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A. I prefer that my iron is hot, on the cotton setting. All irons are different and if the iron is too hot you will know quickly, as when you try to lift the iron up, the velvet will stick to the iron. If this happens, simply turn your iron down a bit.

Q. What is the best velvet to emboss? 

A. Acetate/rayon gives the very best results. Just for your shopping convenience you can buy it right here on our web site.

Q. How wide is the velvet sold at Hot Potatoes? 

A. Our velvet is 48" wide.

Q. How do I order the velvet in half-yard quantities? 

A. You just enter in .5 for the quantity.

Q. If I use a stamp on velvet can I use it on paper or fabric at another time? 

A. Absolutely, we do not police the use of our stamps - yet. Frankly, you can clean them up and use them on any surface you please.

Q. Why did my velvet burn? 

A. You are using velvet with nylon in it, a complete disaster. Not only is the nylon velvet on the cheesy side, but it also has a tendency to come out over time.

Q. Why did my velvet embossing disappear over time? 

A. See above - you are using velvet with nylon in it. You need to use acetate/rayon velvet for the ultimate results.

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Q. How do I stamp on fabric? 

A. Printing on fabric was the beginning of my love affair with stamps! I just tried what I thought made sense and it is amazing that I am some sort of authority on the subject now. After trying loads of different fabric paints, I found that Jacquard brand had the best colors, held up well, really becomes one with the material you are working on and was not toxic in any way. Jacquard fabric paints have a great texture and I have never found any paint quite as good. If you happen to already own a lot of fabric paint, use what you have and then try the brand I prefer. I also like to use something called Foam Core to insert under whatever project I am printing. It has just enough cushion for successful printing and you can cut it to fit anything. It also keeps the paint from seeping through to the underside of your garment. I use little foam brushes to dip into the paint and apply color to my project. Dip in the brush and wipe off any excess, then paint a smooth thick layer of paint on your stamp. Use smooth long strokes. If you have any problem with the paint separating you might try painting a thin layer of paint, then blow it dry with a hair dryer for about 30 seconds, apply a second coat and stamp. When you finally press the stamp to fabric you should really apply pressure and gingerly lift the stamp up, so no extra paint splatters. Its simple and with not much practice you can become a pro. 

Tips: 

• Start on the back of your garment to get the hang of it all and to figure out placement. The back of a tee shirt is more forgiving that the front. 
• After the project is completely dry, throw it in a hot dryer for thirty minutes to heat set.
• Clean your stamps and brushes with warm soapy water and scrub with a fingernail brush. Really, it is just logical.
• Keep q-tips and toothpicks handy for cleaning out grooves of stamps or swabbing up excess paint
• I prefer 100% natural fibers, I live in the humid south and polyester is for people that haven't figured out how nice it is to be comfortable.
• I never pre-wash my garments - I don't care what the instructions say. á Do not start this project with sweatshirts. They are a little trickier as they will pick up any paint that may be on the margins of the stamps. Start with a simple tee shirt.
• If you are just too uptight to try this, give it to a kid and let them have their way with it, you might just loosen up and love stamping on fabric after all.

Q. How do you clean the stamps? 

A. I have always cleaned off fabric paint from my stamps by holding them under running water and washing them with soap and a fingernail brush. Some people seem shocked that this is how I care for stamps, but it seemed logical to me.

Q. What do I do if the paint separates on the stamp? 

A. You really do need a good thick covering of paint, so if this is a problem, paint a thin coat of paint on the stamp. Then use a hair dryer and blow it dry directly on the stamp. This might take one minute. Now, put a second coat of paint on the tacky first coat. You will find the coverage much more satisfactory.

Q. How long does it take the paint to dry? 

A. Usually a printed garment takes about an hour to dry. Some areas may have more paint than others and take a bit longer to dry. A rainy day can slow down the drying time.

Q. Can you mix your own colors? 

A. Absolutely. But I have found its next to impossible to make a good purple, so just break down and buy it. To make the periwinkle color I use so much mix medium blue, white and a teeny bit of violet.

Q. How do you stamp on fabric with bleach? 

A. I like to use household products that contain bleach, like Cascade Dishwashing Gel. The bleach is so diluted that it is not too strong for your fabric. This technique must be done on natural fabrics like cotton, silk, linen, and rayon. I paint the bleach product onto the stamp with a foam brush and stamp the fabric. If the bleach is going to remove the color, you will see this start to happen within minutes. Allow your project to dry and wash in the machine. This will not hurt your stamp. Clean under running water.

Q. Can you use Hot Potatoes stamps on paper? 

A. Yes! You can stamp them on a car, you can stamp them in a bar, you can stamp them in your house, you can stamp them on a mouse-pad.

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Q. How do you stamp on walls? 

A. I like to practice this technique a bit before diving in. Work behind a door or in a closet to get the feel of this. A wall will not absorb paint like fabric, so just put a light coat of paint on your stamp and be careful as you stamp so that the stamp does not slip or slide. I usual use a rolling motion and let the heel of my hand hit the wall first and kind of roll the stamp to the wall. If you make a mistake you can wipe it off immediately with 409 or a similar cleaner and a cloth. You often do not get perfect prints, as a wall has no give to it. Do not examine each print, but rather finish your design and then decide if you want to touch up. Use a q-tip with a tad of paint and dab in any areas you need to fix. I have used oil base paint, latex paint and even fabric paint. There are foam stamps available (I like the ones by Stampa Rosa) and unfortunately for me I do not sell them, but the foam stamps are really wonderful for working on walls.

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Q. Is Carol Duvall really as nice as she seems? 

A. So many people ask me this. It cracks me up. She is one of the most wonderful people that I know. And she is exactly like she appears. She says exactly what is on her mind and has real knowledge of crafts. She has done everything and done it well. I do know that decoupage is her absolute favorite craft. She is a real live wire and her entire crew for her show loves and adores her. (She did not pay me to say these things.)

Q. What is your ship time? 

A. This is the million-dollar question. This time can vary, but right now its 3-4 days. We normally ship Priority Mail. If your order is over $100.00 it will most likely ship via UPS. Please check the home page for ship time when you place your order.

Q. Are the stamps shown in the catalog actual size? 

A. Yes

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