Money-saving tips

Temporary substitute for acrylic blocks
These days you get stamps mounted on clear plastic which is great since it saves a lot of space the wood-mounted ones would take up. This was a new discovery for me and then I found out you need some type of "acrylic block" to mount these on before you can use them. This video explains it very well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIuUiPZD5Ag I figured this out after I bought a clear stamp but didn't have an acrylic block.
What to do until you can get one? Use a glass! I had a round, flat-based glass that had the right surface area for the stamp to fit on: This is the view through the glass. You can see perfectly where to position the stamp on your paper:
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Substitute for Large acrylic block
I bought GinaK Designs' Calendar Grid (http://www.shop.ginakdesigns.com/product.sc?productId=650&categoryId=116) but don't have an acrylic block large enough.
If you have a Cuttlebug, use the C-plate as a substitute. It is transparent so you can see your placement AND it is thicker than the B-plate so is probably not bent (like my B-plates keep doing).

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Placement of stamps without a grid block
To place a stamp straight on an acrylic block that does not have grid lines, do the following:
Place the acrylic block on a cutting mat, aligning the bottom end to the rule at the base.
Place your stamp now so that it aligns with one of the grid lines on the cutting mat.
If you use the edges of the acrylic block now to 'eye-ball' the placement of the stamp, the odds are in your favor that it would be more straight.
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Source for free digital images
A good source of free digital images, is coloring pages for kids. Search for "coloring" followed by whatever item you're looking for, e.g. "flowers", "baby", "pram", "grapes" etc.
Make sure the image is clear and that the lines are detailed. These can be saved to your computer and re-sized as needed. (I use Microsoft Powerpoint since I can move my images around very easily.)
VERY VERY IMPORTANT: When you use coloring pictures to put on cards to sell, make sure that there are no copyright issue in this regard. There is usually not, but make sure. ESPECIALLY when it comes to pictures related to a brand, e.g. Disney. Generally I would stay clear of these.
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