Workshop Fun

Hand Carved Stamps

Blick Carving Pad

I carve my own rubber stamps so that they are unique and different from anything you can purchase in the store. In the old days we had to carve linoleum or wood block, which was difficult, slow going, and often resulted in cut fingers!

These days there are a number of soft carving materials that cut like butter with traditional carving tools. 

Above is Dick Blick's Readycut. This product is very affordable, flexible, easy to cut down into small stamps from the large piece (6x9) with an Xacto knife.

Blick Carving Pad stamping effects

Speedball Speedy Carve Block

My second choice to the Blick material is good old Speedball Speedy Carve Block. This pink carving pad is also soft and flexible and carves like butter with traditional linoleum tools. 

I've been happy with both products, so it comes down to personal choice. But there's nothing more fun than sitting at the kitchen table with kids or friends and passing out the carving pad sections and the linoleum tools and having everyone make their own stamp (which you then collect at the end of the evening for your own purposes!). You'll be surprised at the variety you get when you recruit others to help!