Wednesday 25 April 2018

Found Materials Stamping Artists Use To Create Professional 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.

Stamping paper and textiles with fruits and vegetables will make interesting and creative designs. You might decorate your child's backpack or create a wall hanging using linen or some textured fabric. An apple is a good fruit choice for these kinds of projects. All you have to do is halve the apple making sure the cut is smooth. Brush paint on the inside of the apple and stamp.

Erasers work well as stamps. You could use ones on the end of pencils or choose individual erasers. These work well for small projects like cards and wrapping paper. This is one of the projects you can get your children involved in, especially if you are using pencil erasers. The pencil makes it easy for little fingers to control the design and placement of the paint.

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.

Walking around your backyard should give you all kinds of ideas for stamps. Leaves are a great example. You can incorporate leaves from several different trees or stick to just one variety. With some leaves and small branches for stamps, you can create larger pieces like sheer panels for French doors.

You can even create your own permanent stamps by carving wood blocks, tile, linoleum, and even bars of soap into whatever design interests you. You are going to need an X-acto knife with different blades and a little brayer, along with paint, to do the job. After you complete your project, you can wash and dry your stamp and put it away for later use.

Once you have done some experimenting, you will probably become pretty proficient at the technique. You might even earn some extra money selling your creations at local arts and crafts shows. The more creative you are, the more interesting your work will be to others.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment