So here goes, my very first blog post…and it’s all about wooden block stamping. I know, it’s something a bit different, but I wanted my first post to be memorable, not just for me, but hopefully for you too.
I discovered these little beauties when I was perusing a wonderful little shop in Camden Town, where they sell the most gorgeous lanterns, oriental scarves and these gorgeous woodblock stamps.
And here’s what I discovered.
They’re great for stamping on fabric, despite the intricate detailing within the stamp, and can produce awesome effects. But I wanted to set my sights higher, and tried a little stamping on cardstock…
My first attempts, not so great. I experimented with Distress Inks, but the woodblock barely managed to keep the ink moist enough for me to stamp. Then I tried Versamark and a little embossing. This gave me a feint image, but enough for me to use some embossing powder. I still wasn’t convinced.
Then I tried the Tsukineko VersaMagic Dew Drop Chalk ink pads, and (just when I was about to give up) success!!! By this point, I realised that I might need to adjust my work surface so that the inked up woodblock could leave a nice imprint…so, underneath the cardstock I was stamping on, I laid down the closest thing I could lay my hands on – some cling stamp mounting foam. This created a ‘spongy’ enough effect for the image to transfer perfectly, and leave me with this!
Candles in the Garden 