:: Using What you Have-- DIY Rubber Stamp::

Not wanting to give all the credit to Necessity ...(whom they say is the Mother of Invention) 

because this really isn't any kind of invention-- but, it is DIY and FRUGAL. 

A while back, you might remember I won a giveaway at Itsy Bits and Pieces ~~ 

well, when I got my package and opened it, Wow!  

I was truly impressed with the time Linda took to make the package look so pretty and make it so special. 

Seeing how I was working on opening my own shop-- I took note. 

The wrapping was plain-- newsprint, minus any print. The envelopes had sweet little stamped pictures on them, making them fun! Then of course, a handwritten card. A small token of a little tag and a touch of pink ribbon. 

Oooo! it was like I'd won something!... Well, I had! ;) 

Fast forward to today. 

I was thinking of ways to make shipping something across country to someone I didn't even know, just as special. I wanted a rubber stamp. Ok... so I've made a couple of sales already...but money is still tight. So a rubber stamp is out. 

OR IS IT? 

This is a stack of cloths-- with a hand made label wrapped around it and stamped "9th and Denver"...hey that's me!  It is just a proto-type. I think I'd like to use brown paper or certainly -recycled -something -OR- OTHER. 

So, where am I going to get a rubber stamp without spending much money? Without driving to Hobby Lobby (the nearest one being 45 miles in all directions) and without driving to Wal-Mart!!!! (my favorite, DREADED PLACE TO SHOP)  

You remember I live in the country, right?  Very rural. But we have a Dollar General.  I was going there anyway-- so I took my time shopping around looking for ANY.THING. I. COULD. USE. 

 I found this place mat-- $1...I'll take it!!!!  That's it. That was all I bought. Everything else I'm about to show you, I had already. 

 This is my rubber stamp... Looks rough, I Know. But it works!!! I didn't even have glue. I keep forgetting they carry Gorilla Glue at Dollar General. I could have bought some while there, but I forgot. 
So for now it is taped onto a  paint brush handle. The brush was no good...so I got the saw and WHACKED IT OFF. 

Oh yes,... I also put some tracing paper on my computer screen and went to my Etsy Shop and traced my letters in my header...I'm out of ink for the time being--- so, I did it the old fashioned way. (sorry no photos...just imAgine)
Then I flipped it backwards, traced over the letters making an indentation on the back of the place mat--- and then I went to cutting. 
For scoring around the letters... I used a Xacto Blade/ knife.  For chiseling out the details I used a manicure tool. For removing cuticles. Yes! I really wanted a rubber stamp! 

 Every so often I put ink on the stamp to see the detail better.  I stamped until I got it the way I wanted it. The one circled top left..looked pretty good to me. 

 Not too shabby for my first EVER rubber stamp. Made from practically nothing! 

The little tag Linda put on the package...also inspired me to make some tags myself. 

I had a box of blank cards... I got my paper cutter out, cut them in half. Then, on the back piece, I trimmed the logo off it; and cut those pieces in half. 

The fronts I just cut in half--there was no writing on them. So I have 2 sizes of cards. I also had a corner rounder- paper cutter; and I rounded the corners before punching holes in them. 

The very last frugal tip... I saved the cotton string from the chicken feed bags, cut it to the length I needed and ran it through the holes that were punched and looped back on itself... Vio`la!!!!   

 I started out with 7 cards-- ended up with 28!! Not too bad for a used set of blank cards- 

 ...and aren't they cute? 

I'm linking here 

Sunny Simple Sundays at Sunny Simple Life 

To see how others are spending their simple Sundays... click over and enjoy the party! 

Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trust in the Thee. 

Isaiah 23:6