Stamps have sort of been the theme around here the last few months, but I thought it would be fun to cross "rubber" off the materials list and carve my own. I have done this before and really loved the results. I use that intial stamped stationery all the time.
This time I went with a simple pattern - repeating triangles. Not sure if it's because I currently have triangle quilts on the brain or becuase I just love the shape.
I drew my pattern in pencil first (the X's represent the triangles I needed to scoop out) and then carefully carved it.
I used this stamp kit (with this brayer to roll out the paint) and Paper Source cardstock and envelopes in various colors. Instead of using oil based printing ink (which I have done in the past but hate because it takes forever to dry) I used simple craft paint (in white, mint, gold & hot pink) and was happy with the results.
With something like this, the imperfection and ease is the charm. If I wanted perfect triangles, I would have designed something on the computer and printed it out on to the cardstock. If I wanted painted triangles, I would have painstakingly used a brush and done one at time. But the first option would be less "hand-made" and the second would take forever. Hand-carved stamps are a good middle ground.
I got a bit carried away with all my stamping and made a few dozen cards. I'll be holding onto some for my penpals, but I would also like to giveaway four sets of five to you guys as a thank you for reading. This isn't a promo opportunity - I am out of the "selling greeting cards" business - it's just a thank you. If you're interested, leave a comment below. Giveaway is now closed, I'll be announcing the winner tomorrow. Thank you!
This is project 16 of 27. I am attempting to complete 27 craft projects using 27 different materials before I turn 28 on 02.22.13. You can follow my progress here on the blog or on pinterest. Birthday challenges are my favorite. You can see the 26 Projects I completed while 26 here and the 27 materials I have used so far here.
