It’s nice to be able to go to an art supply store and buy rubber stamps for your mixed-media art projects, but you also like to make things yourself, right? Try making your own art stamps! In this free eBook from Cloth Paper Scissors, a Guide to Art Stamps: Fun Ideas and Easy Stamping Techniques, talented artists show readers how to make art stamps, foam stamps, and roller stamps; share stamp-carving techniques; and present ideas for using your stamps. Use these techniques to make backgrounds, design your own printed fabric or papers, or create a unique piece of art.
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| Garden Collage (16×20) by Cecilia Swatton |
Almost any design can be turned into an art stamp, including your signature or favorite flourish, but you need the right tools to make stamps. Learn the tools of the trade in “A Look At . . . Stamp Carving Supplies.” There are some basic items you’ll want on hand: carving blocks, a bench hook, carving tools, inks and paints, brayers, and barens. In this beginner’s guide, you’ll also learn a few tips for making clean stamp impressions.
Next, you’re ready to “Make Your Own Stamps with Dies and Foam” with Danee Kaplan. While experimenting with foam door hangers, she came up with this stamping technique: “I die cut some butterflies and decided to see if I could alter the surface of the foam to add some dimension to the stamp,” Danee says. “What I came up with gives the look of a hand-carved stamp but is much easier, faster, and doesn’t require any specially purchased carving tools.” In addition to teaching you the steps to make your own stamps, Danee shares ideas for adding details and stamping with precision. “Mounting the die-cut shapes on acrylic blocks or clear plastic makes it easy to line up the stamp right where you want,” she advises.
In “The Workshop: Roll Out the Backgrounds,” Linda Calverley shows how to make your own rolling stamps for paper and fabric. Using mostly recycled cylindrical objects, glue, and cutting tools, she explains how to carve rolling stamps from corks and foam insulation. Linda also gives stamping ideas for rollers and patterns and offers tips on how to stamp with these objects.
“Having a fling with several art-making processes, I’ve created an array of elements for Garden Collage (featured here) and other art pieces,” says Cecilia Swatton. “My dabbling included three simplified versions of printmaking: foam-plate printing, collagraphy, and stamping with original-design, hand-carved rubber stamps. The resulting prints have a primitive, hand-drawn look that can make your collage as unique as a signature.” Learn Swatton’s stamping techniques in “Print Fusion,” as she walks you through the steps to make your own stamps.
In this free Guide to Art Stamps: Fun Ideas and Easy Stamping Techniques, you’ll get a wealth of ideas for stamping and making signature works that are uniquely yours. Inspired? Click here to let your Twitter followers know that you’re going to “make an impression” with your own stamps!
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