I have only carved a few stamps myself and was getting very discouraged until I took the advice of other Letterboxers. I have now successfully carved a dolphin and a Kangaroo and they look awesome if I may say so myself!
Here is what I bought to start out (after I had bought other cheaper stuff that didn't work out well) Go to these links for Michaels to see what I bought:

http://www.michaels.com/art/online/displayProductPage?productNum=fa0412

http://www.michaels.com/art/online/displayProductPage?productNum=fa0412

The #1 tip has been my favorite so far. When I am looking for a stamp I found clip art first, then I printed it in Black/White.. I then traced the black lines with pencil and tranfered that to my carving block (not sure if that is correct terminology) Then what I carved was the white area and left the black are alone. At first it looked like it wasn't working but I kept going, my kangaroo had a lot of detail to it, after I was all done I tried the stamp and it was awesome, my kids couldn't believe it, they said it looked store bought. I was very proud of myself. I am getting ready to carve me a signature stamp next. Hummingbird of course!

Hope this helps. Again I am a very new Letterboxer and have just started to carve but this is what I have found works for me!

Good luck!! Don't give up! I am glad I didn't.

Humngbrdwchr

one of the best ways to start is to get a speedball starter kit...they're about $12 or so at Michaels and hobby lobby type stores. they have a carving tool, a slab of rubber, and most importantly, an instruction book that will get you well on your way.

when you need more rubber, do not get the greyish white speedy cut by speedball...it is really crumbly. most people like mastercarve, which is really soft; or speedy stamp, which is pink and has a medium consistency; or my personal favorite, PZ Kut, which comes in orange and white, is pretty stiff and firm (so it holds a good line), and is less expensive per square inch than the others. mastercarve is available at many art stores, also online at mr. art (see the marketplace link at the top of the page.) The pink stuff is harder to find out in the real world, but mr art carries it also. if you use that link, it helps out atlas quest... PZ Kut is only available at wwww.stampeaz.com , which also sells master carve and pink stuff, I think... and it is owned by a member of our letterboxing community here at AQ.

hope this helps

night writer

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I have read how to make the stamp and got a couple of designs but am stuck, not sure how to start and what tool to buy to begin. I practice with a eraser and a exacto knife but it didnt come out to great. Also get confused on what part of the design to carve , any help /suggestions would be great.

Have you visited my how-to site?

http://www.nettally.com/palmk/Rubber_Stamp_Carving_Tips.html

Wow that is an awesome how to site..... Thank you!!!

If you want to start out inexpensively, try this:

• Get a #1 Speedball nib. It will come in a pack with a couple of other gouges that you probably won't use. (~ $3.00)
http://www.misterart.com/g8/Speedball-Linoleum-Cutter.htm (picture)

• Get a Speedball calligraphy pen holder. (~ $1.50) Check and make sure that it's the one into which the nib would fit; there are two. Also, this will probably not be in the same area of the store as the nibs.
http://www.dickblick.com/zz209/14/ (picture)

• Get a 4x6 carving block of Speedball Speedy-Stamp (the pink stuff). (~$5.00) It should be near the nibs.

Slip the nib into the handle and carve away. AQ has a tutorial explaining how to use a gouge tool like the one described above.
http://www.atlasquest.com/tutorials/carving/

I get my Speedball supplies and tools at Hobby Lobby. Every other week there is an online coupon for 40% off of any one item -- you can get the pink carving material with this!
http://www.hobbylobby.com/site3/weekly/weekly.cfm (coupon link)

For under $10 you can get a nice start. Have fun!

~Mama Cache

I'm sure some of us at the Sacramento Mini Meet can fill you in at the event. I found the best way to start is just to jump in and do it! Carving is just like anything else, the more you do it, the better you get!

ht

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I'm sure some of us at the Sacramento Mini Meet can fill you in at the event.

Absolutely! If you have any carving stuff, bring it with you... if you don't then bring a couple of images along... I always have my carving stuff with me and usually have some extra carving materials lying around. We will get you started in no time =o)

Cheers!
Rhea

Kirbert -- I hit your site too and got everything I needed to start carving my first stamps -- thank you!

BTW-- Instead of buying the speedball kit, I bought a piece of the pink stuff and the basic speedball carving tool that came with 5 tips. All in all, it cost about $2 more than the kit, but I got three extra tips for the exchange!

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BTW-- Instead of buying the speedball kit, I bought a piece of the pink stuff and the basic speedball carving tool that came with 5 tips. All in all, it cost about $2 more than the kit, but I got three extra tips for the exchange!

And the plastic handle with the metal chuck instead of the wooden handle?

Exactly what I did as well, and what I would recommend anybody do. The problems arise when the only local store is a Michael's, which doesn't carry any pink stuff. The only way you can get out of there equipped to start carving is to buy the Speedball kit.

Too true. My Michaels doesn't even cary the starter kit -- I had to drive downtown and find a "real" art store for that.

However, having had my first experience with the pink stuff, I decided to get that sampler set from the Stampeaz site: http://www.stampeaz.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=315 I'm excited to try the other media and see how the different types work out.

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I'm excited to try the other media and see how the different types work out.

You're in for some enjoyable carving adventures -- each block has its very own character. That's why different carvers prefer different materials - and sometimes different materials for different kinds of carvings, depending on the level of detail or how the finished carving will be used (or abused!). :)

Have fun!!

Webfoot

depending on the level of detail or how the finished carving will be used (or abused!)

I very much enjoy abusing the Speedy-Cut, but probably for different reasons than you suggest. ;o)

Can't say I'm a big fan of the orange PZ Kut either, but the white stuff is top notch. *nodding*

-- Ryan