Friday, May 02, 2014

Craft Stamper Take It, Make It Challenge - Potato Stamps


It's a new month and a new challenge at Craft Stamper Take It, Make It Challenge Blog.  And this one will take you back to primary school days.  We want you to carve your own stamp - from a potato!  Remember cutting primitive shapes from half a potato and inking it up with that horrible smelly poster paint?  Well that's exactly what we want you to do for this challenge.  With nicer paint.


I drew around the half potato on scratch paper then drew my design within the shape.  I couldn't get a good transfer image so I cut the shape away in bits then placed the pattern on the potato so that I could carve some of the lines.  I used a Speedball lino cutter but you could use a craft knife (carefully!).



It's probably easiest to use acrylic paints but I wanted to try Distress Inks.  I pressed some Distress Inks onto an acetate block (Peacock Feathers, Peeled Paint, Gathered Twigs) and painted the colours onto the potato with a paintbrush.  You can see the practice images where I was getting the colour placement and saturation right.



Surprisingly, the Distress Inks worked ok - but don't try applying the ink pad directly to the potato, the starch will soak into the pad.  You need to get the ink onto an acetate block or a ceramic tile - anything non-porous.  When the image dried, I could feel a layer of starch on on the card, so I just brushed it off.

The leaves are rubber stamps from Paper Artsy - I thought they go so well with my stamp!
Words from Winnie & Walter - The Big, The Bold and The Happy

Next Friday I'll show you what I did with the other half of the potato...

13 comments:

  1. I used to do potato printing as a kid - but the results weren't as great as yours....

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  2. You ruled this inspiration, Shirley! What an awesome card using a potato!! I inked a potato for a card for the first time about a year ago, but I only inked up the flat half. I hope to get the chance to try actually making a design. So fun!! Have a great weekend! Hugs, Darnell

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  3. Hi Shirley. This is sooo beautiful!
    Dot x

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  4. Um, wow ... Shirley, this is so amazing ... so lovely ... can't wait till next Friday for the next potato installment!! Anita :)

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  5. Wow!! This is gorgeous .... great job with the potato stamp, your design is amazing! Linda xx

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  6. Wowzers Shirley that is one amazing spud!! Fabulous stamp. Elizabeth xxx

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  7. So impressed Shirley and when I saw it was made from a potato well that makes it really amazing! Great job...your so creative!

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  8. Again, amazing! Your artistic talent is awe inspiring! I can sure see why you are taking the blogland challenges by storm!!

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  9. This is really fabulous! Ican't believe what you made with a potatoe! So clever and creative!
    Anni

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  10. You'll have to start making your own stamps - this is amazing!

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  11. Woohoo!! This once reminded me of my childhood art classes in school :) love the stamp u created !

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  12. Has to stop by and say how wonderful your potato stamping is. XOXO

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