CYNTHIA ROSE - REAL TIME HOT TIPS

• HOW TO CARVE YOUR OWN STAMP

  Copyright to Lynette Wagner, Our Lady's House of Rubber, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

  SUPPLIES:

  1. Staedtler Plastic Carving Block or eraser.
  2. No 2 lead pencil or fine, non-permanent marker.
  3. Xacto (Stanley) knife.
  4. Ink pad and paper.
  5. Optional: linoleum cutter with V-shaped blade.

  STEPS:

  1. Cut carving block to the size you want with Xacto/Stanley knife.
  2. On paper, draw a line around the piece of carving block. With the No 2 pencil draw or trace your design in that space.
  3. Place drawing face down on the carving block and rub with a smooth object.
  4. OR, draw design directly onto the carving block with the fine-tip, non-permanent market.
  5. OR, take any xeroxed design, enlarged or reduced, and place it face down on the carving block. Dab it with a cotton ball saturated with acetone (nail-polish remover). The image will transfer easily and exactly.
  6. Carve carefully around the design's outline with the Xacto/Stanley knife or linoleum cutter.
  7. Carve away everything you don't want to print.
  8. When all the major unwanted parts are cut away, stamp the design to see what parts still need to be removed.

  TIPS:

  1. Start with simple designs.
  2. Remember, cut away parts that you DON'T want to print.
  3. When drawing letters directly on the carving-block, they must be drawn IN REVERSE.
  4. You can carve on both sides of the carving block.
  5. Don't undercut the image.
  6. For a multi-coloured stamped image, colour the stamp with water-soluble markers. Put each colour just where you want it, directly on the stamp.
  7. Clean stamps by stamping on a paper towel moistened with Windex (Windolene).