Toilet Paper And Rubber Stamps

You may have seen this title and wondered what in the world does toilet paper and rubber stamps have in common. Well I'm here to tell you today that they can be a inexpensive option to high priced embellishments. Besides that this is something that even the kids can do.  If you are like me you have a bunch of rubber stamps languishing in a drawer. Of course unlike me you don't feel guilty about them taking up the space not earning their keep every time you open the drawer up.

Final layer with Forever Green Perfect Pearls brushed on while still wet.

I played around with a couple of stamps and finally decided to use my leaf block stamp. Block stamps may seem a little expensive at first glance but remember you are getting four stamps in one. Also they are great for making your own background paper and other stamping projects. I was lucky the day I bought mine they were having a sale on them. A good thing too because I liked both of the ones that were left in stock and was having a difficult time deciding which to buy.

The cheapest single ply toilet paper you can find works great for this project. However don't go wasting your gas just to buy a roll of single ply. If you have double ply it separates easily,.If you are using double ply you need four sheets and single ply eight sheets. You are going to make eight layers.

So lets get started. Place your stamp face side up on your work surface. Cover with single ply toilet paper. Dip a brush in water and use it to dampen the paper. I used a pouncing motion with the brush to get the paper in the cracks and crevices.(A stencil brush works great for this but if you don't have one a cheap paintbrush will work.) Don't worry if the paper should tear. I just pressed it down with my fingers after dampening them. I did as I added layers press the new one down with my hand and then used my brush. Dampen as needed.

This is layer one

I used the q tip seen in the picture to go around the edges of the branches. It is optional. As I was layering my paper I got to thinking that I did  not really want the finished product to be white.  I added Stream and Butterscotch alcohol inks to my water to make a green. If you are not worrying about the possibility of the colors fading over time you could use food colors to color your water. Of course using clear water is always an option.

Layer eight

Allow to dry overnight on your stamp. Make sure it is completely dry before taking it off your mold. Trust me on this one. Patience is a virtue in this case and you don't want to ruin your work even if it didn't take a lot of time. After you take it off your mold trim it.

If you don't like the white or want to highlight areas you can use glitter pens. You might want to decorate it with jewels or brads depending on the stamp you used. You can carefully wipe a chalk ink pad over it for a soft look or even wipe your chalks. Just be careful to not get your molded image too wet or you will lose the impression. Hmmm....wonder how I know that. LOL!

Now that my piece is dry I'm leaning towards trimming it and using the other side.  The impression is crisper and I like the way the coloration turned out  Either side you decide to use you will have a unique embellishment for your project. Also those stamps are doing double duty.

Thank you for stopping by and Happy Holidays no matter what holiday you celebrate.