Tutorial on-10 Easy Steps for Making Your Own Inexpensive Stamps for Mixed Media Art

If you do not have many stamps in your personal art stash or ones with the right image, no need to fret.  I have been experimenting with making my own stamps to use not only for Mixed Media pieces but for my Card Making.

Here are the steps to make your own Fun Foam Stamps.

Material:
Graphite Pencil
Very Sharp Exacto Knife
Surgical Scissors (optional)
Cutting Board
Liquid Roll On Glue
8" x 10" 1/4" Plexiglass cut down in half or quarter pieces or Foam Core Board (Scrap)
A simple outline drawing of the Stamp Image traced in Black Pen
Tracing Paper
2-Sheets Fun Foam (1-light color and 1-darker color)

1)  Make a simple outline drawing of the image you want to make into a stamp.

2)  Trace the Image by REVERSING the drawing.  

3)  Place the drawing either on top of a light table or place and tape onto a window.  Now tape a sheet of Tracing Paper on the Image and Trace over with the Graphite Pencil. 

4) Take the Tracing Paper and place directly on top of the Light Colored Fun Foam.  Rub your finger nail gently over the Transfer Paper Image.  This should transfer the Graphite Pencil to the Fun Foam.  Check the Fun Foam Image before removing the Transfer Paper.

5)  Carefully Cut Out the Fun Foam around the Outside of the Image.  Then Use your Exacto Knife and make Light cuts into the Fun Foam where you want details of the drawn image to show on the Stamp.  Like the veins of the leaves or details in the flower petals.

6)  Now Use the Liquid Glue and adhere to the Darker Fun Foam sheet.

7)  Once the Glue is throughly dry, cut away any excess Fun Foam.  Then Use your Glue and adhere to the Piece of Plexiglass.  I was able to buy my piece at a Home Improvement store.  They even cut the sheet into half or quarter pieces for free.  I like the plexiglass over the Foam Core Board because it allows you to see where to place the stamp onto the paper.

8)  Let the glue throughly dry.  Now it is time to test your new stamp.  I used different colored chalk stamp ink on this test.

9)  Place the stamp on a sheet of paper.  Press firmly and completely around the stamp image before picking up the Plexiglass.

10)  Once the image is satisfactory, then it is time to finish coloring in the image.  I used Colored Pencil on this stamp.  

I then made The Clementis Flower image the focal point of this Birthday Greeting Card.

HELPFUL HINTS:  If you are not comfortable drawing freehand, you can always use a coloring book page for an image.  

UR-TURN:  Share any helpful tips or tricks you may have found not mentioned here.  Also, what were your favorite images?

Until Next Time.

Many Blessings,

ALL YOU NEED IS YOUR FRIENDS AND SOME CHOCOLATE

Well, maybe more than some chocolate is needed for making greeting card's with your friends.

Making greeting cards is one of those activities that is much more fun when you have your girlfriends around.  Ideas, laughter, tears, and encouragement goes around the table while making cards for others.

With graduations, birthdays, and other occasions mounting up we girls decided to get busy and make some greeting cards.  The girls showed up with their stash of supplies and goodies for lunch.  

We kept lunch light, with the fare consisting of: spinach, ricotta tortellini with fire roasted tomato sauce, mixed vegetables, a refrigerator pineapple/mandarin orange butter cake, and poppy seed pound cake.

My girlfriend makes her first greeting card (graduation)

Graduation cards for niece and nephew

Since, my niece and husband's nephew have their High School Graduation ceremony this week I made these two cards.  Inside I included handmade pockets to hold their gift cards. 

Here are my other cards:

 Birthday Card for a girlfriend

Birthday card for my teenage nephew

Father's Day card for my hubby

HELPFUL HINTS: When making cards relax and enjoy the process.  I tell my friends it is your card and when it looks good to them, then it is finished.  In making your own personal greeting cards, books about the subject can be a springboard for ideas, but there are no definitive right or wrong solutions.

UR-TURN:  What are some of your favorite crafts to make with friends and other activities you and your friends enjoy?  Welcome to share a yummy recipe too.

Until Next Time.

Many Blessings,

"Two are better than one,because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up."     Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Some Card Crafting Time

I love recharging my creativity during Summer breaks from classes by making crafty objects.  Greeting cards are one of those crafts.  Making cards gives me the opportunity to try different art supplies and techniques without any pressure.   I make a little stash of these then when I am busy during the Fall and Spring semesters I can just pull one out to use.

Unfortunately I needed to make a Sympathy card today, because I have a critically ill relative.  This type of card can be difficult to design, but I find keeping them simple with a color palette from nature is best.  Then use heartfelt messages either from purchased stickers or quotes found on the Internet.  This time I included a book mark to let the family member know they are remembered by others and are not alone during this difficult time.

The last card is lighter in content one to let a friend know they are loved with words of encouragement.  This time I chose bright complementary colors for my palette and used scrap ribbon along with pre-made raised flowers for decoration.


Follow My Greeting Cards on Pinterest

HELPFUL HINTS:  Keep a stash of scrap paper, old calendar messages, left over ribbon.  Nothing is off limits, recycle items to be used for making your own unique handmade cards.  Also, neatly organizing your card making supplies into a central storage unit like a large scrapbooking carrier makes it very easy to grab and instantly create something unique.  You want to take advantage when those creative thoughts and energy strike, and not spend this time looking for your misplaced supplies.

UR-TURN: Share greeting quotes or messages you have found to be great for Sympathy or Friendship cards.

Until Next Time.

Blessings,

"He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."  2 Corinthians 1:4