Making your own stamps with linocut

You know how you read/heard/saw tutorials that you can easily make your own stamps with linocut? Yeah, me too. The other day I've noticed a linocut tools in my favourite store and said to myself "what a heck, how hard can it be?!", and bougth it. Of course that meant I had to visit another store(s) to get some linoleum and, let me tell you, it's not available just everywhere.

At home I cut a stripe of linoleum, make ready the tools and wondered about the pattern.

I decided to make something very simple for a first try. I used black permanent marker to draw a pattern and then started cutting... I must admit it's not easy at all. I was afraid to cut myself all the time but all went well.

To make prints I think the stamps should be glued to a hard surface, but when started cutting I didn't think that far ahead, so nothing suitable was at hand. Since I love recycling I used empty little thingies (I have no idea how to call it in my own language, far less in English, sorry) that was left over when scented candles burnt down. I used hot glue gun and the result was quite ok, not perfect though.

Prints were surprisingly nice and with a little practice how much color is just right, the darn thing might even work.

So, now, trying it myself, I can recommend linocut if you really want to make your own stamps with this technique and if you are really really careful to watch you fingers. If you cut yourself I guess it was far better to buy stamps in the first place.

I think it must be much easier to make stamps with craft foam, but I didn't try it yet, so I better hush :D