How to mount & custom make a alphabet stamp set

This is how I did create a very pink iHanna set of cool letter stamps! It’s might not be the usual way to do it (I think) but it worked for me. I thought I’d share my how-to-photos today!

Enjoy!

Unmounted sheet of rubber stamps from Traci Bunkers at Bonkers Studio.
This font is called Duality 1/2 and look so good when used! Traci has the coolest stamps ever.

What you need: unmounted rubber stamps (I got mine at Bonkers ages ago), a sheet of pink foam rubber, your favorite color (pink acrylic paint), glue and your new favorite brush (with pink shaft from Tilda)! And the wood blocks!

I want my stamp letter set to be stylish so I’m doing a bit of work to it before I start gluing the rubber to the wood pieces…

I got the idea to mount my letters to tiny wood blocks from Taci herself as she sells the cutest multi-colored blocks in her shop! I’ve planned to order these for a year not, but last time at Panduro I saw a whole bag of unpainted blocks (1,5 centimeters) I decided it was time to do this obsolete task.

I painted my blocks with pink acrylic color while listening to Ophera interviewing Daniel Pink about his book A Whole New Mind that I thought sounded really interesting*(see me elaborate on his book thoughts below)!

When the paint was drying I measured and cut pieces of the sheet of foam rubber;


I glued two pieces to the wood block, one for minuscules (lower-case letters) and one for majuscules (capital letters)! I glued it all together using Elmer’s that Lia once sent me.

I also printed a third letter for the top with my highly loved Dymo! That’s so I can tell the letter blocks apart. I ♥ my Dymo!

Trying out the first letters in a little (tiny) spiral bound notebook I made once, making sure they are glued down in the right direction. That required a bit of left-brain planning!

Now I’m letting all of this dry. I’ll post more photos of the finished set tomorrow!

Observe!
I do not recommend you to buy unmounted stamps, period. I’m serious! I bought this set of stamp letters a few years ago and just now mounted them to wood blocks that I bought at a craft store last month. It is tedious! They have been laying around bugging me as I’ve moved them from paper pile to paper pile. I used the rubber sheet as wax rubbing resist but now they are cut up and ready to be properly used!

You might save a few dollars but I don’t think it is worth all the work if you can get them as a finished already mounted set ready to use (but do admit that they turned out rather special?)!

* I was thinking about the book I mentioned… I don’t think of myself as solemnly right-brained but in his book, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, Daniel Pink lists a set of skills that everyone needs to use in order to find success in the future! I think they make a interesting list and the names he made up are creative!

Pink outlines six essential senses:

1. Design – Moving beyond function to engage the sense.
2. Story – Narrative added to products and services – not just argument. Best of the six senses.
3. Symphony – Adding invention and big picture thinking (not just detail focus).
4. Empathy – Going beyond logic and engaging emotion and intuition.
5. Play – Bringing humor and light-heartedness to business and products.
6. Meaning – Immaterial feelings and values of products.

Daniel talk about these six essential aptitudes (appropriateness) on which professional success (and personal fulfillment?) now depends (according to him). Do you have them or do you need to practice or acquire them? It’s something to consider, especially if you want to sell your stuff!

I don’t think I will read the book, because I think it’s a lot about the American way and politics (?) but yeah, it’s a very interesting idea and one many artists and crafters will be thrilled to hear about. Who doesn’t want to belong to the New World in one way or another…

No, I won’t be ordering this book, there are so many others I’d get first (like Journal Bliss: Creative Prompts to Unleash Your Inner Eccentric by my favorite blogger Violette, Note to Self: On Keeping a Journal and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Samara O’shea, Art Quilt Workbook: Exercises & Techniques to Ignite Your Creativity or Fabric Art Workshop: Exploring Techniques & Materials for Fabric Artists and Quilters… yes please send them to me now!). No, I can’t afford them. Instead I’m going to play with my set of pink blocks and stamp words all day.

Toodeloo!