DIY Stamp Tutorial

In my art, I often use stamps. Mostly foam stamps, handmade stamps, and various found objects. All of these create wonderful opportunities to add visual texture. I have two artists that are my inspiration for the use of stamps; Michelle Ward and Anne Bagby. Each use color so effectively and make wonderful art with their own stamps.

Not all stamps need to be carved though. I recently started playing with an alternative idea. It is east to cut or burn into craft foam to make a stamp, but you can't make more detailed stamp.

I added a narrow metal tip to a bottle of Puffy Paint and drew a free form plant design.

You can see where my first start looked bad, so I wiped it off leaving a black smear.

After it dries, which seems to take forever, just brush on paint and stamp!

This doesn't create a deeply etched stamp. Though when you play around with it, there are cool things to do with it. I used it for stamp but also for collagraph type printing. Sorry no photo, but if you paint the whole surface, lightly stamp on scrap paper, then press hard on desired surface. Use a brayer or rolling pin. Very fun effect.

Here is a little collage I used this stamp in:

I started with a flash card

Glue on tissue

A little paint and paper

Now stamp! I used both white and black paint

All finished