Making an Impression: Designing & Creating Artful Stamps

by Geninne D. Zlatkis

StempelGlück. Kunstvolle Stempel selbst gemacht zum Gestalten von Karten und Stoffen. Anschauliche Anleitungen für das Stempeln auf Papier, Stoff, Ton und anderen Materialien. 20 kunstvolle Projekte, darunter eine Tragetasche, ein Tagebuch, Kissen und Geschenkanhänger. Mit 50 einzigartigen Motiven der Bloggerin Geninne Zlatkis.

Genres: Crafts, Nonfiction, Art, How To

136 pages, Flexibound

First published October 2, 2012

Reviews

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely book to look at, filled with gorgeous pictures of Zlatkis' work, which I've admired on her blog for a while (www.gennine.com). The beginning is heavy on the basics of tools & process for stamp design and carving, while the latter portion of the book shows project suggestions. I was more interested in the former, although it's interesting to see applications I'd never thought of (like stamping on a wall as a frame/border). I really like Zlatkis' suggestion that you design smaller elements of a whole for your stamps, such as flower pots and possible plants that could grow in them, so you can mix & match within your own collection.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good book about getting started carving rubber stamps, although it was definitely focused more on using the templates provided by the author than on actually designing or creating stamps.

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore everything Geninne puts her hand to and this book is no exception! This woman is an artistic wonder and I am determined to try out her lino/stamp cutting techniques. This book is incredibly inspirational as is her wonderful blog which you can find here - http://blogdelanine.blogspot.co.uk/
I have no idea why I have taken so long to buy this but I am very glad I did!

[Mylinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great for the novice artist or avid crafter as the designs for each project are provided in the back of the book. With all the pretty pictures, it is a nice coffee-table book that is flipped through and casually read. It is not meant to be read straight through, as the instructions for each project were mostly copy and pasted from page to page. This book is an introduction into carving and provides a generalized list of tools and materials for someone who is just starting out.

I follow Geninne on Instagram, and I think she is a fantastic illustrator. I was really hoping to gain from her experience, to learn about the best inks, papers and carving techniques. With that said, she does make beautiful artwork, and can turn a very basic shape into something visually interesting with just a few detail lines and the use of negative space. Her work is a great example of 10 and 2.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cool, but had a hard time duplicating the stamps to make my own. I think getting the details of creating your own stamp is an art and I clearly need to spend more time w/ this to get it correct. I had a bit of a hard time finding some of the same materials (more specifically, the rubber to make the stamp. Only small white erasers could be found : (

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author has a very distinct, drawn-from-nature style and a great grasp on creating repeating patterns that are really beautiful and simple at the same time. She has a neat project for creating a shape with other stamps in a mosaic-like fashion that I really like, but other than that, I don't think there's a lot here that I would want to make myself.

[Rinku · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great craft book with easy to follow instructions and great pictures. This is the second book I've read by this author and the quality of her work has been consistent. I was able to get quite a few new ideas.

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si ya tienes manejo del carvado de sellos o experiencia sobrada con las gubias, este no es tu libro. Si admiras a Genine, aunque tu trayectoria de carvado sea amplia (como me ocurre a mi), este libro es gracioso para tenerlo, puesto que vienen algunos tips y consejos personales de la artista. Además, cuenta con varias páginas con patrones que puedes usar para hacer tus propios sellos. Patrones que son, claramente ilustraciones de Genine y, por tanto, de su estilo más personal.

[liberal sprinkles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Making An Impression is a beautiful book for beginners, well-written with lovely photos and excellent instructions on carving your own stamps. Beyond the basics, there are also tutorials on decorating things found at home, like photo frames, with stamps; making customized wall art, stationery (wrapping paper, book plate), stamped pillows, handsewn French press cozy, pillows. The book also includes projects on combining stamping with embroidery on paper and fabric, beading on a stamped design and stamping on other surfaces like polymer clay, terracotta pots, stones (very much a Geninne Zlatkis signature do), and even on the wall.

The ideas are not unusual, but the best thing about the book is the beautiful designs. Author Zlatkis has a popular blog and is known for her handcarved stamps and illustrations. If you love her work, you will love the book. The stamp designs in Making An Impression are signature Zlatkis - birds, plants and other flora and fauna. She also provides templates for the designs used in the projects and a few pages of other motifs that will provide hours of fun for any crafter.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gennine Zlatkis is one of my favorite artists to follow on Facebook and on her blog so it is no surprise that I absolutely love her book! She has a folksy style in her artwork and she shares what she knows in an organized way and generous way. I enjoyed looking at the pictures and illustrations in this book as well as reading it. I also tried a couple of the projects and found her directions very well laid out and easy to read. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn about making stamps!

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initially I only skimmed this to look at the pictures, which are delightful. At a quick glance I'd say one of the best features, other than the overall visual impact, is that the author provides copy-friendly silhouettes of her stamp designs. Even if you never make a stamp in your life, this book is inspirational for many other areas of design, with a great colour scheme and a wide range of projects and ideas. It is aimed at the beginner stamp-maker with clear instructions and tips.

[Kate Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice book on stamping and design but I was surprised that there was not a lot about actually carving stamps. The instructions to just carve the stamp would not be very helpful for a beginner. There are project on many different surfaces which was interesting and informative to me. I liked the variety of projects and motifs offered.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will admit, I thought this book was simply cute when I picked it up, but I was delightfully surprised when it solved some of my block carving stumbles, and opened a new door in printing for me. Hooray for both stylish and educational.

[lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is full of cute ideas and some how-to. It's fine. If you've ever done any block printing or stamp making before, there is not much you're going to get from this book other than maybe ideas on how to use your stamps. I wish she'd included info on cleaning/caring for your stamps.

[Heaether · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is great! the instructions and ideas are amazing and the patterns in the back of the book are soooooo good. i cant wait to make a hand printed tea towel!

[Slee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has inspired me to carve my own Ex Libris stamp, albeit, not featuring a bird. I enjoyed the multitude of projects and techniques discussed in this book.

[Andrea McDowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun fun fun. So many templates to trace before I return this book to the library.

[Kim Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I you like the art on the Authors blog then this book is nice to have.

And even teaches the art of stamp carving.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A reread. ❤️ Beautiful stamps. The projects are enticing in this book as well, and it’s presented in such a way that none of the projects look too difficult or demanding: just elegant and lovely.