Talk to me about owning both TH platform & Altenew

I have the TH mini and I don't like it. Stamps unevenly, can't stamp close to the hinge. I've always had much better luck with the Misti (gasp!). The Altenew looks much more versatile, but also a little awkward. I wonder if it might be too heavy for you? That said, when I first saw it demo'd, I wanted one, lol. I like the stamp wheel aspect and the sticky mat. Good luck with your decision and hopefully other people will chime in.

I’ve cut an old ScanNCut sticky mat to fit into my TH platforms. It’s not perfect but it helps so the magnets are supplemental but not essential. I do sometimes have issues with uneven stamping or not being able to stamp well close to the edges but overall I like them.

I looked at the Stampwheel and have followed Ardyth and a few other YTers who use it and most of them have a Stinky Petunia tool as well. The Stampwheel does allow you to do stenciling but the same functionality could be achieved for less money by getting a grip mat (either a Waffle Flower one that fits in your TH or just the Stampwheel one if you have a work surface you could stick it to). Ardyth pointed out that the Stampwheel is quite awkward to store. You can’t really stand it up on it’s end the way you can with a hinged platform. The petal shaped thing is quite large. That put me off because my desk and storage spaces are both small.

The large wheel/petal thing does seem to work quite well. Most people seem to just flip it over to ink it up and it doesn’t contact the paper until you get it aligned correctly and press down. I haven’t really seen anyone have issues with it but most use their other platforms for most of their stamping.

The thing that would make me get one is if I loved layering stamps, which I think is the main thing it was designed for. Maybe also if I had a ton of turnabout or wreath-building stamps.

Glad I opened this thread to read it. I was wondering if I was the only one with non clean stamping and the TH platform.

And it is random places too. I even add pressure while pushing down.

Does adding the article mats help with that or no?

Here is a link to Arydth's look at the Stampwheel

And her comparison to the Misti.

ETA: I don't have the Stampwheel, but for me the size/shape and storage would be no from me. I don't often do a wreath style cards, which I think it would be good for. I have three TH platforms and I haven't had any issues. I'm sorry yours is giving you problems.

I have the Stamparatus, which I do love for any kind of multi-part (layered or building) stamping and also works well for Turnabouts. I recently not a knock-off Stinky Flower platform. Very different, but useful for different things.

Doesn't stop me from pondering asking for a Stampwheel for Christmas....

I have the Tim Holz platforms (both sizes) and the stampwheel. My TH platforms work fine. I have no problem stamping with them and I love that I can stamp an 8.5x11 of 12x12 sheet of paper easily. It is valuable to me as a scrapbooker and when I am stamping pages of images to color for future card assembly. I also love that I can easily use both photopolymer and rubber stamps in it. I rarely use the magnets on the platform, I just make sure I stamp with my paper shoved in the corner.

I LOVE the stampwheel more than I thought I would. It stamps so crisply (usually with one try) and I love that I can easily stamp multiples of the same image on a page without moving the stamp around on the lid, just rotate. Great for batch making and stamping multiples that I want to die cut. The sticky base works great, but I knew it would like it as I have the photopolymer sticky mats the Waffle Flower sells for stamping platforms and stenciling. I have not tried wreath stamping yet, but I will get around to it. And there are also a few Mandala sets that I have my eye on and I think the stampwheel will work great for that. It is a game changer for the Concord and 9th turnabout stamps. It's SO easy! My only wish is that there is a printed grid on the bottom of the platform to easily center my card fronts. I just purchased the guides the for helping with that.

Happy birthday!

I just got a Stampheel. I haven’t used it yet but I did take it out of the box briefly.
It is super light. Way lighter than I thought it would be.
It’s also a bit smaller than I thought it would be. I have a spot to store it, and it will easily fit.
It’s also thinner that I thought it would be. The base and the actual wheel are thick enough but for whatever reason, I envisioned them to be much thicker.
Overall, I’m excited to use it and I’m glad I got it.
For comparison, I have an Ecstasy Crafts stamp platform.

Add me to the list of stampers who own multiple platforms. 🙋🏻‍♀️ I keep buying different ones hoping to find the best one for me, realizing what is best for me might not be the best for someone else. Here is the list of what I currently have:

2 Mini MISTI (original and 2.0)
2 Original MISTI (original and 2.0)
Tim Holtz Mini
Tim Holtz Original
Stamparatus
StampWheel

While I've had no issues with any of them giving inconsistent results, I feel like they each have their pros and cons. The Mini MISTI and TH platforms are great for quick/small things like sentiments or a stamping a single image. The Original MISTI, TH Original, and Stamparatus are all great for stamping larger images, but the nod here would definitely go to the TH and Stamparatus since they have open edges and can accommodate larger paper sizes. Unfortunately, neither of them are currently available in the US market.

As for the StampWheel, it's currently my platform of choice. It stamps beautifully and, as others have mentioned, is much lighter in weight than I expected. I also have dexterity issues in my hands, but mine is due to nerve damage. I've had no issues using the StampWheel at all. The flip lid is very lightweight and I find the "petals" (the scalloped edge part) makes it very easy for me to hold even with my poor gripping ability. It's also great for stenciling, with a caveat. The sticky mat is 7½" square, so it holds 6x6" stencils nicely, but it won't work with larger slimline stencils. The biggest downside to the Stampwheel is the closed sides which means you are limited to no more than a 7½" square piece of paper. Not only does that mean it won't work for 12"x12" scrapbook pages, it doesn't work for 6"x8" pages either or the full size slimline cards. I'm not a scrapbooker, so that wasn't a deal breaker for me, but I know it is for many crafters.

Even if you don't have the branded Turnabout stamps from Concord & 9th, you can still take advantage of the rotating capabilities of the StampWheel. With it, you can turn any stamps you own into rotated/wreath designs. Here are some example photos of some stamping/cards I made recently using the StampWheel using the Two-Tone Flora stamp set from Stampin' Up.

The stamp set:


As you can see, the Two-Tone Flora stamp set is a layering stamp set, but this technique would work equally fine with non-layering stamps as well. I feel like the possibilities of the rotating capabilities of the StampWheel are pretty wide open.

Stamping done in the StampWheel


Free-range stamping to grunge it up a bit:



Cut apart to create two mini slimline cards:



Also, for anyone who own the now-retired Stamparatus from Stampin' Up, unlike the Waffle Flower grip mats, the StampWheel sticky mats fit perfectly in it. The Stamparatus also has a 7½" platform, so they work great! This would also apply to anyone who is mainly interested in the StampWheel for stenciling. You can purchase the sticky mats separately for around $20 or so. You don't have to purchase the entire StampWheel just to get the sticky mat. 

I know this post is from a couple of weeks ago, but I just joined the board and wanted to offer my thoughts. Hope they help! 

Okay so for those who have the Altnew stamping platform, do you feel it would be easy to use for someone with flexible, bendy fingers? With my Ehlers Danlos, my fingers can lock in a double jointed position or flip back wrong way and pop.

It has happened as I have pressed hard down onto the TH platform because mine does not stamp evenly. And it has caused pain in doing so.

If the Altnew stamps easier with less force () maybe I need to seriously consider it.