Thursday, October 7, 2010

Soap Stamps Anyone?

Before I get carried away, I just want to point out that there are many ways to make soap stamps, and mine is only one of them.  Since there aren't many (or any) Canadian soap stamps sellers, I kind of have to use what I have on hand to make my own.  So feel free to change a little to make it work for you!

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You will need:

   1.  MP soap (or any ugly soaps you've stored out of sight)
   2.  Epoxy (can be found at craft stores)
   3.  sharp carving tools, such as sewing needles or tooth picks
   4.  paper,  tape, scissors
   5.  cotton swap
   6.  a long skewer


I use Easy Cast because it's the only one
I can find here.



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Now let's make some stamps!

1.  Create small MP soap bars for carving.
     I choose to use MP soap because it'll save so much time later when I remove
     the stamp from soap.

2.  Create your design on the soap or copy the design onto it

Just outline your design here, no need to
 worry about perfection yet.


3.  Carve out the lines

Carve and make the lines deeper and wider.
This is a great time to polish on your design.
Use a cotton swap to wipe away loose soap scraps. 


4.  Prepare the soap

Use clear tapes to tape a piece of paper (both 
sides) and wrap the paper around your soap.

     This is a critical step, so make sure you get it right.
     Use clear, plastic tape.
     Be sure to seal the bottom with tapes or else the epoxy will ooze out and make
     a mess of your work space.
     Also make sure that the paper is tall enough to give your stamp a handle.


6.  Mix your Epoxy and pour

Follow the instructions that come in your box.
If you can make soap, you can mix epoxy.

      Since the mixture is quite thick, it's possible that some air gets trapped
      while you pour.
      Take a long skewer to remove any bubbles that are trapped in there.


7.  Wait and reveal!




It usually takes about 24 hours to cure and set. (Again, your instructions will tell you!)  After that, peal off the paper/tape.  Put the whole thing in the microwave and heat it for 10 seconds or until all the MP melts away from the stamp.
If you're using regular CP soap, I only know one way to get the stamp out: clean the soap off!


You might need to do some trimming work to make your stamp even better, but these are the basic steps for you to try.

Have fun everyone!



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