There’s nothing like the smell of a new Inspiration mat. It reminds me of my first Pretty Pony. Those are such great childhood memories for me. For those of you lucky enough to have the Inspiration a new Inspiration mat can have some pretty good memories too! Just think of all those beautiful projects you’ve been creating using your Inspiration.
I just got a new mat out yesterday and am trying to finish up a last minute project. I’m having a hard time lifting the images up off the mats because they either tear or are starting to curl. Why does this continue to happen when I use a brand new mat? What’s the best way to lift the images up off the mat?
Barbie W. St. George, UT
I’ve found that the best time to use brand new mats is when my projects have a lot of intricate designs or have very small pieces. When the mat is at its maximum tackiness it helps to hold all of those pieces firmly down on the mat but it can also cause the paper to curl as it is being lifted off the mat because as you pull on your design to lift it off you are putting extra strain on your paper and causing it to curl. The best way to avoid this is to minimize the amount of stress you are putting on your paper by using tweezers or the Pazzles Chizzel to gently release the mat’s hold on your paper. Work your way around the edges of your design gently moving inward until your design is free. You’ll find that once the tackiness has subsided some from the mat that you won’t have the problem with the images continually curling. Always remember to take care of your mats and make sure that you cover them when they aren’t in use with the protective sheet.
i bend mine (not crease) just bend like an upside down horseshoe, this tends to let air get into a corner and makes the media lift.
by holding it this and then lifting with my other hand i find that the media just comes off alot easier and doesnt curl.
i only use this method on new mats most of the time i can get the media off no problem.
Awesome idea! Thanks for sharing.
Buy a Cricut spatula ($6 at Hobby Lobby less 40% off coupon). Works wonderful at lifting off you design!
Or get a pazzles chizzel for $2.99 plus 15% off if you are a member 😉
Can you, as you can with another manufacturer who shall remain nameless, clean the old mats up and spray with re-positionable glue to extend their lives?
You know, you probably could try it, but just make sure to spray it outside and away from anything you don’t want adhesive to stick to, especially your Inspiration!!! The Inspiration mats are priced so great, I don’t think I would go through all the trouble to clean a mat, and then try to spray it. A two pack of mats are only $15.59—that’s a great price!
I recently started using a new mat and after only 3 cuts the adhesive is coming up with the paper and sticking to the back of my cuts. It’s been extra work cleaning the adhesive off the back of every cut I make. Ichanged mats and the same thing happpened to the next mat. Ive gone thru 3 mats now and the same thing is happening. I don’t have this problem when I use my pro. It has just happened with the last mats I received. Was there a bad batch of mats? If not what could be causing this to happen?
I bought my machine only two weeks ago and within 10 days the mat isn’t nearly so sticky. The the machine is cutting into the card it is lifting the design off the mat and tangling it up. Surely I do not need to buy another mat already. If so this will become rather costly. I have not done a lot of cutting in this short space of time as I have been concentrating more on the tutorials and how to use my machine.
I am having the same problem with my mats as Diane Kane above is having. When I bought my Pazzles I also bought an extra two packs which altogether gave me six mats. The first two mats that came with the pazzles weren’t too bad but the other four have been awful. Great patches of adhesive lifted in parts off the last four mats so I had to throw them out (paper and card kept moving off the mats during cuts therefore ruining the paper and card). I tried to order more mats from here but the postage costs were beyond ridiculous and I had to cancel my order at the last stage of ordering.
Michelle (Irishgal)
Try watching the “Caring for Your Mat” video under the “Fundamentals” video category, most people find that after watching that video any problems they were having with the adhesive are resolved. Hope that helps!