. I'm taking the opportunity of this unplanned time off to connect with the many artists and creators in this wonderful city that I love. Come with me on my 100-day odyssey - a scavenger hunt for art, creativity and community in Long Beach, CA. I call it .
July 31st was Day 30 of Making Lemonade. I made a simple wood block stamp.
Last Saturday, I attended the International Quilt Festival and observed a couple of classes. The class by Embellishment Village was great because it covered many ways to create a fabric design. Rubber stamping was one such way.
I know I can use rubber, I got one Speedball rubber stamp block from the Long Beach Depot for Creative Reuse when I visited and will definitely use it.
However, I remembered the Indonesian hardwood wood block that was given to me by a friend who travelled the world many, many years ago. It's large, the block is about 9" x 7" and has been stored in a box in the garage for at least a decade.
What I really want to do is to have a lot of wood blocks from which I can choose when I'm printing on fabric.
Some thoughts for sourcing wood for the blocks? I know that Lowes will have a scrap bucket next to their giant saw. I'm sure they will give me a few (and hopefully cut them into usable sizes at no cost.) I could, of course rummage around in the garage for some scrap wood.
I had several tools, a lightweight multi-tool (Dremel is the original brand, but there are many), a 5 in 1 hobby tool set with wood burning capability and some wood carving hand tools.
And then to try making a block. I selected a reject, and marked some straight lines into the wood. I hadn't had much exposure to any but the dremmel. The task is simple, score straight lines... but still, it took some time.
The result is shown in the photos, along with a shot of my Indonesian wood block. The pattern that prints is simple, but looks nice. I like the fact that the grain of the wood shows up in the printed pattern. It's a little light because the stamp pad is drying out, but the effect could be nice for layering.
Tidbits, Things, Trails
- I made a very easy block. What else can I do to make a stamp?
- Balsa wood would be really easy to make for stamping, but the stamp probablly wouldn't last too long. I should explore other wood possibilities.
- I have huge respect for the folks who made the Indonesian wood block, probably by hand with no power tools.
Next up?
- More on blocks to use for printing/stamping.
Want more lemonade?
Need to contact me? info@handmadepenguin.com
Trish Tsoiasue writes as herself about creative and maker topics for the and as Handmade Penguin for the Handmade Penguin Blog.
