Rubber Stamps for Your Polymer Clay Projects – Shopping Smart

I bought three of those stamps sets at my dollar store last week!:) I'll buy more next time :)

I wonder if they have them at my local dollar store! How exciting!

Oh ladies, my local Michaels has recently put up a discount bin for their 'old' stamps and in all kinds of themes. So if your Dollar (tree, store, etc) is low on the goods, take a spin through your local craft shops discount areas (those dismal areas that looks like no mans land are a gold mine for fun stuff.)I went recent to the Hobby Lobby's den of doomed materials and came away with some fab stamps, crazy feathers, jump rings (for my hair sticks), and a ton of "aging" paints for around 8 bucks. Bargain shopping heaven.
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Thanks girls for the comments and tips! Hope you all can find some great deals! Will have to check out the discount bin at Michaels when I go there this week!

BTW Michaels is having a polymer clay sale in the Canadian stores this week. Any brand 4 for $5!! Spread the word!

Michaels does sell those tiny alphabet sets for only a dollar. I, too, had been looking for very small lettering and finally came across them at Michaels. I bought 6 different sets. Now, maybe it is only a US store that carries them but check the area near the registers in round tower baskets. Most stuff in there is a $1. But, I will look at my Dollar Stores, too. I'm looking for unusual patterns, scrolls, flowers, etc.

I thought about making my own stamps but I haven't come up with anything really cool to make stamps from. Any ideas?

Hurray for Canada and their clay sale!! I went bonkers this week for clay in the US. But, I have been too busy to make anything.

Cindy, It wasn't just the Canadian Michaels that had the sale, mine did also, here in steamy Philadelphia. I brought almost all of the colors needed in Premo to do your color cards. I mixed and formed the chips for all the Red category tonight, and will bake them tomorrow. The sale ended today.

I played with my mini stamps tonight, and at first they left a reddish residue on the clay. Did that happened to you as well?

I'm going to have to check out my dollar store for stamps– I'm looking for mini alphabets just like these, love to get for a buck.

Michael's craft store does have dollar stamps, I usually find them right up by the cash register area. I've gotten some great ones with simple, deep, bold patterns, excellent for mica shift.

Which dollar store? I have never seen rubber stamps there. Are they in the craft section? AC Moore has a bin of rubber stamps for a dollar. A lot of holiday stamps.

Cataline…

Making your own stamps is a breeze. one of my favorites is to use really niffty buttons i have saved over the years or taken off old style clothing. I have to admitt that i like the finished look and it saves me the creative headache of making pretty edges/finishings since i stink at it.

hope that helped.

Denise:
Buttons! That is a great idea! Thanks! Now, I have to go find some button. :-)

your welcome. I had forgotten to add in vintage hardware like hinges, handels, edge ornimentations, etc, and old spoons, fillegree jewelry findings, blablabla… i am a texture nut.

update: i went to the Dollar Tree and found niffty tin scrapbook embelishments that i will be making in to clay molds shortly.

I got to go to the Dollar Store! I like the scrapbook embellishments idea, too. I think I'm going to stop by a Dollar Store tomorrow.

Gotta rush to a dollar store nowwwww, My close to home Michaels has a dollar stamp bin but not the kinds I like to use, so I always end up buying the expensive ones, also a good idea is buying the unmounted rubber stamps on the internet or ebay, some of the sellers offer shipping free and you can get good deals like $3 2"x2" stamps….Impression obsession has on their clearence a lot of good stuff too and their stamps, if unmounted get you 30% off…..Those are the places i tend to visit most, and now to the dollar store, thankssssssssssssssss my tutorrrrrrrrr u roxxx (^_^)

Cindy – I have found some great rubber stamps at the dollar store and even one time Michael's was offering those alphabet stamps for a dollar and I bought a set, they weren't in the greatest shape, but for a buck, they worked good enough! Love your blog!

@Catalina: There are a lot of cool ways to make your own stamps. You can cut them out of erasers. Make them out of polymer clay. Carve them out of linoleum. Make them out of hot glue. And there even stamp making kits out there!

@Ken: That is excellent to hear. Hope you got lots!

@Cindy G.: There was a residue that came off of mine to. Maybe there were the kind that were supposed to be pre-inked but were just crappy quality because there was so little of it the would come off. It wipes off the clay with rubbing alcohol. Cornstarch on the clay also helps to keep it from getting on the clay in the first place.

@intothedawn: I have seen single stamps in the dollar bin at Michaels, but never the big sets like these.

@Susan: I don't know if this chain is in the States but the dollar store I got them from was Dollarama.

@Denise: Great idea! There are so many cool buttons that would make great stamps! Same with all the vintage stuff you suggested. The ideas are pretty much endless, aren't they!

@Gypsy: Great point! I also love the unmounted stamps just because they are easier to store! Thanks for your sweet comment!

@NanjoDogz: I agree, you can't complain for a buck! Thanks for the compliment. I love your blog too!

Thanks Cindy! Linoleum! I forgot all about that. I couldn't find any dollar store around here that has any stamps, so, I guess I'm going to make my own. I remember when I was in college and I studied ceramics, I never had a hard time finding things to make patterns. But, then I knew they would just burn off in the kiln. I liked to use food, cereal, noodles, rice, beans ect… So, I guess I could use those things to make my own stamps right out of clay – polymer clay that is! I have a neat project in mind and if it comes out well I'll share it with you all.

Can't wait to see what you come up with Catalina!

Thanks! I'm going to keep my eyes out for those sets. I just got an old belt buckle at the flea market and pressed into clay and it was a great surprise! Flickr – charmedbynature.

@ Catalina,
Hi, Why not make them out of clay. You can roll the clay as flat as you like carve the design, bake clean and glue them to a small dowel. I would get some floral blocks to stand them in. Hope this helps. Thank You for giving me the Idea. Hugs\, Norma

@Lynne: Great idea! There are lots of things you can find around to make great texture on clay.

@Norma: That is an excellent idea as well! You could even bake them to a polymer clay handle instead of the dowel if you want.

Also lurk around the clearance aisle and the dollar bins at Michaels!!! Alot of $1 clear stamps to be found in the bins near the register!

Just new to polyclay or should I say I haven't started as yet. I have seen a bead that has inspirational wording. Can you get these as moulds or stamps. Or can you by stamps for beads. If you have resources that relate can you please let me know. Great site. By the way I live Safet Bay Western Australia. Thanks Di