Eraser Magic

Happy hump day! I hope your week is coming along fairly well. 

I promised you a craft today. 

Remember a few weeks back when I learned how to make this craft stamp? Well, I wanted to practice my technique.

I also wanted to try it out using readily available erasers. I picked these up at the dollar store. As an alternative, check out office supply or department stores for back to school deals. They're usually inexpensive compared to a carving block.

I made an investment on these lino cutting tools.

It includes five tips that can be stored inside the grip. Genius!

I started with a freehand drawing on the eraser.

Then I carved around the design and on the details like the eyes and feathers.

I used a brayer and block printing ink, but a stamp pad would work just as well.

Start with a dollop of paint on a piece of wood (I used the back of a broken photo frame).

Then I spread the ink using the brayer. Spread in both vertical and horizontal motions. When the ink and brayer make the sound of a zipper opening and closing, the paint is ready. 

Apply ink on the craft stamp using the brayer. Make sure the design is well coated.

Here's a test run.

I found these envelopes in the trash (please don't think I'm pathetic!). Really, one neighbor's trash is another's treasure.

Envelope-decorating can be quite therapeutic.

I added more details using craft stamps that I already had. These covered a few flaws from my process. I also used the ink from the brayer.

These envelopes can be used to mail letters, little presents, or products from your on-line shop.

It's blah to TADA!, baby!