Adventures in Latidoe Stamp Making + New Packaging

A little excited and little nervous that I may have found an (other!) new obsession: stampmaking.

This is something I've always wanted to try out but never actually came around to buying materials and testing. You don't need fancy materials to make stamps...you can use styrafoam, tooth picks and paint. But I wanted to start off with a stamp for my up and coming store that I keep promising the world...and figured might as well get the good stuff.

thepaperplace.ca, nationalartcraft.com

I picked up this stamp making kit from Michaels for $15. It includes a 4x6" rubber stamp base, tracing paper, and a carving tool with two different blades. 

First I played around probably too long with stamp ideas. 

Then I traced the one I liked onto the tracing paper. To transfer the image to the rubber stamp, I traced over the design with a pencil.

Cut it out, flipped it onto the stamp then rubbed the back so the pencil would transfer.

Once the basics of your design are transfered you can go over details again with a pencil to make them more clear. And then of course remember that whatever areas you carve out will be white space. I tried to shade it in so that all the pink space would be what I had to carve out.

The blade just snaps into the tool. Then you just start shaving away...

My stamp is small so I just cut off what I needed.

Then tested it out! It's in now way perfect...but I think that's what makes handmade stamps special. They have a crafty made at home feel to them and for a line of hand crafted accessories...I think the stamp is pretty true to my 'brand' (if you can call it that)! 

I'm still thinking up a presentable and cost effective way to package things. I like the simple brown paper look...so I might do something like this. 

Maybe down the line I'll start making and possibly selling handmade stamps...might be fun :)