I Am So On The Ball (the ping pong ball that is!)

Please just indulge me as I continue to work on Anthony's 30th ping pong ball favors.  I was not going to be happy until I somehow got his name on 100 ping pong balls.  I know, I know they can be ordered online for about $1.00 a ball.  I know the printing would be fabulous but really, is that the crafty way to go?  I ask you ... Had I just ordered them I would have never taken apart the Barbie nail printer and explored  all the fun of that!  I would have never tried to put a different ink into my Brother flash stamp.  I also tried printing on a plastic transparency and using the rub on method.  I tried some old fashion store bought rub on letters.  I even tried a printable vinyl sticker.  I was going to try an ink jet water slide decal paper ... but I didn't have any. As you can see I was failing.  I knew a rubber stamp was the thing that would work best but my flash stamp machine is really for things like address stamps.  It makes those self inking stampers that are in a plastic holder.  You know like a return address stamp.  So even though it made a great stamp I just could not stamp the ball.  So my last shot was the Teresa Collins polymer stamp maker from Photocentric.

WOW!! Not only do I love this product, It worked first time!  I can't wait to make my next stamp. In five minutes, using the small polymer packet I had four tiny stamps in four slightly different sizes.  I did this as I just was not sure which would fit the ball the best.

 As you can see the smallest (1/2 X 1/2) inch is the size I needed.  I used my DSA2 to print my negative on my HP 7500 wide format printer (after market ink system) and it came out perfect the first time using the recommended printer settings. I did stamp with stazon ink which is not the recommended ink (I think it is because the solvents to clean the stamp effect the polymer over time) But hey I will most likely never use this stamp again.  This was a very cost effect way to go as the cost was less than $2.00 for all four little stamps!  I first mounted the stamp to my smallest acrylic block but I was having a hard time rolling it across the ball and then it hit me (like a ton of bricks) get a glue dot and stick the stamp to your finger.  YES ... it worked like a charm!  I stamped 100 ping pong balls in about an hour or so with only a few mistakes here and there.  After all the failed attempts it was the Teresa Collins Stampmaker  that was the winner. And true to form I have the picture to prove it.  And here it is:

Now, just wait because by the end of this week all 100 boxes will be filled, decorated, bowed and ready to go! Thank you Teresa Collins and Photocentric.  You guys saved me! Everyone check out this stamp machine it is amazing.  Here is a link:
http://www.photocentricusa.com/
Thanks for visiting and please stop back to see the finished favors!