15Feb
Making Stamps, What you “Knead” to Know Part One
Making Stamps, What you “knead” to Know.
Unique, personal, artistic freedom from the mass-produced stamps. Does that sound appealing to you? Then this stamping process will allow you to experience all that and more. Be it cards, journaling, artwork, or collage, the way you use the stamps that you create is totally up to your imagination and inspiration. Stamps for texture can be created using impressions from commercial stamps, then stretched or manipulated to your individual specifications.
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What do you need? A kneaded eraser! I know crazy, right? Actually, get quite a few of them as this can be so much fun you won’t want to stop with just one (DO not buy the cheap ones from Amazon-horrible smell and sticky). Here are the ones we recommend: https://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-kneaded-erasers/. Also very necessary is a sense of play—that place of being where there is no agenda, no product in mind, no anticipated results, just plain and simple: PLAY! Push, stretch, roll, pound, smash, make worms, donuts, thick, thin tongues and lips of dragon vipers, toad eyes, and lemon drops…go for it. Set aside those that are looking to be desirable for stamping as you go along. Make a collection that represents an interesting assortment and get out the stamp pad. Please do not get all wigged out if a stamp pad is not part of your repertoire—a fat brush and paint will do for now. Check out Tuesday Morning for good deals on stamp pads.
Keep in mind you are still in the play mode so the objective is to continue in that mindset while stamping on something that isn’t that thing you will keep forever (although you might—see example). At this point, analytic skills are going to help in deciding on slight modifications to each stamp. Say, for instance, that flower petal is not showing up on the stamping—hmmm, what to do? Fix it and stamp again until it is what you want it to be!
Cleanup with baby wipes can be an opportunity for MORE stamping! As you wipe the stamps, go for a quick stamp each time and the image will gradually fade out. These off-stamp pages are what I use for journal pages, or pieces and parts for collage or sometimes even cards. Chat Conversation EndType a message.
