Well, thanks to Michelle Ward, I finally did it! I carved my very own rubber stamp!!! I've had the rubber blocks and Speedball cutting tools for oh, say, a year or two?... just sitting there in my studio, gathering dust, patiently waiting for the woman who inhabits said studio to get off her duff and try her hand at cutting a custom made rubber stamp... and I feel so much better about myself now! I'm sort of kidding, but I'm sort of serious... why am I so anxious to try new things, but when I get the tools and supplies home, I chicken out... I mean, seriously, what was I waiting for?!? And Michelle and everyone else who has said making your own rubber stamps is addictive, was absolutely correct! Now I want to go out and buy about a dozen of those rubber blanks to carve!
I just don't know how deep one is supposed to carve away the background... I want the stamp image to be the only thing that stamps... I'm just not all that fond of the carve lines that are in some prints... which means I really took the background rubber down deep, which then makes the rubber really, really flexible... which then means those carve lines I worked so hard to eliminate are entirely possible to make, if I push too hard on the rubber... perhaps that's why I should put a wood back on it, or put that sticky stuff on it so it'll stick to my acrylic blocks... I'll let you know how that turns out!
So, if you haven't taken up the carving tool and joined in on Michelle's latest and greatest challenge, head over to her site for a terrific tutorial, and go carve something!
Oh Kathy!! I Love your flourish!! Love those dots; everything!! It looks fantastic!
Posted by: Julie Prichard | March 18, 2008 at 10:07 AM
Hi Kathy -
Found you over at (seth's) thealteredpage!
w.o.w. This is a GORGEOUS homemade STAMP! You are soooo inspiring that I gotta get off my duff now and order my supplies :^D
I love the way you presented your WIP. So many simply show the actual stamp... Can you recommend a type of block?
- vicki xo
Posted by: vicki cook | March 18, 2008 at 02:46 PM
It looks really great ! I love seing what everyone did for this crusade!
Posted by: Laurence | March 18, 2008 at 04:57 PM
It looks really great ! I love seing what everyone did for this crusade!
Posted by: Laurence | March 18, 2008 at 04:58 PM
Kathy - glad you caught the bug....you're infected like the rest of us now *big grin* I don't like the carvey lines either and try to scrape most away but sometimes it's cool to see - depends on the image. Maybe don't ink it so heavily - or add a backing like you said. This is a great stamp and love hearing how you added in the last bit while in the process. Thanks for sharing with the team.
Posted by: michelle ward | March 18, 2008 at 08:52 PM
I love that stamp, it has almost a paisley feel to it, and I loved seeing it in process. Thanks! -Kim
Posted by: Kim Tedrow | March 18, 2008 at 09:55 PM
Hi Kathy,
the stamp looks GREAT and so cool to see how it evolved!! Hope you will remind this when there is another NEW thing waiting for you: afterwards it is not that scary at all, isn't it? Hedwig
Posted by: hedwig | March 19, 2008 at 07:30 AM
Looks great, Kathy! To get rid of the carvey lines you could also try trimming away more of the excess on the corners, maybe. Like Michelle does with her stamps. Anyway, I love the design you carved, it's really cool!
Posted by: Carrie | March 19, 2008 at 08:28 AM
great stamp Kathy. glad you took the plunge. it is interesting to see the wip. isn't it addictive?
Posted by: tina | March 19, 2008 at 10:21 AM
Adorable fellow Michigander!
Posted by: Maralena Howard (mcdc3s) | March 19, 2008 at 10:23 PM
Oh WOW! I love this stamp. The addition of the the tear drop was a great decision.
In regards to the unwanted carved lines, the only ones I can see seem to be around the outside of the image, have you actutally completely cut off the excess rubber from around the outside of the image?(i.e so that the stamp is actually an unusual shape rather than square).
Posted by: Ursula C | March 20, 2008 at 02:23 AM
It's so cool that you thought to take a pic of the stamp in progress.
And isn't it true that the crusades motivate us and challenge us and give us courage to Get With It.
Thanks for sharing this!
Posted by: Chris | March 20, 2008 at 11:34 AM
I love your fiddlehead swirl!! Aren't you thrilled that Michelle has made us dig out those tools and rubber that we have never used!?!
ArtOn!!
Elizabeth
Posted by: Elizabeth Woodford | March 20, 2008 at 01:12 PM
I love your fiddlehead swirl!! Aren't you thrilled that Michelle has made us dig out those tools and rubber that we have never used!?!
ArtOn!!
Elizabeth
Posted by: Elizabeth Woodford | March 20, 2008 at 01:13 PM
Your stamp turned out great, I can't wait to start making mine!
Posted by: iHanna | March 21, 2008 at 05:59 PM
So cool! Isn't it addicting? I have to go carve more now so I can justify running out to buy more rubber! LOL
Posted by: Jo Anne | March 23, 2008 at 04:09 PM
Kathy...I am blown away. this is gorgeous. And I even think the pic of it in progress would have been an awesome stamp to match. Love what you made :)
Posted by: audrey h. | March 23, 2008 at 10:04 PM
I know all too well about buying tons of new supplies then "chickening out" when I get them home... I promised myself this year I would actually use all the wonderful supplies I have in stock... supplies other artists would drool over if they knew I had them just sitting there, lol! What a great stamp design... I'd try mounting it... I think I need to do that as well (and more supplies to buy!!)
Posted by: carin.c | March 24, 2008 at 10:10 AM