New Uses for Old Rubber Stamps... by Marilyn Weyman

Hi all! Marilyn Weyman here for Amazing Mold Putty and Amazing Casting Resin from Alumilite Corporation. Today, I've got a project that might have you looking at all of those rubber stamps with new eyes. I've turned one of my rubber stamps into a pendant and you can do it too by following this simple method.

What you need: 

• An unmounted rubber stamp with a nice shape 
• Petroleum Jelly 
• Acrylic Mounting Block 
• Amazing Mold Putty 
• Amazing Casting Resin
• Alumilite Red Dye 
• Measuring Cups 
• Mixing Cup 
• Popsicle Stick 
• Ribbon or Cord 18" or whatever you need for your project 
• Scissors 
• Drill (optional) 
• Large Jump Ring (optional) 
• Sanding Block/File 
• Wipes 
• Paint Brush 
• Gold Acrylic Paint 

Make the Mold

Carefully trim around the stamp if it isn't already perfectly trimmed. I used a Clearly Impressed® stamp from the Rock and Roll collection by © Michelle Ward from Stampington & Company. Mount the stamp on the acrylic block. You should put a very thin layer of petroleum jelly on the stamp to protect it. Be sure to get the vaseline into any embossed areas but not to fill them or the Amazing Mold Putty won't be able to get in there properly. 

Mix the Amazing Mold Putty. I like to pull out a piece of each putty that is about the volume of the item I am molding. I roll each one into a ball separately so I can easily see if I have the same amount of each. I can easily add a bit or take some away until I do. 

Then I flatten them down and lay one on top of the other and flatten them together. Once they are flattened out, I fold each side into the middle and flatten again. Then I fold the top down and the bottom up and flatten again. I keep doing that, alternating the sides with the top and bottom, until I can no longer see swirls of dark yellow or white and the mass is a consistent medium yellow color. 

Working quickly (you have only 2 - 3 minutes to make the mold), I fold the top and bottom in again and then the two sides. Then I flatten the Amazing Mold Putty into a piece about the size and shape of my stamp and press it down onto the stamp, being careful to push it all the way down to the surface of the acrylic block and to have a bit of a wall all the way around the stamp. Note that to get a clear image, you must make sure that there are no fold lines on the part of the putty that will contact the item you are molding, whether it is a stamp or anything else. 

The advantage of working on the acrylic block is that, wet or dry, Amazing Mold Putty will only stick to itself, not the acrylic block, plastic, mylar, etc., and that you can turn the block over to very quickly see if the mold is up against the sides of the stamp firmly, that there are no air bubbles, and that the Amazing Mold Putty is pushed all the way into the embossings of the stamp. Let it sit for about ten minutes to set.

Once the mold is set, pull it off the stamp and examine it. If you need to beef up a side wall, you can do it quickly and easily by mixing just a small amount of Amazing Mold Putty and putting it exactly where it is needed, then allowing it to set.

Pouring the Amazing Casting Resin

• When your mold is ready to use, get everything set up for mixing and pouring your resin.
• Put on thin latex gloves for this part. 
• I get everything out and have the mold right there where I can reach it easily. 
• I like to put the measuring cups for my Amazing Casting Resin on top of the jars the Amazing Mold Putty comes in. That brings them up to eye level so I can see more easily that I have the right amount. I mark my levels on my cups and mark them A and B. (Use a fine-tipped permanent marker.)

I measure out the Amazing Casting Resin parts "A" and "B" side-by-side so I can compare and make sure that I have the correct amount in each cup. 

Then I put 3 drops of Alumilite Red Dye  into my mixing/pouring cup, pour in Part "A" and scrape the sides and bottom with my popsicle stick to get all of the resin in there. I do the same with Part "B" and start to stir, making sure that I scrape the bottom and sides frequently to get every bit thoroughly incorporated. Once I can see no more swirls, I generally can feel the contents of the cup heating up. Once you feel the heat, you must pour the Amazing Casting Resin into your mold quickly before it sets in the pouring cup. (Ask me how I know this!) 

Be sure to pour the resin in up to the top of the mold. I try to always have an extra mold next to the one I am using so that if I have any left over Amazing Casting Resin, I can just pour the leftovers in the second mold. It doesn't matter if it doesn't fill up because you can always pour more in the next time you are casting. And it also doesn't matter what color it is because you can always paint it when it is full and unmolded. 

Wait for it to set.

Let the mold sit undisturbed for about 20 minutes, depending on the ambient temperature. You can see the center of the resin start to turn white, even when you have used dye. 

Pop the shape out of the mold and check to make sure it is perfect or that you can file away any extra. In the case of the one I did, I just needed to file a little in the center of the heart. 

Then I dry brushed a coating of very dry gold acrylic metallic paint onto the entire surface and rubbed it in with a clean wipe. Once the paint is into the embossed surface, you can dampen the wipe a bit and rub gently to remove the paint only from the very top surface. Work this part as much as you like until the look is pleasing. 

After that, you can paint more gold around the edge if you like. 

I mounted mine onto a ribbon with glue, ready to be worn around the neck, tied onto a present, or even mounted on a card. You might want to drill it and use a jump ring to add it to a ribbon or cord. If your stamp is small enough, this would be a great way to make charms for a bracelet.

I hope you found this tutorial interesting and that the tips help you in any project with Amazing Mold Putty and Amazing Casting Resin.

Happy Crafting!

~ Marilyn Weyman Kegg for Amazing Crafting Products

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