Last night, I made something I have been lusting over in etsy for months. I spent just under $3 in materials (granted I already had $7 in supplies from previous stamps) and got something I wanted to buy for $35 on etsy. Did I do this to avoid purchasing something expensive from another crafter? Absolutely not. I'll admit, I thought $25-$35 was a bit high for what they were selling, but the main reason I made my own was I couldn't find a design I liked. I would be using it for professional purposes and needed something related to forestry I made a bookplate. For those of you wondering what a bookplate is, it is a traditional means of placing ownership on a book. Traditionally, Bookplates are made by carving a block of wood or metal and then inking and pressing onto a piece of paper to then be pasted into a book. Sometimes they were simply inked onto the book themselves. I have not decided if I like the "pasting" method, I feel that someone can take your bookplate out if they dislike it, and more importantly - it could age and fall out. I will be using the method of stamping the inside cover, unless the inside cover is of a pattern, in which case I will print on a piece of paper and paste it in. To make the book plate above, I bought a piece of stamping rubber, some carving tools, and a new exacto knife. The process was relatively simple even if it wasn't easy. Because of my forestry background, I went for a traditional bookplate shape and text. I incorporated an evergreen tree outline, a crosscut saw, and a scripted font. It took me approximately an hour to carve, plus design time. It was very difficult to carve such a detailed stamp (I have only made 3 stamps prior!) but worth the time. This was a painful, tedious, and lengthy process but I am so glad I did it. I now have a bookplate that represents my career path and puts ownership on my many reference books. Had I not been so determined to make my own, I would commissioned a piece from one of the artists on Etsy. How to carve a book plate:
And, that's it! If you have any questions, let me know! Darby Smart Promo Code! (Limited Time only)If you order supplies to make this project from Darby Smart, use promo code: yyqyry25 to get 25% off! (expires 3/20/2016)
This is a repost from my now defunct blog "Sew Thrifty". Before shutting down the blog, I wanted to save my favorite posts here. I still use all of these items and love them. Originally posted: Sept. 2010
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