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Cut It Out – Stamps

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This month on the GPP Street Team, our Crusade is to cut or carve your own tool – because it’s a sure way to keep your art original.  You can come see what we are up – several Crusaders have already shared their terrific carvings.  See the links posted under Crusade No. 18.  I will review making a stamp now and later this week I’ll go over stencil cutting.  My source for the carving material is from Nasco, HERE.  You can get the tools there too, but an exacto cutting blade works too.

I just saw The Other Boleyn Girl and have medieval imagery on the brain….had to design a new stamp.  Here’s how it happened: 

Mw_carving_a_stamp1

Mw_carving_a_stamp2

Mw_carving_a_stamp3a

Mw_carving_a_stamp4

Mw_carving_a_stamp5

Mw_carving_a_stamp6

Mw_carving_a_stamp7

Mw_carving_a_stamp8b

Mw_carving_a_stamp9a

Mw_carving_a_stamp10

And a while ago I told you about having stamps made of Sam’s drawings – here’s Winston:

Mw_samstamp

Can’t wait to see what you come up with when you carve your own stamps.  If you want to share what you’ve done come play on our street.

Comments

30 responses to “Cut It Out – Stamps”

  1. Carrie Avatar
    Carrie

    Beautiful image, as always! Gotta love those Med/Ren motifs! (BTW what did you think of the movie? Weren’t the costumes gorgeous? Wasn’t Jim Sturgess absolutely heartbreaking?) I have carved a couple of stamps already but I’m waiting till I have a chance to carve a couple more and test them all before I post. So excited!!! You completely rock.

    Reply
  2. susan w Avatar
    susan w

    What riches! Inspiring images, and friendly comprehensible instructions. I have just finished printing them out to look over and fondle. Every tiny extra consideration expands our creative vocabulary. I had made a positive negative image only once before and so now I’m off to do another. I found some wonderful fabric designs to adapt ( I was going to do one as a stencil (maybe I still will – remembering all those “bridges” and maintaining a viable composition is the tricky part – plus the testing part takes more set up. I have used Blo-Pens for testing and stenciling but it makes my head light and face hurt if it is a big image.

    Reply
  3. Judy N Avatar
    Judy N

    Great tutorial! Yesterday I went out and bought some ez cut blocks and a cutting tool from Dick Blicks, stopped at Barnes & Noble and picked up a clip art book for inspiration. (While I was there I also picked up Somerset Studio’s Digital Studio.)
    I have lots of ideas now for both stamps and stencils. I am hoping to find time to work on it now!
    But then my husband just bought me an iPod for my birthday – I am so excited, I have only wanted one for over a year. I need to read up on how to download my CDs and music DVDs. I just might have to do that first!
    Until later,
    Judy

    Reply
  4. susan w Avatar
    susan w

    Oh! and another thing(s). You can make little handles for your carving blades from polymer clay (you can make ’em pretty too) so you have several rather than switching out blades. The small handles, especially for the smallest V-blade are comfortable to hold.
    “But what do you do when those baked-in blades grow dull?” you ask.
    You can sharpen them on sandpaper if you can keep the angle accurate or…
    you can order a Flexcut SlipStrop which is a small wooden sharpening -truing really tool used by fine detail woodworkers. I think it was mentioned on some stamp carving site but that info fell out of my head. I ordered mine from Amazon.

    Reply
  5. Terri Avatar
    Terri

    The last time I carved my own stamp, was in Mr. Jones’ art class in 1979. I put the awl through my pointer finger on my left hand and got 4 stitches. I still have the scar as a reminder….but after seeing your creations, its SO TEMPTING….I think it may be time for me to try again….ps….Winston the cat is adorable, you should frame him!….btw…i got photoshop 10, and yes…its kicking my butt.

    Reply
  6. Jeane Frizzell Avatar
    Jeane Frizzell

    I love Winston!

    Reply
  7. Julie Prichard Avatar
    Julie Prichard

    Great Scott, Michelle- what an amazing tutorial!! Thank you so much!

    Reply
  8. Sharon at Norah'S Avatar
    Sharon at Norah’S

    You always know all the tricks!
    Thanks

    Reply
  9. Julie Avatar
    Julie

    Brilliant post Michelle and I love all your stamps.
    I have had two goes at carving my own stamps so far although these have been with lino as its the only thing I can find but I have to say it has been totally addictive and I havn’t finished yet! Am hoping to get a post up on my blog by the weekend.
    Great crusade!!!

    Reply
  10. ArtKat Avatar
    ArtKat

    Wow, your stamps are mind-boggling, such exquisite detail! I did some lino carving in school, all I can say is “very dangerous”, guess I’d better try sof rubber carving or stick to my foam! Winston is absolutely precious, love him! 🙂

    Reply
  11. Kim Veldt Avatar
    Kim Veldt

    Wow – thank you so much! I’ve accumulated some clip art , but I’ve never seen any real instruction on creating your own stamps , unless it was with a potato or something. These look good – and thanks for the 45 degree angle tip , I wouldn’t have known that.

    Reply
  12. Fran Meneley Avatar
    Fran Meneley

    Wow Michelle – What a GREAT tutorial. Thank you! We had some blocks of carving material available at the journaling retreat but I ran out of time to try my hand at it. This has totally re-inspired me to give it a try. Thank you for your generous teaching of this wonderful technique. I especially like the acrylic paint tip! Now where’s my exacto knife?

    Reply
  13. Megan Warren Avatar
    Megan Warren

    Hi Michelle – great tutorial thanks – loved seeing all your stamps – awesome stamp that Sam’s “Winston” made – so precious.

    Reply
  14. hedwig Avatar
    hedwig

    What a GREAT and INSPIRING tutorial you made!! So full of clever gestures and handy tips. And Winston is AWESOME!
    Hedwig

    Reply
  15. Megan Avatar
    Megan

    Thankyou once again for your generosity in giving us the carving lowdown. I love the tips you have given. Thankyou- Mx

    Reply
  16. Caty Avatar
    Caty

    So great tutorial, inspiration and woderful stamps and ideas! Thank you Michelle!

    Reply
  17. Linda Warlyn Avatar
    Linda Warlyn

    Just a FABULOUS tutorial in every respect! Thank you so much for sharing all of your expertise and the great up close photos and tips. Sam’s Winston is just adorable! xox

    Reply
  18. Maralena Howard (mcdc3s) Avatar
    Maralena Howard (mcdc3s)

    My Dick Blick order arrived! I have my rubber and some nifty print inks. Now – I will pull out my carving tools and put on my thinking cap and start dreaming up a design. xxx And I also love Winston. It is very cute. Your letters are awesome. Just Wow.

    Reply
  19. Laurence Avatar
    Laurence

    Wow now I’ll improve my tehcnique with your tutorial, it’s great ! Thanks. I’ll probably dare carving more complicated shapes !

    Reply
  20. Elizabeth Woodford Avatar
    Elizabeth Woodford

    You are amazing!! I have admired you from afar for so very long and I have finally gotten up the nerve to join your wonderful crusades!! you are such a Treasure to those of us who love to create!! thank you so much for all of your inspiration!
    Your tutorial is amazing and I am now going to try to work with Exacto knives. In the past I have only carved with the traditional tools and I have been having trouble having success with more intricate designs. this is probably just the ticket!!
    My daughter loves carving stamps and she loves Winston, as do I. I have posted her first stamp carved two years ago at age 9.
    Hugs!
    Elizabeth

    Reply
  21. vicki cook Avatar
    vicki cook

    I have read and re-read your tutorial and it is exquisite! I’m eating up your pos/neg idea as well!
    Thanks for the link to nasco (sending an email with a few ?? before I buy).
    – vicki xo

    Reply
  22. e.beck Avatar
    e.beck

    oh my gosh, this was an amazingly helpful post …thank you! i am entirely inspired……

    Reply
  23. audrey h. Avatar
    audrey h.

    I am going to have to try more intricate stamps like the ones you have shown. I am just getting the hang of doing more details. Love your stamps but of course that one by Sam is just wonderful 🙂

    Reply
  24. kathy Avatar
    kathy

    wow you have a fantastic blog with some greta ideas on here.

    Reply
  25. Shayla Avatar
    Shayla

    What a great tutorial! I’ve been looking through stamp tutorials lately and I’ve found yours to have the best instructions, not to mention the greatest photos. You even infused a spirit of fun and inspiration. Love the spruced up carving tools. Getting ideas…

    Reply
  26. bonafyde Avatar
    bonafyde

    I am amazed by your stamps..such detail. Thanks for all the tips, I am so inspired!

    Reply
  27. jane Avatar
    jane

    I love Gloria’s DVD and stand in awe of how she did it under such circumstances, but with all due respect, there is much here that is not included there, including very detailed info about the actual CARVING part, which you rightly surmised is what people really want to learn and improve on. I would soooo love to see all this in a book, but I bet everybody you meet tells you that!

    Reply
  28. Catherine Witherell Avatar
    Catherine Witherell

    Michelle,
    I haven’t been here in a while but today I have been reading and drinking in every beautiful image as fast as I can. What you do here makes my heart beat faster and I just want to make stickers out of everything! Thanks for all the great images and inspiration. I’m going to go carve something now.
    Catherine

    Reply
  29. Eileen Avatar
    Eileen

    Thanks for all your amazing ideas and the wonderful tutorials. You have always inspired me so much and I want you to know how much I appreciate your generous and loving spirit. Your blog is such a great example of creative bliss. Now I want to go carve something! Thanks again.
    Eileen

    Reply
  30. Nola Avatar
    Nola

    Love the tutorial – very clever way to combine stamp designs together into a set.
    Re transferring image for carving, I wonder if you could use the acrylic transfer method? Print image onto inkjet overhead transparency, burnish onto wet acrylic paint, lift off transparency and allow image to dry. Would cut out on the laborious step of washing off the paper… Worth trying anyway.

    Reply

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