Origami Gift Boxes

It's about that time, friends!
The holidays are right around the corner and people are getting ready for gift-giving.

I've always loved a beautifully hand-made gift...who doesn't?!
Especially when the gift comes from someone who cherishes YOU just as much as the gift they are giving.

Today, I'm sharing what's on my desk: 

 Origami Gift Boxes

These are super easy ("last-minute-gifts") to make and I love making them because I can embellish them however I want. 

No two will ever be the same and as a bonus to me, folding paper can be a great stress reliever...especially around this time of year!

RubberMoon Stamp: 
ge2747 - snowmen w/scarve

Black gesso paper sprayed with texture and glitter sprays (Tsukineko/Imagine Crafts)

 Come on over to the RubberMoon Arts blog to see the whole project...

 Happy Holidays!

Super Hand-carved Stamp collection

These are some of my recent, hand-carved stamps. Most were created during the printmaking challenge that I had in July. The other ones were carved during my own, personal time.

Carving really isn't that hard at all. Besides a basic carving kit + paper, all you need is patience mixed with enthusiasm + you're well on your way!

Now, I want to take you through my process of carving out the large flower stamp. (I guess this is kinda like a tutorial, BUT I'll be sharing workflow tips + a general step-by-step.)

As you can see here, I've started the flower stamp without taking the initial photo! Ooops! The second piece of rubber on the right side of this photo is my alternating chevron stamp. The first step is to transfer your design to the rubber/linoleum. (The black pen marks are the parts that'll be carved away.)

DO NOT try to carve small details first! You'll only be working against yourself. Instead, carve away larger areas FIRST.

 

Once your design is carved out, cut the larger portion of the rubber block. Keep this piece to make smaller stamps!

 Now, we're ready to load the stamp with ink...but wait - let's admire our handiwork, first....*sigh* Isn't she lovely?! Ok, back to business!

I'm using an old phone book as my "inking plate". Roll out some water-soluble, block printing ink. The consistency should be very smooth. This basic stamp carving kit has everything you need.

The ink is distributed evenly across the entire surface of the stamp. Does yours look like this? If not, take your brayer and roll off the excess paint, then apply excess paint to a piece of scrap paper.

Time for a test print! Burnish (or gently apply pressure) to the back of the stamp.

My rubber stamp is pretty thick in size (half an inch), so, I'm able to lift it and stamp it onto a piece of scrap paper with a fair amount of ease. Another option is to mount the stamp onto a block of wood, for easier handling.

What a beautiful impression! This test print is helpful when determining what areas I need to carve away. I think the center area needs a little more attention...carve more hairy lines and it's a wrap!

So, there you have it! Not too bad, right?

Now, I'll need to figure out what projects to create with my *brand new* large flower stamp.

Comment below to leave me your suggestions!

SHOP THIS TUTORIAL:

** BASIC STAMP CARVING KIT **

** PRINTMAKING PAPER **

TUTORIAL ::Chevron Stamp::

Hi everyone! Here's a really simple tutorial on how I created my large chevron stamp.

Just a heads up: This one took a good 30 minutes to carve. Make sure you have time to do this - you will not want to rush doing this project!

Here's what you'll need:   
Linoleum / rubber stamp carving kit
Metal ruler
Utility Knife
Pen / Pencil
Self-healing cutting mat

STEP 1:: Cut rubber block to your desired size.
For my large chevron stamp, I cut an 8 inch by 3 1/4 inch rectangle.

STEP 2:: Using a metal ruler and pencil / pen, determine the angle.
Draw a line down the center of block.
Next, draw perpendicular lines (the horizontal ones).
(My lines are 1 inch spaced apart.)

TIP: The further apart the lines are, the steeper the chevron angle.

STEP 3:: Use your metal ruler to connect the outside corners on each side of the block to the center, vertical line. These lines will form the letter "V".

STEP 4:: Roughly color in which parts of the stamp image WILL NOT be cut away.
(Do you like your image so far? If yes, you're ready to cut! If no, go ahead and tweak it until you like it.)

STEP 5:: Start cutting!

Using your linoleum cutters, trim away everything that isn't colored in.
TIP: use the metal ruler as a guide to help you cut super straight lines. 

STEP 6:: Test printing
Roll out some ink and do a test print of your stamp.

Look how straight those lines are! All thanks to my trusty metal ruler... :)

~~ Here's an example of how I used an 
alternating chevron pattern to 
create a unique postcard ~~

This postcard features a hand-carved chevron stamp, image transfer using package tape, a stenciled flower (using Artistcellar's new Pocket Stencil), and my graffiti handwriting on brown kraft paper.

See how easy this was?! After this tutorial, I carved three more...I'll update this post with photos of them, so please be sure to come back!

UPDATE: here are three more chevron patterns!

side view of stamp; see how thick the rubber block is?! This is how I could use BOTH sides.

Remember, if your block is thick enough, you can use both sides - just like I did with this one.

I really hope my tutorial has inspired you to create your own! Commercial stamps are fine to use, sometimes, but I love the handmade character from making my own.

Go ahead and try carving one (or three!) and add a link to your photo. I'd love to see it!

*side note: this post has been entered in the New Friday Chevron challenge