One of my favorite sites, Uncommon Goods, recently sent me a Carve-a-Stamp Kit (link) to review here on CraftyChica.com. I’ve always loved Uncommon Goods because they feature so many handmade items from artists all over the world. They wrote to me to share ideas for Mother’s Day gifts and of course, I think anything to celebrate a handmade lifestyle is great! in addition to finished goods, they have a lot of options for DIY-friendly people too. Before I get into my tutorial and review of the Carve-A-Stamp Kit, check out Uncommon Goods for their Mother’s Day ideas: http://www.uncommongoods.com/
Also…wedding gifts and cool jewelry items too. Handmade rocks!
http://www.uncommongoods.com/
http://www.uncommongoods.com/
Here is the kit I received. I’ve practiced linocutting before many times, but was excited to check out the kit. First of all, I’m all for kits as gateway crafting. When it comes to tackling block printing and carving stamps, it can be testy for newbies. What to buy, what to cut, what kind of ink to use, etc. I wanted to see if this kit made it easy. So here are my findings!
I was impressed with the contents, it really does include everything, right down to the images to cut. I also like the the block is double-sided so you can get two designs.
Here are the designs offered to cut, they give you options based on your skill and confidence level. I went with the heart for my first try.
It comes with tracing paper and a pencil, so you can trace the design and press it onto the stamp, you burnish it with your fingernail so the pencil transfers. Next, time to cut!
You want to cut away the area that you don’t want to show in the final result. That’s why if you are new, it’s good to start with a simple design, so you can get the hang of it.
Here’s mine, getting closer to being done. After I finished this, I drew and cut a diamond design on the other side of the stamp.
I pre-washed a cotton T-shirt and stamped away. The kit comes with a red stamp pad that is works on all kinds of surfaces, but I wanted black for the diamond, so I used my Scribbled black fabric stamp pad.
I printed the front side with black diamonds and the back with red hearts. As you can see, I’m having a great time so far. I definitely recommend this kit for someone who is artsy and maybe is curious about dabbling in block printing. It’s a great way to get the hang of it! Or maybe for someone who doesn’t want a whole gobs of supplies and just wants to make one or two stamps.
Here’s how it looked…
Then I hacked it up so it would look cute to wear. It came out so cool. And I love that I can save my stamp and use it on anything else, like greeting cards, tin, fabric and more. Now i’m inspired to break out my block printing supplies and carve new stamps!
GIVEAWAY: I’ll choose one name below to win a Carve-A-Stamp Kit from Uncommon Goods. U.S. residents only, entries accepted until Sunday, March 30th, 11:59 p.m. Leave a comment below with your name and email, tell me your favorite mother’s Day memory!
What a cool kit! I have wanted to try this but you nailed it when you don’t know what to buy – not wanted to invest alot of money!
My favorite Mothers Day Memories…my daughters coming to bmy bedside in vintage aprons with paper and pen to take my order for breakfast in bed. Every year.
BTW. I haven’t carved a stamp since I was in grade school , the 1960s. Just sayin .
What a cute shirt! Love those stamps, you make it look so easy. Love the kit.
Oooh you have my mind racing with ideas! Looks like such a fun process!
favorite mother’s day memory: my mom loved to gamble, that is put money in the slots. one mother’s day my sister and i decided to drive to one of the local casino’s, Pala, here in socal. when we got to the casino, my mom found the slot she wanted to play on. we gave her about $50 to start with. my sis and i were hungry and decided to eat first. we ordered our food at an asian kiosk and we sat down to wait for our number to be called. about a minute later my mom walks up and says “ok, i’m ready to leave”. we had only been in the casino for about 20 minutes and my mom won $500, using $15 of the money we gave her. she likes to save her winnings. we all ate and left within 1 hour of getting there. we laughed all the way home.
i would love to have one of these lino cut kits! i downloaded a couple of short kindle books about designing and making your own stamps. i just haven’t gotten around to shopping for the things i need!!! this would be perfect!!!