I’m feeling the stamp vibe too. I love the look of it so much. So raw and simple. I’ve been wanting to try my hand at carving some stamps for forever but I’ve had no idea what to make. I just had the thought – maybe I could try carving the little icons I drew for the sidebar. (well Tim has just informed me these won’t work. something about good negative and postive space. back to the drawing board)
A captivating gang of 24 huggable, lovable creatures to sew—from classics like Margot, a topsy-turvy doll, and the button-jointed teddy bear Bjorn Bjornson, to irresistible Evelyn, a wool felt inchworm decked out in mod glasses and a kerchief, and Koji, a fiercely cute spiked softie monster. There’s something for everyone here—from kids to grown-ups and from beginning sewers to advanced dollmakers. Published by STC Craft, August, 2010.
yes-yes-yes!! the bunnies at the bottom are the best. all the images are. yes, carving stamps is one the boards FOR SURE. next week? well, must make small RED CAPE first. (halloween)
wonderful images!!
They are gorgeous! Love the bunny and bird bags. And thank you so much to you and Amy for the cute-off – so many great pictures and ideas, it’s been making me smile all morning. Even here in the land of cute it’s good to have a top-up!
carving stamps is really pretty fun, it just takes a bit of getting used to the tools. Start with a good abstract design, the first one I did was a spaceship.
I’ve found that lino blocks are much easier to carve than erasers or the carving rubber that they sell. Linoleum tools are helpful, but an exacto is really all you need.
Your cute off is so fun! (and cute)
sweet…
what fun images!
what will you use to make your stamps with?
I love those little images on your side bar! I dream of one day having a ‘proper’ website with cute custom-deisgned images lihe that!
I think you could carve them out of lino if you simplified them a little. Otherwise you could get them made into rubber stamps… which isn’t actually as expensive as you’d think. I’m not sure in the US, but here I have had simple ones done for around AUS$20… And you can get much more detail that way… x
leave it to you to show me how to use stamps –i’ve never quite ‘gotten’ it. yay! (love the birdie bag, but don’t tell the bunnies;-0)
I agree with Lucy (and disagree with Tim; don’t be offended.) Photo copy them and then take a pigma micron .07 or something teeny and ink over the main lines, trace this and photo copy. The cat, bunny, girl, and the basket bag would be fine just as they are (except they’d be easier to do a teeny bit bigger!). A Chartpack colorless blender works great for transferring or if you have tiny quilter’s iron, that’ll work. I handcarve the stamps I use to make images and texture in my jewelry and I carve blocks of vintage textile/wallpaper designs to use as background texture for my larger paper works. I use lino cutter tools, although Harbor freight sells a great set of micro carving tools that are wonderful. (I lost mine at an art gathering.) I’ve also had rubber stamps made of certain things and they have cost between $20 and $30, but they were large- 2.5 x 3″ or bigger.
the ribbon is great! and so is your miss kitty. make the sidebar stamps, do it!
or hey, what about the designs in your top banner??? they look like cute stamps to me!
I love this sitting back with my feet up (hehe) and waiting for you and Amy to spill all your crafty goodness : )
Thanks Girls!
me too! I have been carving stamps in polymer clay so when you stamp it make an “embossed” effect in clay, but I can also do it in reverse. It works quite well, I want to try the eraser method too, and lino tools. We will have a dedicated workshop in the new house and I have high hopes of much more productivity!
i can’t decide which i like better – the bunnies or the bird – how adorable they both are!
okay- the bird and bunny stamps are more than i can stand.
i’ve got some safety-cut and lino-cut tools i’m breaking out today!
i love carving stamps – started doing it years ago, and i’m hooked for good! it’s so theraputic, and powerful! you can make whatever you want!!