Kellene Giloff, editor of two magazines on paper arts and rubber stamping, shows clever ways of turning photocopied images, nail polish remover, a linoleum cutter, and art erasers into rubber stamps. These handmade stamps work best with simple images, and are very inexpensive to make.
Materials:
Speedball Linoleum Cutters
Speedball Linoleum Cutter Handle
Staedtler White Erasers
photocopied images
nail polish remover
cotton balls or tissue
sandpaper
Steps: - Sand down the logo side of the eraser so that it is completely smooth. Images can now be carved on one or both sides of the eraser.
- Place the photocopied image face down on the eraser. Soak a tissue or cotton ball with nail polish remover and then rub over the back of the image. This should transfer the image to the eraser (figure A). If you prefer, you may draw your own image directly onto the eraser instead.
- Starting with a smaller linoleum cutter (mounted in the handle), "scoop" closely around edges of the image.
- Use a larger cutter to "scoop" away the rest of the "negative space" of the eraser, leaving only the raised image (figure B).
- Test stamp the image to see where additional eraser needs to be cut away, carve, and then stamp again. Do this until you're pleased with the result.
Tips: - Make sure images that you photocopy are copyright-free. You can find these in clip art books available at book and art supply stores.
- Images should not be too detailed. Make sure image fits within the edges of the eraser before transferring it.
- Nail polish remover must contain acetone.
- You may want to cut around the image two or three times with the smaller cutter before using the larger cutter to cut away the rest of eraser surface.
- Although you can continue cutting away the eraser surface, some eraser carvers prefer to leave some of the eraser surface "streaks" to give it a hand-carved look.
- Images can be carved on both the top and bottom of the eraser surface and along the sides, as well.
- Large images can be carved from Safety-Kut, a large, soft eraser-like material. This is an inexpensive method for creating casual alphabets and smaller, simple images. Because the primitive look is so popular today, carved images do not need to be perfect. In fact, the imperfect designs can give your stamped artwork a very customized look.
RESOURCES :
Staedtler white vinyl erasers, Speedball linoleum cutters, Safety-Kut eraser-like material
Nasco Arts and Crafts
Website: www.enasco.com
Somerset Studio and The Stamper's Sampler magazines
Stampington & Company
Laguna Hills, CA
US
Phone: 949-380-7318
Toll Free Phone: 877-782-6737
E-mail: retail@stampington.com
Website: www.stampington.com
GUESTS :
Kellene Giloff
Publisher and owner of Stampington & Company
22992 Mill Creek, Suite B
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Phone: 949-380-7318
Toll Free Phone: 877-782-6737
Email: retail@stampington.com
URL: www.stampington.com
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