Make a stamp Tutorial

The last few weeks I've had so much fun stamping and printing fabric, I thought it might be good to show you how easy it is to make your own stamps.  The boys went to a birthday party yesterday and as usual I got them to decorate the wrapping paper and card, using some new stamps I had made for another project.  

Here's what you need: 

• some craft foam (also called 'high density' foam)
• a backing like a wooden block or perspex.  To cut perspex, score on both sides using a craft knife and ruler.  Hold the score line over the edge of a table and give it a good whack to give a clean break.  
• A handle (optional).  I used wine corks.

Cut your desired shape out of the foam and paint the back with a waterproof glue.  It is important to cover the whole shape with glue, otherwise the motif will lift off the board after a few uses.  Glue to the board.  The skull stamp on this photo was made using some stamp-making rubber:

Glue the cork to the back of the stamp using the waterproof glue.  Let it set and then either use an ink pad or paint directly onto the stamps with acrylic or fabric paint. 

For more ideas about hand-printing, have a look at my Pinterest board on the topic; Printed by Hand.

Fabric-a-brac

If you're anything like me, you'll be very excited about Fabric-a-brac this Saturday: a hall full of fabric! I have a whole table booked and have been folding and pricing fabric for the last couple of days.  I was quite surprised about how much barkcloth I have sitting around.  Please come and help me get rid of it all; I need more work space in my craft room! 

The details: this coming Saturday, 9 to 12.30 at the Freemans Bay Community Hall.  There will be Eftpos and a cake and drinks table.  And did I mention the fabric?

Prints

This morning I spent a few enjoyable hours with my friends Lesley and Jacqui doing a bit of print-making.  We tried all sorts of things: bubble wrap (very easy, no work involved),

potato prints (as you can see I need more practice with the knives!),

even a bit of rubber stamp-making. I've been thinking about doing this all week and was very excited when Jacqui had some carving blocks in her stash.  I just glued a bottle cork onto the back for a handle.  The boys loved it of course; stick a skull on it and they're in heaven.

Jacqui printed some apples onto linen, with great success. It turns out you need a really sharp knife as the apple needs to be cut perfectly straight to get a good print.

Lesley thought about projects she can do with young children and carved some fun geometric shapes  from potato.  She used brightly coloured acrylic paints and printed onto paper. This is her set-up (I just love those colors together!).

If you'd like some more inspiration for projects you can do at home, have a look at my Printed by Hand Pinterest board.

A chair

I have a thing for chairs.  Some people like shoes; I like chairs and bags.  I found this lovely one a few years ago in the op shop and it's been sitting in our lounge ever since, looking sad and unloved.  The problem with somebody like me is that I can see the potential in something so well that I stop seeing the ugly and just imagine the finished product. And so she sat there for a while, until finally I cut off the ugly covers and recovered her.  It only took me a few hours and now she looks very smart and mid-century-like.  Here's the ugly:

Then I covered the foam squabs with some left-over batting from the stool project: 

And here she is, much nicer and very comfortable to sit in.