Monday Makery - Stamps

Sometimes the days call for a little quiet, when the kids just want to sit still with their imaginations and today was one of those days. With a pack of erasers and a lino cutting set we created that very serene scene. Sitting at the table making up stories with ink and paper and designing new stamps as we went.

This is such an easy craft to make and once you've tried it you'll be hooked! With endless possibilities (can't wait to make some christmas designs) and ideas and at very little cost you can create stamps for scenes, for letterheads and cards and so much more. But better than that children will love to design their own and as rubbers are so cheap to buy they can have as many attempt as they like, creating as many scenes as their imaginations can think of as well as creating signature stamps for their greeting cards and letters.

here's what you'll need:

• rubbers
• lino cutting set
• pencil / pen 
• ink pads
• paper

here's how:

1. Draw your design in pencil onto the rubber. Once you're happy trace over the lines with a pen so that the outline is easy to see. You could also draw your design onto tracing paper and rub it on, this is especially good for children who may need more than one go to get the image to look how they imagined it to be.
2. Using your cutting tool work your way around the image cutting out the areas you want to be blank and leaving only the image that you want to print
3. dab onto your ink pad and print away.

We made a city scene at Oona's request which worked well because they were simple shapes to create at a first time attempt. Lots of the designs I wanted to make called for a larger rubber or at least a square one so I'll be on the look out for different shapes for more creations. My artwork might need some practise but nonetheless they were a great hit with both of the girls and added with the stamps we already have there are so many more possibilities which we'll appreciate on those quiet afternoons.

Thinking seasons ahead is such a huge part of my work and so I'm already thinking Christmas, imagining little trinket shaped stamps, stockings, baubles and snowflakes. At least I've got lots of time to get some practise in and perhaps good enough for stocking fillers and advent too.

happy making

xx