Finally carved some stamps

I say finally because I’ve had a couple “speedball speedy cut” medium squares for several months!

Actually, the reason I carved the stamps is now that I’ve organised somewhat straightened up the studio, I actually found where I stashed them.

Carving into this medium was an absolute dream. (Ok, but, I have to admit I have a hand full of proper lino cutting tools now…although the exacto-knife was super easy to use too)

I chose a simple seaweed design and set to it. I found out that it’s really simple to draw your design on paper and then transfer the pencil carbon onto the block by rubbing the back of the paper with something solid, like the handle of my art knife, then I traced over the pencil lines with a ball point pen. (Artist ink pens don’t seem to mark the material.)

When I thought I finished I inked it up with a regular stamp pad to see how I did.

Success!!! 😀 Also, it was easy to see where I wanted to trim a little more.

I carved a second stamp with the left-over corner, and then a third one.

Then I took a small piece of watercolour paper, watercolours and my printing inks, and drew and stamped myself a little underwater scene.

Complete with a shy little clown fish. 😀

Oh I foresee a sizable stockpile of hand carved stamps in my future…lol.