When us Marketing Team gals heard about the new Carve-A-Stamp Kit, we wanted to test it our for ourselves. So a couple weeks ago, we ended work things a little early for some crafting, gossip, and girly tunes in a secluded conference room in the office. (Ok, there were no tunes but if there were, it probably would have been something like Beyonce or Carole King. Or just Beyoncé.) We learned a lot in that small room. Not just about each other, but the kit in general. Here are some things we learned.
1. The kit comes with easy to follow and beautifully illustrated instructions, 25 original templates designed by Owl City Studio, transfer paper, a stamp block with two sides for carving, a carving tool with multiple blades, a red stamp pad, and a muslin bag to store your finished product.
2. The designs are adorable. It was hard for me to choose so I ended up doing the bow and the polka dot bow tie. Good thing the stamp was two-sided – I have an obsession with bows and am terrible at making decisions. Cassie decided on the owl and Emily on the leaf.
3. The transfer paper is super easy to use. All you had to do was trace one of the designs, place the paper on top of your stamp block, and rub gently to transfer the image onto the stamp. The image showed up nice and clear on the rubber and in the proper direction. Remember: stamps work backwards!
4. The transfer paper also comes in handy when you’re free-handing your design. Fancy-pants graphic designer Jessica drew her stamp creation by hand, a hot air balloon, and used the transfer paper to recreate her original design onto the stamp block.
5. Not every carving tool is for everyone. Since all of our designs were so different – some curvy, another more jagged, some with tiny details and dots – we each found our own favorite carving tool. Test them all to figure out which one works best for you.
6. The finished product is a lot prettier than what you carved. We all looked at our designs when we were done and said “ick” – in unison. But once we stamped the design on some paper, they all looked amazing. All those little imperfections you see (since your eyeballs are probably three inches from the stamp while you’re working) don’t show up when you use the stamp. Plus stamps are supposed to be a little imperfect. That’s their charm!
Happy stamping!
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