summercraft: the simplest stamps
Jul 25, 2011 
I know I mentioned this a while back, but remember Texas? As soul-satisfying as it was to be there for all the swimming and two-stepping, I was actually there for another reason entirely. And that was to meet the team behind Michaels Stores.
I was one of lucky ten folks Michaels brought down to Dallas last month. It was kind of like finding the golden ticket in a Wonka Bar. I don’t want to sound too PR-y but going into the trip, I imagined Michaels as a big corporate behemoth when in fact, it’s run and populated by a close-knit, dedicated and talented group.
Jo Pearson was sort of like our den mother, even having us over to her wildly creative home for lunch. It was a hospitable, warm and authentic gesture from an equally hospitible, warm and authentic lady. It was an honor to be there, meet everyone and get creative together. But the Michaels folks were so welcoming, it kind of felt like one big slumber party. With crafts.
One of those crafts was this technique for dead-easy stamps. You know those adhesive ubiquitous foam sheets sold in every craft store? Well, it turns out that you can just draw right on them with a ballpoint pen, and that leaves enough of a depression to make an instant stamp. Plus, the foam squishes in a really satisfying way as you draw.
This isn’t a technique that will replace the crispness of silk-screening or hand-carved stamps. But it is so fast and easy, that I made up some jam labels when I got home.
You’ll Need:
Adhesive Foam Sheets
Ballpoint pen
Scissors
Wood blocks or something else for adhering the stamp
Paint
Paper
Brayer or rolling pin
How To:
- Draw a design in the foam sheet, keeping in mind that what you draw will be reversed out of the design. Alternatively, you can cut out shaped and stick those onto the wood, as shown above.
- Trim around design, peel off backing and adhere to wood block.
- Using a foam brush, apply a layer of paint. You might want to test a few stamps to see what thickness of paint you prefer.
- Place stamp on paper and press. Use a brayer or rolling pin to apply pressure to the stamp.
- Let dry and trim. Punch holes or round corners as desired.
foam stamps, michaels in make
Reader Comments (9)
Hey. That looks like fun.
So fun! I did something similar at an art fair last year and it was surprisingly simple!
Wow! This is genious. I actually have a bunch of those foam sheets leftover from another project. I will most certainly be trying this and will even get my 3 and a half year old to give it a shot. Thanks for the great idea!
I made some personalised writing paper for my husband's grannie with the idea of these on the weekend - thanks so much for the inspiration! I actually stamped in non-pigmented ink and then used an embossing powder with it. But now she has lovely celtic knotwork designed writing paper because of your clever idea!
What a cool idea! There are so many possibilies for using this craft. Thanks for sharing!
You know, I bet you could cut them out with a punch, layer them and get a good stamp.
I keep learning new things about these interesting topics every day from post like these.
I love how the stamps look as labels on your jars! I just did a blog post about DIY stamps and linked your tutorial. Thanks for sharing this!
I found your blog via Pinterest. This is such a fabulous idea! I think I'm going to have to make some now.