MISTI Stamping Tool

Yeah, her changing policies willy nilly is ridiculous.  I'll NEVER recommend her product ever again.

Hello everyone. Before I share with you my recent expeience I want to say the "tool" has enhanced my stamping experience BUT I will no longer support the unethical behavior of this company. I was tld to send it back for inspection and she would be fair and replace.

I got my "tool" before it was being manufactured and prior to all the warranty issues and changing. I have tiny cracks on all my edges and Iliana is claiming it is wear and tear. I am adding my last response to her which she did not respond to. I sent this after I got my shipping return confirmation since I no longer believe a word from her.

"First I have to say I am extremely disappointed in you. I am not the liar here. I have been doing some research since you appear to believe what you believe without benefit of a doubt. When I first purchased from you it was stated to use Novus to prevent a frosted effect and possible removal of grid so I purchased several bottles. I never used a solvent or an adhesive…whether you believe it or not!!

I found this statement many times to support your original concerns:
Do Not Use window cleaning sprays (unless recommended for acrylic plastic), scouring compounds, acetone, gasoline, benzene, carbon tetrachloride or lacquer thinner. These solvents and cause permanent damage to the surface of the plastic, making it appear "frosted”.

Never did I see anything about causing cracking…now improper cutting can and does cause cracking!!

I also found this info about cling and acrylic:
These are plastic sheeting products and they all have the potential to outgas. Heat and visible light from the sun causes outgassing. Outgassing is the release of chemical components and/or moisture absorbed by the plastic.

I am baffled about the residue since I never used adhesive, I sent the link of the film I used. Even if I did (WHICH I DID NOT) there is nothing to support your theory of causing cracking.


From what I read cling is for a smooth surface the grid is not smooth on the inside. Besides it makes no sense that this is wear and tear and caused cracking!! If I used solvent and you so obviously believe I did…why is there no frosted look???

You lied to m twice…you said you’d take my word then you clearly stated you would replace…whether that was your intended message or not—it was what you said!!"

There seem to be 3 groups. Group 1-if theirs cracks she tells them they abused it--ones she made herself before manufacturing and you pay your own postage for her to tell you you abused it and then you have to convince her to send it back to you--I have not known a single person in this group to get it replaced as the only ones I have heard of (several) were told they abused it and all of them say they did not, Group 2- first manufactured batch which she will replace with a photo of the cracks and she foots all costs, Group 3-90 warranty with no exceptions. After 90 days you simply expect them to crack.

That being said it is a great tool and I have 2. One is cracked and since I was group 2, I got a replacement. Unless she changes the 90 warranty on the group 3 batch to at least 1 full year, I won't get another one. She seems to know that at around the 5-6 month mark is when the group 2 found cracks and doesn't want to risk warranty past 90 days in case the whole thing repeats itself with that batch. I think the 90 days is pretty telling. For a tool that expensive, if it were well made, I would expect at least 2-3 years of heavy use out of it.

She is going to say whatever sounds good for the tool. She has to if she wants to continue to sell it.

We know that quite a few of them have cracked. She knows that we know. She is just hoping that the problem gets resolved and that people don't stumble across this board or various Facebook pages.

Hi everyone! I was originally on SCS, then Mistifans, now Stamping Enablers and a link to here was posted so now I'm here.  I'm like Joycee except my bad experience with MISTI isn't related to the tool. Which I refuse not to use, if I wanted a museum piece I would buy one. My MISTI bad experience is strictly customer service and bullying. I asked too many questions on SCS and was told by the moderator, that stating if a person is compensated (even with product) makes me evaluate their recommendation differently than if someone has purchased the product, was a personal attack and was banned. The moderator who banned me was then invited to join (all on instagram) the "elitest cardmakers club" (my name for them) and got to hang out with them at one of their retreats. Things that make you go hmmm.

Despite this I decided to buy it because I thought I could use it and had no intention of making one. I'm in the crazing bubble. There is at least one that was ordered after mine that has crazed.

I was also stalked on MistFans when I linked my blog one of the sychophants notified Iliana on the next line. I'm under no illusion that even if my MISTI testified in a court of law personally, that I would ever have mine replaced if it developed the manufacturing crazing.

Good idea, awful business and customer service. Can't wait until a big gun decides this is something worth developing.

I wonder if Iliana's paranoia is that she sent MISTI to an engineer, Jennifer McGuire, for assessment and this wasn't in the feedback.

Very quick research had Acrylic about $.22/sq ft compared to polycarbonate at around $1.64/sq ft.  (and I haven't checked appropriateness) but even at markup of 8x the Acrylic the benefits are a sturdier product less likely to be returned for manufacturing warranty.  It seems a no brainer.

Considering either there is a stamping pad or the stamps have a cushion to use it, the stress caused by pressing down should be absorbed and negligible.  I'm not certain I understand what you mean by "checking of the acrylic lid".

Checking is a crack or a flaw that keeps getting worse.
I have made 2 repetitive stamping tools I call "Klingons". I used ¼" polycarbonate, a poly piano hinge, a magnetic sheet, and a foam pad. It does not have a grid (my cutting mat has a grid), a ruler, nor does it have a rubber back.
All poly pieces were cut to size for me. Assembly takes about ½ hour. Total cost is less than $10. And that's for one at a time on my workbench at home. $10 for parts, $15 for labor and $10 to ship in the US. Your cost $35 free postage.
I'm married, so I simply don't have the time for a job.  I will, however stand on the sidelines and applaud your entrepreneurial aspirations.   You go girl!  

Fantastic to know!  I jumped on the bandwagon (usually don't) but nice to know I can make my own should the time come. 

If she is this way with her customers I would hate to be her family or friends.

cbet If you got back to Page 1 of this thread, Don has several posts of information on where he got his materials.

As for wishing her business to fail, I get it.  I personally don't think she can survive though.  I'm really shocked that someone like American Crafts hasn't approached her about "buying her out" though.  Or maybe they don't need to - any of the bigger companies can come up with something similar and completely beat her on price and she's done.  A patent isn't going to stop that.  There's been tools like this around for decades.

My MISTI is holding up fine so far. I am careful with it though because I don't want it to crack or craze.

However, I do have a question...if there are cracks or crazing...does it really mean your lid will eventually break? Or is it just cosmetic? As an example, the acrylic cutting pads that I use in my die cut machine....They get really cracked/crazed, but I've never broke one...never, and believe me they get a lot of use and abuse?

Curious....

Also...way back when clear acrylic albums were popular, my DH and I made a bunch of acrylic albums in different shapes, bought the stuff at HD or Lowes, and cut it ourselves. The biggest issues we had were drilling holes (for the binder rings) but we never had any cracking along the edges as long as we used the correct (and sharp) blade.

Acrylic cuts just fine, drilling is always an issue especially near the edges. Polycarbonate does not have the drilling problem. It is 6 or 7 times more expensive. but it won't crack. To make a "Klingon" the cost is about $4 rather than 50¢.
I think a lot of people don't realize there are thousands of plastics and they have different characteristics and prices.
You might check out www.tapplastics.com/. They have quite a few videos including how to cut sheet goods.

Or not.

For those looking for plastic/acrylic/polycarb, also consider repurposing existing products... Maybe extra plates from a die cutting machine, those sewing/quilting ruler things...

And don't forget that while you need the plastic/acrylic for the part that holds the stamp, you don't have to have the part that is drilled/hinged be made of plastic - that can be made of wood... And you can adhere plastic/acrylic into a groove cut into wood with adhesive...

Like Don mentioned, cutting mats have a grid already on them...

It wouldn't be cheaper to buy a new self healing mat, quilting ruler, etc, but if like a lot of us you have extras around anyways...

For a cheap knock off, buy a hinged frame - the kind where there are two frames with a hinge between them... Very basic and you have to check how close each side gets to the other when it's closed, but if you come across one at a dollar store or garage sale... You could slip a piece of grid paper in the frames too...

Oh, and a lot of dollar stores/similar/Staples sell those plastic picture frames that are just bent plastic - a front, back, and base... If you have tools but are having a hard time finding plastic... Hobby stores (model trains, etc), also usually carry a selection of plastics and glues to weld them together...