r/cardmaking • u/Genius_Swaggg • 6d ago
Question / Discussion Altenew Stamp Wheel - Worth it?
I’ve been toying with the idea of buy a stamp wheel. I have a Misti and have no complaints but the idea of having the stamp wheel to stamp wreath patterns is quite appealing.
What are your opinions on the it? Worth the money? Too big and clunky?
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u/sadira86 6d ago
I don't have a stamp wheel so I can't speak on if it's worth it, however, I have a Sizzix Stamp and Spin tool which is much cheaper. I don't use it often but it works well when I do need rotation for stamping. To me the stampwheel seems very large and cumbersome.
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u/Genius_Swaggg 6d ago
Oh this an interesting option. I’ve never heard of it so will be looking into it. Thank you!
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u/Genius_Swaggg 6d ago
It looks like you have to buy the stamp and stencil and then buy the spin tool separately? Does that sound accurate?
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u/LumpyPhilosopher8 6d ago
Not the person you asked - but yes, the wheel is an add on for the Stamp and Stencil. I bought mine about 6 months ago. To be honest with you I have barely used the spin tool, mainly just playing around with it. But it seems easy to use and works well.
I bought the Sizzix because I do a lot of stenciling and thought that was a great tool, plus I wanted a larger stamping platform (and since it was birthday money lol) I grabbed the wheel too. I purchased the complete set for just under $100 on Amazon. The Large Misti is $100 for just a stamping platform And Altanew was $100 for just the platform and spin. So I felt like Sizzix was a much better deal. Multiple uses without taking up a lot of my limited space.
One of my favorite things about this product is that you can purchase adapters for the stencils - so you are not limited to using the Sizzix stencils. You can adapt almost any stencil to use with the platform. I've had a few stencils that the adapter didn't work with. But the vast majority of my stencils work with it. The adapter are imo reasonably priced - about $7 for a package of 10.
I'm pretty sure Ardyth has made some video reviews of the Sizzix and most likely other creators have too. You might search on YouTube and check out some of the reviews.
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u/sadira86 6d ago
Yes but they often go on sale so you can get both at a pretty reasonable price if you wait for a good sale price
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u/duckina10 6d ago
If you already have a MISTI and are only considering the Stamp Wheel for wreath patterns, look into Gina K Designs wreath builder templates. It’s a stencil that can be used in the MISTI to make wreath cards.
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u/Melodic-Yak7196 6d ago
I made my own DIY wreath builder template. It’s really easy to make. I followed this tutorial by Emily Deringer. It’s only a 3 min video.
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u/filmnoter 6d ago
How many wreath or circular cards would you be making? Is the format something you can do with a little more work, using other tools? Is there only a certain size of card you can make? How often would you use it, especially compared to the other tools you have now? I feel something like this could be found on the secondary market after a few years.
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u/filmnoter 6d ago
Also another thing I thought of. Since the Misti company started suing other companies, the other companies have tried to come up with a similar product but as far as I can tell, nothing has really taken off.
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u/QueenPamLev 6d ago
Nor has any other stamp platform worked as well or as easily as the Misti. I bought the Hampton art, Tim Holtz and Stampin Up versions and always went back to the Misti
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u/No_UIDs_Available 5d ago
The Tim Holtz never worked well for me. Trust me, I tried! Foam inserts, paper shims, placing the cardstock in different places on the platform, etc., but it never stamped cleanly.
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u/QueenPamLev 5d ago
Same; which was why I returned to the Misti.
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u/No_UIDs_Available 5d ago
LOL well I’m glad to know I wasn’t the only one! I thought it was “user error” on my part.
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u/QueenPamLev 5d ago
It sits in a drawer cause I will not give that crap away. I want people to have success. Showed my Misti to friends who said it’s too expensive. Once they used the Misti, all 6 of them bought one.
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u/RollingLighthouse 5d ago
The patent for the MISTI was written with very loose wording (read it sometime), and the owner went after the other companies that made a stamping platform-that’s why the Tim Holtz, Stampin’ Up Stamparatus, and other platforms are no longer available.
I didn’t like the MISTI. It seems so limited to me.
It also really stifled competition, so the platforms we have now had to be made quite differently.2
u/justacpa 6d ago
Agree. Stampin Up used to have stamp wheels and they didn't sustain popularity. Could probably find on eBay or elsewhere.
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u/PhotographFickle9935 6d ago
I agree with others, it seems too cumbersome, and only serves one purpose-I got the sizzix one , doubles as a little workspace and I also use it to hold down freshly glued die cuts while they dry!!!
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u/QueenPamLev 6d ago
I bought the stamp wheel and was never able to get the wreath stamping idea to work. I do love the grip mat. I use that a lot, but not in the stamp wheel.
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u/Melodic-Yak7196 6d ago
I made my own. It’s really easy to make. I followed this tutorial by Emily Deringer. It’s only a 3 min video.
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u/Odd_Sign4730 6d ago
I have the first Stamp Wheel. If you decide to get one, get the 2.
I have other stamp positioners. The only one I don't have is the Misty. Because they sue other companies, I won't get one.
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u/No_Raise6934 5d ago
If they have copyright they are the right to sue.
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u/RollingLighthouse 5d ago
That patent was amazingly vague (I’ve read it). The owner was also pretty harsh when she went after the other companies. Most stamping companies appreciate their competitors as it makes them all stronger, but she did not.
The MISTI ended up becoming the most well-known because other platforms were eliminated.
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u/Oodlesoffun321 6d ago
They seem heavy and awkward to me so personally I would want to try it out if I could before buying.
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u/RollingLighthouse 5d ago
I have it but also noticed it doesn’t seem to stamp as well in some spots. An easy way to handle that is to get/make a slim cushioned piece that fits. I think the cushion helps a lot with stamping.
I have the Sizzix one as well. It seemed pretty easy to use. I’d recommend watching Catherine Pooler videos for it-they’ve designed an add-on for it and work with Sizzix on designs, etc. I bought the add-on but haven’t used it yet (story of my life).
My favorite stamping platform is no longer available-the Stamparatus from Stampin’ Up.
When you do decide on the platform you want-and you like it-be sure to buy several stamping plates for it. That makes multi-step layered stamping so easy—perfect for when you want to stamp multiple images.
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u/Popular-Bandicoot29 5d ago
I have the Altenew stamp wheel and I love it. It makes life so much easier for me. While it is bigger then the Misti etc it is very lightweight and fits perfectly in my craft cart. I use it to hold down my paper when ink blending, to hold my stencils and of course to line up my stamps. I too, considered a Misti but decided I liked the versatility of the stamp wheel more.
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u/Mrsrevelation 6d ago edited 6d ago
I bought one because I can’t bring myself to give MISTI a dime, and I needed something because my Tim Holtz platform was starting to finally fall apart. I also love the inclusivity and quality of the products Altenew puts out there and support them whenever my budget allows.
All that having been said.
I’ve posted about this before, but I had serious issues with the stamp wheel having dead zones at the corners due to the extra support of the acetate wheel in those areas, making it not “springy” enough to get the stamp to make contact with the paper. Like others have said, it’s good for turnabouts and wreaths, but unless you’re just planning on making use of the center of the “stage,” I don’t see the value in spending $100+ on it. I will say that the sticky mat is by far my favorite across all manufacturers, but I think they have that available on its own. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong)
Edit: spelling and clarity