2019 Topic 16: Stamp Carving Well hello everyone, Keren here with a really creative theme for our new topic; stamp carving! I have to admit trying this once myself; years ago with a small rubber stamp. It wasn't the success I imagined it might be, and wish I'd seen some of these inspirational artists and techniques back then. Normally we'd start with a project from a PaperArtsy blogger, but I thought the perfect way to kick off the topic would be to mention Ellen Vargo who has created a wonderful range of stamps based on her stamp carvings (see more here about Ellen's carving). I've chosen this EEV03 set as a great example of the chunky style of a typical carved stamp. Ellen also created some super fine detail carved stamps for PaperArtsy too, and these finer detailed options allow a whole lot more fun in your stamped layers and colour choices. Here are a couple of examples Ellen made with her stamps showing how the bold and fine can contrast so perfectly. You might make a master-board to cut up into smaller sections as above, or even use a master-board as you background; this piece below is A4 in size for example. Starting with a simple but really striking example of a basic DIY stamp, is Anneke de Clerck with some lovely JoFY stamps, allowing that kraft to peep through provides a delicious contrast to the white paint. PaperArtsy Blog I'm a firm believer in the Sound of Music's principle of 'let's start at the very beginning'.. and this is a great blog post outlining some of the basic tools and techniques for getting started in stamp carving. Maple Post There are some really easy ways to begin your carving journey. Without forking out lots on equipment, why not start small and simple with rubbers/ erasers? The Country Chic Cottage What's really impressed me whilst researching for the topic, is the wide range of designs and the intricacy of the artwork. This example was interesting because traditionally I think of them as solid blocks. Alisa By K This example gives a really clear view of the hewn out block. Seeing the scratches and gouges shows some of the technique. Isla Joy Middleton There are some interesting blog posts about alternative substances to try your hand at carving with. How about fun foam mounted on a wood block? Approachable Art If you want to use something that nearly all of us would have hanging around our homes, why not try carving stamps with potatoes?! This simple project shows how powerful a simple repeated image can be. Mon Petit Monde Polymer Clay might seem an unlikely candidate, but Sunni Bergeron did a really interesting experiment using it. Sunny Bergeron Other experimentation can be seen with this experiment of different substances to carve with. One of the winners was Pan Shower Liner mounted on mdf. Sandrine Pelissier If you're a bit further along with carving, this is a real mine of information for the different types of carving blocks that are the best for textiles. Fly Gurl has done a great review. Fly Gurl Some of the projects you can find are simply amazing, and the sizes of the carved stamps are larger than expected too. Lili Arnold Studios What an awesome representation of a heart. Aren't the carved curved sinewy lines so very beautiful?! Salvaje I thought I'd finish by showing some gorgeous examples of some carved stamps. Suevangageldonk Intricacy makes for a spellbinding image, but it's easy to forget what you can do with one image. This image is transformed into a mandala-esque beauty. Andie Mayr Lastly, carving can produce really stylised images too.. Alejandro Lopez You're going to love the projects we have coming up for this topic. If you want to create along with us and this topic, please share on our social feeds so we can see what you get up to. The best places are Instagram @paperartsy or post in PaperArtsy People Group on Facebook. Make sure you tag us in your contributions, we love to see what you get up to in your creative world