Monday, June 13, 2016

MISTI - Got mine...

O.k..after much mental debate late last week I decided to order a MISTI Stamping tool by My Sweet Petunia.  Not sure if you've heard of it or not but the original tool has been around for a couple years now.  The original MISTI (6.5 x 8.5" stamping area) had a few problems after it was first released (cracking at the hinges mostly) and had a price tag of around $60-70.00* - Now they are $60.00*.  Too rich for my frugal (read cheap) self.  

NOTE: this may sound like a commercial but it's not...I'm not being paid or compensated in any way to talk about this...  It's just a new toy that I'm excited about ;)  LOL!!

MISTI

So they got their problems taken care of and wow, lots of people started getting them dispite the price.  I think 9 months to a year ago they came out with a Mini MISTI (4.75 x 6" stamping area) - $45.00*  and they now have a Scrapbook MISTI (12.25 x 12.25" stamping area) - $100.00*.   

*NOTE - These prices are the My Sweet Petunia prices - some on-line stores and/or auctions are charging LOTS more so be sure to price around.

Still a bit pricy for me so I held off until last week.  I got an e-mail from Scrapbook.com that they were offering a $10.00 off coupon on their MISTI priced at $47.99.  Of course that's what it took to push my cheap self over the line and I bought it.  Woo Hoo...  

So I rec'd it and love it!  It arrived a couple days into my big card sample stamping week and I can't tell you how much paper it saved me.  Up until then if I got a bad image I had to start over.  It didn't happen that much but when it did it was very frustrating.  WELL....  I didn't waste anymore paper after I started stamping with the MISTI!  I don't have too much trouble on plain white cardstock but stamping on watercolor, mixed media or colored (textured) cardstock is a pain.  The watercolor and mixed media paper has a different texture and is very absorbent - it really sucks up ink and leaves you with a weak image many times no matter how well you inked the stamp.  Of course textured cardstock poses it's own issues depending on the texture in the paper.


So this is what it looks like out of the package....you get the stamping "folder", a few pieces of grid paper, foam pad and a couple of very powerful magnets.  It's designed to be used with cling mounted stamps but with help from the foam pad you can use acrylic stamps and I've found you can also use it with unmounted stamps as well!


So with acrylic and UM you use the foam sheet and I also covered the foam pad with one of the pieces of grid paper just to keep the foam clean.  The foam pad drops right into the MISTI and stays put - nothing else needed to keep it secure and in place.

Since I UM all of my stamps I'm going to just leave the foam in from here on out.


Here it is ready to stamp.


So, let's try stamping a piece of watercolor paper with one of my new stamps from Club Scraps - Boardwalk kit.  It is UM with a coating of Aleene's Tack it Over and Over on the back.  


Position it, let the lid come down and pick it up.


When you raise the lid the stamp is held just where you needed it.


Ink up the stamp, close the lid and stamp the image.  You will notice it's a bit light as the watercolor paper absorbs the ink.


So, you simply open the lid, ink it up and restamp until you get a really great image.  

TIP: You will notice in this photo I have an embossing folder under the clear door.  The door doesn't lay completely flat when it's open so when you go to ink up the stamp is puts a bit of stress on the hinges.  I don't want to break it so I figured out that if you slide an embossing folder under the door it holds the acrylic piece completely flat so you can ink up the stamp without fear of damaging the hinges.  


And here's my lovely dark image on watercolor paper!  It took 3 times to get the entire image deep rich black lines but hey, it's worth it - I didn't have to throw away a piece of costly watercolor paper.

Now I must warn you that depending on how long ago you applied the Aleene's Tack it Over and Over to the back of your stamp some of it may stick to the door.  No worries, it came right off as did the excess ink that I got on the door when inking the stamp up.  My Sweet Petunia does sell special cleaners and such (which I don't have yet) to help keep your MISTI looking new.

I would say that if you have an extra $45.00 laying around (for the MINI) it's well worth it.  It's even better if you get it on sale.  I'm still skeptical about paying the $60.00 or 100.00 for the other two but since I mostly just make cards the mini works for me.

So there you go...my honest unbiased opinion about the MISTI.  Hope that answers some questions that several of you have asked over the past few months.


7 comments:

  1. Hello Roni! the Misti also tempts me much but the cost of 65 euros it is overpriced - I saw this video and I'm tempted to me that one : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_g-FV-VvDk&feature=share Thank you for the tip of the embossing folder, it will appear in any of the many video views about it .. I also work exclusively on watercolor paper and I do not like to mess up .. Good day and thank you for this article !

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  2. I just got one also. I debated about it and then my local craft store started carrying them. I also decided on the mini, because of the price. I was able to get it on their 'bag day' once a month sale, when it was 20% off. So, I saved $10 on it that way. Otherwise I am not sure I would have gotten it. The original sized one was more expensive, so I ruled it out based on the additional cost. I was concerned that the mini would be limiting due to its smaller size. Mostly I make cards and ATCs, so I think it will be OK. The main thing I won't be able to do is to have much freedom in placing a larger stamp so the design is off the edge. The bigger one would allow more room to shift things around, but I really did not want to spend an additional $15-20 for that. I also like the smaller footprint of the mini, as my work space is always cluttered! So far, I have just used it a couple of times, but I feel it will be worth the investment!

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  3. Thanks, Roni,for your thoughts about the misti.I am also thinking about it, but the high prize is what's keeping me frombuying it. You made me think about it again. Small or large...hard choice!

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  4. Thanks, Roni! I've had the original MISTI since right after it came out. My Sweet Petunia was offering 20% off during a holiday weekend so I decided to try it. So far I haven't had problems with the hinges, but I'm extra careful since I had heard the complaints going around. I LOVE using it! I stamp on watercolor paper for a lot of the classes I teach and I love that I don't waste paper with incomplete images. It's also great for mass producing cards at Christmas. I have a similar stamping tool that I made from a CD storage case. Lisa at Local King Rubber Stamps has a tutorial with the instructions. It's not as sturdy as the MISTI and it's quite small, but it works. It is a good way for someone to try the idea before committing to the MISTI. I still recommend the MISTI in my classes but offer the other tool for people who don't want to commit to the big bucks. You did a great job on this review!

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  5. Hi Roni,

    I got my mini Misti about 3 weeks ago now and it's amazing. I love using it an find I use it for most of my stamping instead of the blocks, even when I'm just stamping an occasional stamp the I'm going to cut out. It's worth the money, I thought about the original but it might be something I ask for as a gift at some point.

    It is a bit pricey but when you save a project because you stamped straight or you stamped and didn't get a complete image and you can just stamp over to complete the image it's just worth it.

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  6. Hi Roni. Good review on the Misti. I love mine. It has saved the day when lining up sentiments on a card. Instead of the paper pad it comes with I purcased a plastic sheet with a grid on it from a quilting shop. I cut the grid down to fit my Misti. I place the plastic grid over my card and stamp the sentiment on the plastic first to make sure it is lined up correctly, then stamp onto the card after I remove the plastic grid. Ink wipes off the plastc easily. Perfect every time!

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  7. I have used a MISTI several times and recently my photopolymer stamps are sticking to the card stock after I stamp and attempt to raise the gridded 'lid'. Any suggestions for how to prevent this and/or what am I doing wrong?
    Thanks.

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Thanks for your thoughts and comments!