How do I make rubber stamps?

[Elizabeth Mary Dismorr]

Some of the mail art I have received has been decorated by rubber stamp prints. I would really like to make some of my own when I have the time. Does anyone have any tips on how to get started?

[Ruud Janssen]

There are several ways to make your own:

1. Buy them in a shop (if there is one nearby)
2. Design them and order them online
3. Carve them from erasers
4. Use any rubber that stamps

I have done all four of those and that works quite well.

In every country there are stores where they sell rubberstamps. Ordering online is possible too. Just do some google for your country and discover some links. Making your own stamps is the challenge.....

See also http://tamrubberstamparchive.blogspot.com/ for some details.

[Elizabeth Mary Dismorr]

Thankyou! I really am quite new to mail art and know nothing about rubber stamps! I really like your stamp blog. I might start out by buying some from ebay, and then work from there. There are printing facilities at my college, so I might try and make some of my own with rubber lino if that would work?

[Ruud Janssen]

The larger stores here in the Netherlands even sell ready made rubberstamps. That is an option too. What I like the most is the crazy bureaucratic stamps combined with self designs (or erasercarved) stamps.