Carve your own stamps

Dawn · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 78

Hi, ladies!

I just updated my website with instructions on how to carve your own rubber stamps.

http://bellsouthpwp.net/d/r/drv1913/current.htm
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Feedback of any kind is always welcome, as well as any carving tips you want to add. I kind of did this article in a hurry - I was determined to get it done today - so let me know if anything is unclear.

For any of you who have never tried stamp carving, I wholeheartedly recommend that you give it a try. You can make stamps that exactly suit your tastes and purpose. This is a must-do craft for anyone who loves the idea of stamping but can't really get into the cutesy stuff that dominates the stores.

I'd love to see examples of your own carvings and/or ideas for stamps to carve. What kind of stamp would you love to have?

:o)

Katrin · Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 10:18 pm Post subject:

Dawn, you're Daydreaming on Paper? I bookmarked your site long ago but hadn't visited it in forever—for some reason I thought it was no longer being updated. I love your prompt generator (though I'm not sure I've ever put it to real writing use)!

I've always liked the idea of rubber stamps, but I have a personal bias against using "someone else's art" when I feel I should be creating my own from scratch. I just might try making some of these now.

lizzymahoney · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 804

Dawn, this is wonderful! I've made stickers from your tutorial on that before. Water color wash in three colors over the printed address I needed...

Recently I did a small project where I really wanted some stamps, but couldn't justify the cost. And like Katrin, I didn't want someone else's art. So I wound up freehanding simple images that I might want to use again.

I bought some foamies sheets on sale to use for making my own with an X-acto. Just didn't have time to experiment. I will def. be looking at your tutorial in depth.

Thanks so much!

Dawn · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 78

Athos · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 446 Location: San Francisco

dawn, i love your site. i'm a huge paper journaler, and i find it very inspiring. i've just cleaned off my desk (see the threads on painting organizers for what i've been doing!) and now that i have space again, i want to start working on more papercrafts (cards and bookbinding) that have kind of been pushed aside in favor of knitting and crochet all winter.

i think the instructions are really clear - could one use a dremel to cut out the images? i do glass etching too, so i'm very familiar with the tracing and cutting process.

Dawn · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 78

Ok, I admit I had to go and do a search to try and figure out what a dremel is. :o) I think you could probably use it, but I worry that you would run a greater risk of making mistakes in your carving. I guess it would make taking off excess carving material around the edges of your stamp a lot easier.

If you decide to try it, let me know how it works.