repost: Stamp Initial

Hi all!  Just bumping an old post because I entered it into the CSI project this week!

I love letters and I love typography.  Once upon a time I designed fonts for a scrapbooking website, now I design them for myself. :)

I have words and letters all over my house.  Actually, it's brinking on the edge of overboard, lol.  I came up with this idea while watching iCarly of all things.  Hey, you can spot a good idea just about anywhere, know what I mean?  Anyway, in their kitchen are letters all over the wall and some of them look like big stamps, the old kind like they used with printing presses.  And so this idea was born.  I needed something tallish and skinny for this window beside my front door and I think this is just perfect!

Want to make one of your own?  Here's how!

Materials I used:

6x12 in. canvas
3 coordinating scrapbook papers
(distressing) ink pad
mod podge
cardboard
pencil
scissors

The first thing I did was cut a scrap piece of paper the same size as my canvas.  Then I sketched out my initial, using the edges of the canvas to dictate my size.  I wanted my letter to be as big as my canvas so I made sure it met all the edges of my "canvas".  I cut out my letter and then used it as a template on some cardboard.  If you have an old box, this is a great way to recycle it.  The purpose of the cardboard, in case it isn't obvious, is to give the same 3-D effect that a real stamp would have.

I cut out my cardboard initial.  Then I traced the template onto the scrapbook paper I wanted to cover my cardboard initial with.  When I traced the template onto the scrapbook paper, I traced it a little wider in size, so I had some edges to wrap around the cardboard initial.  It might have been more accurate for me to just measure and additional 1/4 in. all the way around, but I'm not very particular and like to be done already. ;)

I then traced my canvas onto a 2nd piece of coordinating scrapbook paper (for the base), and the edges of my canvas onto a 3rd piece of coordinating scrapbook paper (to hide the sides and add a pop of unexpected color).

Next I mod podged everything together!  Started with my base/canvas.  Let it dry well.  Then I mod podged the edges of the canvas.  Let it dry well.  Then the surface of my cardboard initial.  Let it dry well.  Then the edges of the initial, wrapping as I went (this is messy!).  Let it dry well (detecting a pattern here, are ya?). I inked (or distressed) the edges of the canvas, and the initial.  And then I hot glued the initial onto the covered canvas base.  Since the cardboard is thick, it is more secure with hot glue than with mod podge.

Lastly, I put one last coat of mod podge over everything.  Be sure the let the distressing ink dry before you do this, or it will smudge!  I used a plate rack to display mine, stacked on top of some books... but the canvas will hang nicely on the wall as well.  If you're really ambitious, I think this would be a cute way to display a child's name in their room!

Enjoy!