how can I make my own rubber stamps?
Where I can I buy the rubber stuff that you carve using spacial tools to make stamps? I have the tools, but can’t find the rubber stuff… I checked local craft stores and they have the stuff, but only in the size about a 3×5″ note card. I will need bigger. I’ve searched online and haven’t had much luck finding the stuff.
Also, I saw online a kit where you can design the image on your computer and then print the negative and somehow using Polymer it creates a stamp. I didn’t really understand and they are asking $300 for it so I don’t think so… lol But are there any kits cheaper like this? Do they work well?
Finally can I use t-shirt ink on a stamp to stamp on fabric? Will it hurt the stamps at all?
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Are these good? If not, I suggest that you combine some rubber blocks to make one huge one, but the cracks might interfere… Maybe you could use cardboard and cut out other cardboard designs to paste on the original square of cardboard. You could even use foam: use the same method. If you do not think they are durable enough, search Home Depot (maybe) or Beverly’s for the supplies. If you can’t find anything, try getting old stamps and carving on them? For your question about kits, this might help:
http://www.unitednow.com/projects/displayproject.asp?txtProjNbr=64
I don’t believe that the t-shirt ink will harm it, but there’s always a chance. Might hurt the stamps – depends on the strength of the rubber probably. You should test the t-shirt ink on a piece of scrap fabric before really using it. Hope this helps!
I can’t think why the ink would hurt the stamp. it may stain it. I would ask at a large hardware store for the rubber.
There are various ways you can make stamps yourself from flexible or stiff materials, and also some cheap ways to have your own stamps made.
Art stores usually have various sizes of rubber or “linoleum” sheeting that can be carved with linoleum carving tools, or you can carve sheets of wood, polymer clay, white rubber erasers, foam plates, etc., then use those.
You can also buy the materials to make your own “clear polymer” stamps (and some come in kits), but that’s fiddly and gets expensive. There may be other kinds of kits too.
However, you can have your own stamps made in just about any size, and almost any image.
Look up Rubberstamp in the yellow pages and take your drawings to one of the shops that makes them, or office supply stores will usually make them too (though they’ll usually be much more expensive).
Personally, I like to have ReadyStamps.com make my stamps.
They’re pretty inexpensive and do a great job, and it supports the Cerebral Palsy Association. After you’ve drawn or printed out your images on a 9×7″ sheet of paper (they may be able to do larger too) and sent that to them, they’ll send back a rubber stamp sheet with your images on it. If you’ve put more than one stamp in your 9×7 area, you can cut the stamps apart. Thn you can mount them on anything you want–or leave unmounted.
ReadyStamps will also send you the “molds” they used, if you ask for them, which can be great for polymer clay, etc.
This page will tell you much more about ReadyStamps and give you a direct link:
http://polyclay.com/ready.htm
You can also read more about making stamps from polymer clay (in various ways) and making stamps from some other materials too, on these pages at my site:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/stamping.htm
http://glassattic.com/polymer/carving.htm
I’m not sure what “t-shirt ink” unless its the plasticizer/etc kind that’s used for silkscreening (and those might not be good for rubber, but don’t know).
Various kinds of “fabric paint” can be used with rubber stamps though since they’re water-based, though it’s always good to clean stamps off before they sit around too long.
HTH,
Diane B.