I have recently learned that the zesty, talented, creative, beautiful-inside-and-out Estelle of The (famed) Stampsmith has shut down her website and is liquidating her stock of remarkable rubber stamps on Etsy!!!!!
[gently weeps]
Yeah, it's the end of a stamping era.
In tribute to the legacy of the great Stampsmith, renowned for its "photostamp" images--stamps so finely made that the stamped prints can be indistinguishable from photographs--I wanted to share with you some art that I have made, to hopefully inspire you to
run don't walk!!!
...over to The Stampsmith's Etsy store to snap up some of these iconic images before they are gone forever. :(
Here is an ATC inspired by vintage perfume ads, featuring The Stampsmith's Classic Couple stamp (currently still available as of this writing!):
Yeah, that's a rubber stamp. #NotAPhoto
Cool, huh?
I made this card in tones of gray and silver, using shades of metallic purple watercolor for extra shimmery oomph on the flowers and brand name. I collaged on a bit of silver foil-lace and added a border of liquid silver embossing powder for more texture and shine.
The metallic effects don't always photograph well, so here's another shot of the card in different lighting. Here you can even see the shimmer in the purple:
Anyway, if you love vintage images...and/or rubber stamps...and/or cool stuff in general, do visit The Stampsmith in its final weeks. I don't know of anyplace else you can get stamps quite like these. ;-(
P.S. As always, I welcome your comments below. Have you used photostamps before?
So if you've never used a photostamp before, know that they are very easy to use, and perform beautifully with simple dye ink pads and glossy cardstock. The coating on the glossy lets the details pop right off the paper! - Estelle
ReplyDeleteYes! I've had good luck with all Stampsmith stamps using either water-soluble dye inks or permanent ones like Staz-On--the surface of the paper seems to be the primary factor in how clearly the image prints. Glossy photo paper does indeed work very well, and so do other very smooth and hard-finished papers. The effect of these images is VERY cool! <3 I LOVE STAMPSMITH STAMPS
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