time! If you have more questions about caring for other Stampin’ Up! products, stamps, or tools, please let me know. One of the many benefits of having a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator (that would be ME! :0) is that I have access to lots of great resources, training, and knowledge that so that I can help you and provide you with great service!  I'm here for ya!!!

This is a card used with our new Blossoms Petals Punch and the matching Build a Blossom stamp set.  It was a card I received in a swap when I was at leadership.  It was made by the very talented Sherri Robinson.  It's a tent card.

This is the card open.  Just beautiful.  I love my punches.  They make cardmaking and scrapbooking so much faster and easier to create.

Hope you liked my post.  Have an enjoyable day.