Art Stamping Workshop: Create Hand-Carved Stamps for Unique Projects on Paper, Fabric and Polymer Clay

Kudos to Gloria Page for sharing her talents with us. She is an extraordinary mixed-media artist and I have been a huge fan of her handcarved stamp designs for years. Her new book is not only a stunning showcase of her artwork, but a practical guide to carving your own stamping tools for use on paper, cloth, clay, and more. Reading the introduction, I was immediately pulled into the text. Gloria's friendly, engaging style of writing takes all the fear out of creating your own imagery for stamping. She then provides five pages of practical advice on finding ispiration for your images. This is followed by a thorough discusson of the tools and materials needed -- everything from linoleum blocks and rubbery soft printing blocks to wood, brayer rollers that can be carved, and all the other items you'll need such as inks, paints, carving tools, etc. This section is followed by an amazing 18 pages detailing how to carve your images and stamp or print with them successfully. Many different techniques are offered; even carving with a Dremel.® Finally on page 41 we enter the projects, which are divided into sections: stamping on paper, fabric, and alternative surfaces. Altogether 20 beautiful projects are stepped out in detail. And in case you were wondering, yes, Gloria provides templates for 40 great stamp images that you can photocopy and use in your artwork. She also provides a gallery of more advanced artwork from some of the biggest names in this genre, from Sue Nan Douglass to Julie Hagan Bloch. Wonderful! Highly recommended by Sharilyn Miller, author of Bead on a Wire.

this book is awesome! i purchase this book thinking that i would like only the projects as the idea of carving my own stamps did not appeal to me. WRONG--i had just started looking at the carving technique ms. page reviews and i picked up a piece of rubber and within 30 minutes had 2 of my own stamps carved quite well! she reads like she speaks and the photos and step by step instructions are easy to follow. the projects are beautiful and i look forward to carving for many a year. highly recommend this book to all crafters of any type who want to put there personal stamp on their work!

If you want to take your stamping to the next level...you need this book! If you already have some experience carving your own stamps, you'll find yourself inspired by this book. If you've never thought about carving your own stamps, this book will make you want to do it. Even if you never pick up a carving tool in your life, the book is a great resource of ideas and techniques. I am sure I will refer to it again and again. There IS something mesmerizing about carving one's own stamps...I have done a few small simple ones and find that they are the ones I use over and over, with or instead of the hundreds of purchased stamps in my collection. This book is a delightful journey into the world of stamp carving--Gloria Page is a charming mentor who will immediately put you at ease and bolster your confidence as she shares her wisdom and experience. For the most part, the book sticks to basic techniques and materials, so the subject never seems overwhelming. Yet, Ms. Page's myriad ideas and suggestions along the way will open your eyes to the rich universe of possibilities for your own art stamps. Step-by-step instructions are clear, easy to follow, and accompanied by gorgeous pictures that get right up close and personal so you can really see what is going on. Every how-to chapter is enriched by the inclusion of little sidebars that suggest alternative ideas, call attention to an important fact, or provide more detail about the process under discussion. The projects in the book are straightforward yet do a great job of demonstrating the sophistication a hand-carved stamp can bring to a piece. The Gallery of works by other artists featuring their own hand-carved stamps is lovely and just adds to the inspiration I got from this book. The Portrait Gallery was my hands-down favorite. In fact, I can't WAIT to carve a small portrait of myself to use on the backs of my stamped cards and other art. If you're a stamper, this book is a must-have for your library!

Once again Gloria Page has created a book that you'll refer back to again and again. Unlike her first book, Holy Moly Mackeroly which was more of a candid how to book, this one is chock full of innovative and well thought out projects and instruction. This book offers something for everyone; novice or expert, it will take you on a carving journey that will challenge and delight. As a stamping instructor, professional designer and artist, this book appealed to me on so many levels that I have not only bought a copy for myself but, have given it away as gifts to others and recommended it as a must have to my students wanting to take their stamping to the next level.