Stamps!

I have a friend (OK, three friends) who are constantly encouraging me to teach classes. But here is my class teaching issue: I don't feel like I have anything to teach people. Other than drawing (which I learned from Suzi Blu), most of the stuff I do is just stuff I've figured out. Last night when I was carving stamps, I thought about this in depth. The process for stamp carving is so EASY. Buy rubber, buy carving tool, draw something on the rubber, use tool to carve. What is there to TEACH someone? Kelly is so funny when I'm carving she says I'm working my magic. But seriously it's EASY. Why would you need me to teach you something so easy??

This is the pencil I use - it's the same one I use for drawing, shading, math class. I LOVE this pencil. It fits perfectly in my hand. Unfortunately it costs more than I like to pay for pencils. $6 for two at Target.

This is the tool I use. It's a Speedball, but Blick also makes one and it costs about $3 less than this one.

This is the rubber I use. It's Blick's brand and it comes just like this - no wrapper, no tags, no price stickers.

Then I do one of two things. Either I draw or print out what I'm going to carve on a piece of plain old printer paper, then trace it with a pencil and burnish it onto the rubber - usually with my phone - OR I draw right onto the rubber with a ball point pen. Perfection is NOT something I strive for. Ever. This one is for Kelly :)

I didn't stamp with Kelly's stamp because that seemed wrong, but here's a finished and stamped one!

Is that teaching? What questions could there possibly be? Draw, carve, stamp.