Originality-Making Custom Stamps Continued

Making Custom Stamps Continued-Deborah Babin

Styrofoam is probably my favorite found material to recycle and make stamps with.

A leaf was drawn onto a flat piece of styrofoam with a ball point ink pen.
A stencil cutting tool was used to melt away the excess to reveal the design.

This type of stamp does not produce as much definition; non the less it is another way to make an original stamp. When using it, place a piece of soft material underneath the fabric or paper you are stamping. This will produce a better result.

A toilet paper roll makes a excellent marking tool.

Stamps are actually MARKING TOOLS

I like to look for tools that will make marks that become motifs for stitching. Circles are a favorite motif of mine. When I am making marks I think about how they will enhance the overall design by uniting it. Thus, I always repeat motifs. 

Here the motifs are defined with machine quilting.

Motifs can be stitched by machine or by hand. I will show more images about this in up coming posts.

The linked circles stamp combined with the toilet paper roll are an excellent combination.

Stamps with circles and lines

The top stamp is made with sticky back foam sheets. The shapes are cut free hand with scissors and stuck onto a piece of Styrofoam. 

Cardboard makes fabulous textured lines.

Cardboard-Peel off the paper one side of the cardboard to reveal the corrugated board. Use a paint brush or foam roller to apply paint and press onto the surface of your fabric or paper.

I do combine manufacturer stamps with my original stamps occasionally.

Manufactured rubber stamps can be worked into an original design. I look use certain types that will connect with my work. Here I have a combination applied to painted interfacing. Top: cardboard, (bottom left to right) a leaf like stamp that I made with sticky back foam, three unmounted rubber stamps with words, ane a rubber stamp branch with leaves.

  

Date Stamp

I like to date my work with a stamp.

The contrast of the proper date stamp against my hand work makes this stamp interesting. 

More to come about stamps and mark making in my next post.