If you would prefer a printed softbound version of When Vegans (Almost) Rule the World, you can pick one up for just $11.99 at Amazon. Kindle eBook coming soon!
Available in either softbound or Kindle/Nook/etc. eBook at Amazon
viviansharpe.com
 Create Your Own Hand-Stamped Dinner Napkins  A
couple of the things many vegans have in common is a desire to share
our message with the world and our creativity in finding inventive new
ways of doing just that. So we're continuing National Crafts Month with a
project you can do to quite literally put your own personal stamp on
anything you want to show off to the world.This is sort of two crafts in one. The first is how to create your own rubber stamp and the second is how to use that stamp to decorate, in our case a napkin, but it could be any number of things from clothing to book jackets. If you want, you could just find an existing rubber stamp of series of stamps with the fabric paint to create your masterpiece. But we'll take you through this from the start, even providing you with some sample artwork you can use to begin. What you will need: Cloth Napkins (though this technique would work on canvas bags, t-shirts and other clothing or many hundreds of other things) Craft Foam Wooden Blocks (we cut down a couple of scraps of wood left over from a remodeling project) Fabric Paints Paintbrush Rubber Cement or White Glue (according to Elmers.com, their brand, at least, is vegan, though some glue may contain casien or bone cartilage) Scissors  Determine the art you want to use to make you stencil. You can download and print out our free graphics sheet, pull other artwork from the internet, books, magazines, or whatever, or draw your own.   Cut out a rough shape from the craft foam that is slightly larger that the artwork you'll be using.  Cut out the artwork you want to use to make the stamp.  Brush a very light coat of glue onto the back of the artwork and press it onto the craft foam.  Using a scissors (or craft knife if you prefer), carefully cut out the artwork. It's not necessary to catch every detail, but try to capture the basic shape.  Once the shape is cut out, peel the artwork away from the craft foam.   Apply glue to the back of the craft foam and the front of the wooden block. Note: Whatever you print will come out as a mirror image of the block. If you are using word, letters or numbers, the stamp should read backward.  Firmly place the foam onto the wooden block. Allow to dry for 15-20 minutes before using the stamp.   Use a paintbrush to apply the fabric paint to your block.   Firmly press the block to the fabric for a second or two and cafefully lift it off.   Repeat with any other colors or shapes you want to use.  Voilá! A finished one-of-a-kind dinner napkin. © 2014 Vegan Street |
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