{Explore} Hand-Carved Stamps

Hand-carved stamps posess a unique and rustic quality that I find so appealing! I wanted to try my hand at carving my own, but felt a bit hesitant until my sweet friend Michelle agreed that we should try making stamps together. There's nothing like a friend to give you the courage to try something new!

We each signed up for Stamp Carving 101, an online class with Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. If you're intersted in learning about stamp carving, don't miss this gem! Julie is a talented artist with a gift for teaching. She makes it so easy to be successful even if you have no prior experience with the techniques she is sharing. Michelle and I watched the videos separately and then together while we carved. Despite the giggles and giddiness that always strike us during our artsy playdates, we each managed to carve several stamps and we had so much fun along the way!

If you're interested in learning about stamp carving, Cloth Paper Scissors offers a free e-book that's packed with lots of great information: How to Make a Stamp. Julie also has a new DVD titled Stamp Carving Adventures available on the Cloth Paper Scissors website.

I just started a Pinterest Board that's all about hand-carved stamps! It includes tutorials, inspiration, and etsy vendors who sell stamps. I'll be adding lots of links to it so follow the board here! I hope you'll be inspired to create your own stamps too. They add a custom element to your artwork, and they're so much fun to make!