Blackbird Rubber Stamp

I originally made a Blackbird Rubber Stamp in 2010. It was the first stamp I ever made. It was carved in very soft rubber and is getting a bit ‘tired’ so I decided to redo it. I was a little apprehensive – it was very small – about 2cm wide – and I wasn’t sure if I had beginners luck in getting right first time. I used Speedball Speedy-Carve this time – the original stamp was made with a Molin eraser which as I said was quite soft.

I got so engrossed in carving it I forgot to take photos as I went along but I always stamp as I go and number the stamps so you can see in the above image – (1) was where I had just cut the outline. In the other images you can see where I have gradually cut away the stamp. Below is the final stamp numbered 60! I also make notes of the adjustments I have made e.g. refining the beak (noted below) and also cleaning the stamp. I can’t remember where I found the tip but you don’t need expensive cleaners (for sale in places like Hobbycraft) – baby wipes work really well and you can get them for £1 in guess where? Poundland 🙂

Bellow is the original stamp and the new stamp. You might also notice that I stamp the date in my notebook also. I finished the stamp in January but decided on a few more tweaks before I was 100% happy with it.