Saturday, 28 April 2018

Found Materials Stamping Artists Use To Create Professional Designs

By Jessica Cook


Stamped designs can be very striking and distinctive. They can vary from the most delicate to something so seemingly basic it looks like you could do it yourself. The fact is you can create your own stamped designs without buying the commercial stamps a lot of people use. With natural materials, some time and ingenuity, you can achieve something like the results stamping artists are so well known for.

Paper and textiles stamped with vegetables and fruits will create beautiful and natural designs. You can decorate a school backpack or stamp an interesting design, on textured fabric or linen, as the focal point of a wall hanging. You might use a halved apple, for example, making sure the cut is clean. Coat the inside of the apple with paint and stamp.

Erasers work well as stamps. You could use ones on the end of pencils or choose individual erasers. These work well for small projects like cards and wrapping paper. This is one of the projects you can get your children involved in, especially if you are using pencil erasers. The pencil makes it easy for little fingers to control the design and placement of the paint.

Using vegetables you have in your crisper is another way to create interesting and unique designs that will have everyone guessing how you managed it. Before you throw out that cabbage head you never got around to using, trying turning it into a stamp. Cut off one end so all the interior layers are exposed. Dip it into the paint holding onto the other end and apply it to paper, fabric, or canvas.

If you are like a lot of people, you have a button box filled with extra buttons. These make great stamps for greeting cards, wrapping paper and stationary. This is probably not a project you want a small child involved in. Once paint gets on the buttons, they get slippery and messy. Tiny kids might even decide to swallow them.

Leaves can make great designs. There are so many varieties and sizes. You might choose just one to work with or incorporate several into one project. You might decide to create fabric panels for your French doors using a leaf stamp. You will have to make sure you select young and fresh leaves for your project. Old leaves will be hard to work with.

If you're really creative, and want to create your own stamps, you could carve wood blocks, linoleum tiles, or some other medium appropriate for engraving. You will need some supplies for this project. A carving knife and brayer in addition to paint are necessary. Once you have your stamp carved, you can use it over and over if you wash it with warm water after you're finished.

If you are creative and love making things, taking up stamping as a hobby could be a fun way to pass the time. If you get good enough there are always fairs and shows that will rent you a booth to sell your creations. This might be the start of a second career.




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