Mini Ink Pads – Stampin Up Spots For The Win

Welcome! Do you have any Stampin Up Spots in your stamping collection? If not, today I’m going to share why these mini ink pads are perfect for any stamping collection. Whether you’re just starting out in the paper craft world and growing your collection, or if you’re currently on a budget but still want a variety of colors, mini ink pads are the way to go. Oh, let’s not forget about you professional crafters out there, you know who you are with all those amazing supplies. I’ll also share why these Stampin Up Spots are even helpful if you have all the colors in large ink pads. Let’s get started! 

First, I’ll share the video overview I created. 

Mini Ink Pad Video

If you’d like to check out my video introducing these adorable mini ink pads, click on the link below.

Next we’ll do a quick introduction and talk about what Stampin Up Spots are! 

What Are Stampin Up Spots?

These Stampin Spots come in the same colors as the normal size ink pads, they’re just… mini! How mini? The Spots inking area measures 1″ x 1″. They are refillable and can be refilled with Stampin Up’s ink refill bottles just like the large pads.

Some avid Stampin Up customers don’t even realize we sell these cute ink pads, so let’s talk about how to get them. 

How Do I Get Mini Ink Pads?

So, you might be wondering how you can get ahold of these little ink pads, because they can be hard to find online and in our catalogs. There are a couple different ways you can collect Stampin Up Spots. Here’s how…

Paper Pumpkin Kits

Paper Pumpkin kits are a monthly subscription that comes in the mail – bringing you a fun surprise each month with ALL the supplies including stamps, ink, and paper to make a fun project. Each kit comes with at least 1, sometimes 2 ink spots. The colors of inks are not repeated in a 12 month period, so if you sign up and try it, you’re bound to end up with a selection of pretty colors in this fun mini size. 

Purchase a Color Collection

Another way to collect Spots is to order the classic collection of colors. These basic colors are perfect to get your collection of mini ink pads started. 

Order Un-Inked Spots

The third option is to order Stampin Up Spots un-inked. Add ink to them with our ink refill bottles (which can also be used to ink large pads, re-ink markers, and do lots of stamping techniques). This is a great way to customize the colors you’ll have in your collection. This also allows you to add lots of color to your collection for a low cost. 

Next I’ll share more about the features and benefits of these small ink pads. 

Closer Look at the Mini Ink Pads

Let’s take a closer look at these mini ink pads. In this section, I’ll share how to open them, how to use them, and best practices for storing these pads.

How to Open

Upon receiving your mini pads, I’ve found the best way to open them is with the Stampin Up Snips. Simply run one of the blades along the ink pad, scoring the side where the base meets the lid. This cuts through the paper label and will allow the top to pop right off.

How to Use

There are two different ways these ink pads can be used, and it depends on the size of stamp I’m using which method I prefer. For smaller stamps, use the ink pad like normal as shown below.

If you’re using larger stamps, lay the stamp face up on your work surface, turn the pad upside down and dab ink onto the stamp from above. This is far easier when using large stamps than the method described above. 

Ways to Store Mini Ink Spots

Always store mini ink pads upside down if possible. This allows the ink to be right at the surface of the pad and ready for use when you flip it over and open it.

One way to store these mini ink pads is on top of your regular Stampin Up Storage.

In the past I stored mine in an old baby wipes container, which worked really well.

Recently, I converted several Paper Pumpkin kit boxes into storage containers. These work really great for storing the small ink pads. Here’s a link to that blog post if you’d like to see how to create these boxes.

If you have our large size ink pads in all of the colors, you’re probably thinking you wouldn’t use these mini pads, but many stampers love having both in their collections. Next I’ll share why! 

Why Experienced Stampers Love These Minis

Even experienced crafters love having these mini ink pads in their collection. One of the big reasons is they are perfect for using with the Stamparatus, as shown below. The smaller ink surface helps prevent ink from getting on the plate. 

Tip

Here’s a quick tip I’ve see others do, and I can’t wait to try myself. Attach a sponge dauber to the back of the Spots with hot glue. First remove the sponge portion, then attach it together. This makes a nice holder that fits right on your fingertip, to make it easy to handle the mini pads. 

Order Stampin Up’s Mini Ink Pads Today!

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Thanks for joining me today. I hope you’ve enjoyed this information about Stampin Up’s mini Spots ink pads!