Tuesday 30 January 2018

Natural Materials Stamping Artists Use To Create Unique Designs

By Jessica Cook


Stamped designs can be very striking and distinctive. They can vary from the most delicate to something so seemingly basic it looks like you could do it yourself. The fact is you can create your own stamped designs without buying the commercial stamps a lot of people use. With natural materials, some time and ingenuity, you can achieve something like the results stamping artists are so well known for.

Paper and textiles stamped with vegetables and fruits will create beautiful and natural designs. You can decorate a school backpack or stamp an interesting design, on textured fabric or linen, as the focal point of a wall hanging. You might use a halved apple, for example, making sure the cut is clean. Coat the inside of the apple with paint and stamp.

Pencil erasers are natural stamps. You don't have to do anything but dip them in paint and apply them to paper or fabric. Small projects like greeting cards, stationary and wrapping papers will give you the best results. You could even invite your kids to join you in the fun. They may be too young to write, but they can control the pencil enough to make dot patterns on paper.

You might experiment with the vegetables in your crisper that you're getting ready to throw out. You will be surprised at the intricacy of the design a head of cabbage can make. All you have to do is cut the top off. This exposes the layering inside the cabbage. Holding the opposite end, brush the layers with paint and apply the vegetable to whatever material you are designing on.

If you are like a lot of people, you have a button box filled with extra buttons. These make great stamps for greeting cards, wrapping paper and stationary. This is probably not a project you want a small child involved in. Once paint gets on the buttons, they get slippery and messy. Tiny kids might even decide to swallow them.

Leaves can make great designs. There are so many varieties and sizes. You might choose just one to work with or incorporate several into one project. You might decide to create fabric panels for your French doors using a leaf stamp. You will have to make sure you select young and fresh leaves for your project. Old leaves will be hard to work with.

If you go to an arts and crafts store you will find stamps in all sizes and shapes. None will be as interesting as the ones you make yourself however. With a block of wood or piece of tile or linoleum you can carve your own stamps. An X-acto knife or other sharp carving utensil and a small brayer are extra supplies you need for this project. These stamps are reusable after washing.

If you are creative and love making things, taking up stamping as a hobby could be a fun way to pass the time. If you get good enough there are always fairs and shows that will rent you a booth to sell your creations. This might be the start of a second career.




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