# Some nice stamps here....



## navigator9 (Feb 24, 2015)

and some that look like they'd work for soap. I sure hope so, cause I just ordered a couple. In case you'd like to take a look~~~
https://www.etsy.com/shop/TATAindianwoodstamps?ref=l2-shopheader-name


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## Saponista (Feb 24, 2015)

They are beautiful, I love the peacock! Thanks for the info, I am thinking of buying a couple now.


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## navigator9 (Feb 24, 2015)

Saponista said:


> They are beautiful, I love the peacock! Thanks for the info, I am thinking of buying a couple now.



Always happy to be an enabler!


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## Sislea (Feb 24, 2015)

I seen a few I want..now ya'll need to not post things like this because I still have to master making soap before I can stamp or do anything else. And when I see stuff like this, I want to buy it NOW. I can't make soap if I am busy shopping.


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## Rowan (Feb 24, 2015)

Gorgeous stamps, thanks so much for the information.  Although I must admit to partially hating you right now for putting more soapy temptation in my way! Seriously though they are really lovely.


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## DeeAnna (Feb 24, 2015)

Oh, my. Thanks for sharing....

Never having used a stamp on soap, can you suggest what to look for in a soap stamp? Obviously size is important, but what I mean more is -- are some of these too intricate to work well, for example?


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## Ellacho (Feb 24, 2015)

Oh wow! They are amazing! Thank you for sharing!


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## RhondaJ (Feb 24, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> Oh, my. Thanks for sharing....
> 
> Never having used a stamp on soap, can you suggest what to look for in a soap stamp? Obviously size is important, but what I mean more is -- are some of these too intricate to work well, for example?



That was my concern on them as well DeeAnna, they're beautiful to be certain, but I'm afraid many of them might just be too detailed to be good on soap!


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## Aline (Feb 24, 2015)

Let us know if they work....


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## navigator9 (Feb 24, 2015)

I chose a couple of small ones, very simple, and I just couldn't resist one paisley, that was more intricate. What I looked for specifically, was thin lines that would press easily into the soap. I've found that wider, flatter areas in a stamp, aren't always the easiest to make a good impression with. Or maybe my soap was just too hard, when I tried that particular stamp. Narrow lines have worked best for me. They do have some gorgeous ones, don't they? And yeah, if I'm spending my money......I'm taking you all down with me! LOL


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## DeeAnna (Feb 24, 2015)

Thanks for the tips. I'm smitten....


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## Saponista (Feb 25, 2015)

Ceri from Oakwood Soaperie seems to have use a Paisley one here. Think it looks great with the shiny mica. 

I think anything more intricate than that might be a struggle to get a decent imprint though.


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## navigator9 (Feb 25, 2015)

Saponista said:


> View attachment 12741
> 
> 
> Ceri from Oakwood Soaperie seems to have use a Paisley one here. Think it looks great with the shiny mica.
> ...



Ooooo......pretty! Keeping my fingers crossed the ones I ordered will work as well.


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## snappyllama (Feb 25, 2015)

Those are gorgeous! I'm fairly certain I need some now...


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## DeeAnna (Feb 25, 2015)

I became absolutely certain I needed some  so I placed an order today for several. Looking forward to trying them out!


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## Saponista (Feb 25, 2015)

You must post the results navigator and deeanna!


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## DeeAnna (Feb 25, 2015)

Will be glad to!


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## DeeAnna (Mar 2, 2015)

I'm a rank novice at this stamping stuff and I was also stamping soap that is 2-3 weeks old, so my work is a bit rough. But the stamps themselves are very nice, and I think they will work very well on the right soap and with a little practice. I am very pleased!

Edit: The light color in some of the stamp imprints is a mica. I like the contrast it adds to the imprint.


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## claryza (Mar 2, 2015)

They're beautiful ~


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## Saponista (Mar 3, 2015)

I love the fish and the sunshine. Did you have to use that mallet to tap them in or did you do it by hand?


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## seven (Mar 3, 2015)

WOWZA! me wantttttt..... i'm a self confessed stamp wh**e  i need to get me some!


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## navigator9 (Mar 3, 2015)

Ooooooo, DeeAnna.........those look great!!!!!! Mine came in the mail yesterday, but I don't have any soap new enough to stamp, so it's nice to see yours. I need to make some so I can try mine out. In the last pic, at the bottom, I have the same little one on the left. And I love the fish....how did I miss that one? So happy to know that this new source of stamps is one that will actually work for soap. Their prices are good, and their designs beautiful. Yay!


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## navigator9 (Mar 3, 2015)

seven said:


> WOWZA! me wantttttt..... i'm a self confessed stamp wh**e  i need to get me some!



Pictures of your soaps show that you're a skilled stamper. I always admire what a clean, crisp impression you get. I know a lot can depend on the recipe and the age of the soap, but if you have any tips, I'm sure they would be appreciated here. I've had trouble with soap sticking to the stamp and ruining the impression. In a recent thread someone mentioned stamping through cling wrap. Is that a technique you use?


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## DeeAnna (Mar 3, 2015)

Saponista -- I did use the mallet. Even as a total newbie to this, I could tell this soap was too firm to stamp, but I just had to try it. 

You can see where I cracked one of the end-cut bars because I hit the flower and feather stamps too hard. I should have backed off when tapping those smaller stamps. Also the bar with the fish stamp has a hairline crack that doesn't show in the pic. The cracks aren't the fault of the stamps -- a slightly softer soap and more practice will help solve that problem.

Navigator -- There is a smaller fish, not as detailed, and a large fish that is really cool, but it's too big for a soap bar. The big spiral is about 1 3/4" by 1 3/4" (45 x 45 mm). The fish is about 2 1/2" by 1 1/2" (64 x 38 mm) Those are about as big as I would want to go to get the entire imprint on the bar. These bars are kind of a medium size as soap goes -- roughly 3 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 1 1/8" (89 x 64 x 28 mm).


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## kchaystack (Mar 3, 2015)

Ok I ordered a couple myself.  kind of spoke like sun shape and another abstract design with lots of geometric designs.  

There is a video linked in some of the descriptions everyone should watch.  It is pretty amazing.


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## navigator9 (Mar 3, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> Saponista -- I did use the mallet. Even as a total newbie to this, I could tell this soap was too firm to stamp, but I just had to try it.
> 
> You can see where I cracked one of the end-cut bars because I hit the flower and feather stamps too hard. I should have backed off when tapping those smaller stamps. Also the bar with the fish stamp has a hairline crack that doesn't show in the pic. The cracks aren't the fault of the stamps -- a slightly softer soap and more practice will help solve that problem.
> 
> Navigator -- There is a smaller fish, not as detailed, and a large fish that is really cool, but it's too big for a soap bar. The big spiral is about 1 3/4" by 1 3/4" (45 x 45 mm). The fish is about 2 1/2" by 1 1/2" (64 x 38 mm) Those are about as big as I would want to go to get the entire imprint on the bar. These bars are kind of a medium size as soap goes -- roughly 3 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 1 1/8" (89 x 64 x 28 mm).



DeeAnna, you did a great job for not having stamped before! There is a learning curve with stamping, and it varies for different types of stamps. My original stamp, made of metal, is one I still use and love, and I usually use that one when soaps are fully cured. I have other wooden stamps, and acrylic ones that I use when soap is newer. I'm anxious to try stamping through cling/saran wrap, to see how that goes. Yes, sometimes when you try to stamp too closely to the edge, on a soap that's a little harder, it will crack. I'm guessing you found the smaller stamps easier to use, right? Less surface area to impress into the soap. The small one I got that's the same as yours I think will look perfect in the center of some of my round soaps. I'm always looking for something new and different, and these certainly are. I'm glad they worked so well for you. I think the right stamp adds a nice design touch to soap, and since I don't do many swirls, or layers, they work nicely on my plain soaps. It's good to support a fair trade business as well. And the seller says they bring good karma, so hey, what more can you ask for? lol


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## shunt2011 (Mar 3, 2015)

Love those stamps.  I had seen them before and wondered if they would work.  Off I go to spend money again.


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## navigator9 (Mar 3, 2015)

Here is a link to the video kchaystack mentioned. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-qLUPW4KfI&feature=youtu.be[/ame]  Thank you for that, I had not seen it. Makes me appreciate my stamps even more. I knew that wooden stamps like these are used in India to stamp fabric, and it was nice to see them in use for that purpose. I love that they are actually carved by hand, by artisans......like us! And I hope that they would be happy to see the way we're using them. India is a place I've always wanted to visit, so it's nice to have a small piece of that fascinating and beautiful country to use in my soapmaking.


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## DeeAnna (Mar 3, 2015)

"...I've had trouble with soap sticking to the stamp and ruining the impression. In a recent thread someone mentioned stamping through cling wrap...."

I learned what you mean about the sticking -- I had to gently rock the larger stamps to get them to release. They came away clean, though. I didn't know about the cling wrap tip -- sounds like something to try. 

Seven, would you please share some tips?

"...I'm guessing you found the smaller stamps easier to use, right? Less surface area to impress into the soap...."

Yes, you're right. The bigger stamps took more force to get a clear impression, so maybe they are the ones that need a bit softer soap. I started with the big ones and didn't think properly when I switched to the little ones -- so I whacked the little stamps too hard. The little ones are certainly more forgiving and easier to use.

I live in an area where outdoor activities like fishing, hunting, mushrooming, wild crafting, etc. are big, so I'm curious to see what folks think of the fish and feather stamps. Some of my friends will enjoy the symbolism of the spiral.

"...And the seller says they bring good karma, so hey, what more can you ask for?..."

I am all for building good karma! I watched the video and was blown away by the skill needed to make these stamps. Impressive!


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## dixiedragon (Mar 3, 2015)

I really really need to NOT look at this page.


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## Cindy2428 (Mar 3, 2015)

You guys are BAD... Navigator for finding them and DeeAnna who sent me over the edge with her pictures.... I'd planned on having an acrylic logo stamp made but I will have fun and practice with these first. I'm hoping that I can glue magnets to them and use on an arbor press. I'm afraid using a mallet would end up in me getting pounded instead of the stamp.


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## snappyllama (Mar 3, 2015)

Love those Deanna! Especially the hypnotic sunflower...


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## DeeAnna (Mar 3, 2015)

Okay, more amazing stamps to enjoy --

http://auntieclaras.com/2014/04/soap-stamps-by-nature/
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.581228291892847.151296.153236471358700&type=1


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## Seawolfe (Mar 3, 2015)

Enablers!! 
I ordered a kitty and some plants and an Ouroboros, and an inside out box and a fish and some leaves and a swirl....


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## kchaystack (Mar 10, 2015)

My stamps came today.  Not sure what I want to use them on first. Haha.  I might just make a solid color and then use mica on the stamps....  hmmmm.


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## DeeAnna (Mar 10, 2015)

Love 'em both, KC! Nice choices.... 

The batch of bars I experimented with in the pics I shared in Post 18 ... well the color scheme didn't work out as planned. I wanted golden yellow swirls throughout a creamy white lard soap. I forgot the FO discolored to a light tan, unfortunately. The soap itself is nice, but the colors ... meh. So I used my stamps with a dusting of mica on all of the rest of these bars to dress 'em up a bit. The stamping on these bars look pretty much like my experiments, just tidier. I stamped the bars both front and back. I fractured a couple more bars (dagnab it!) by hitting too hard, but that's just the learning curve.


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## Saponista (Mar 11, 2015)

I cracked and bought some too, but from a UK store, so I didn't have to wait forever for the package to come from the US and probably pay some extra horribly expensive customs charges. I can't wait for them to come!


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## janzo (Mar 12, 2015)

Hi Saponista, are you willing to share which shop you bought stamps from.  I was also thinking of ordering some stamps from overseas, but it just gets complicated with customs and time etc.  I am also heading back home to Zambia next week so need them soon.    Thank you


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## Saponista (Mar 12, 2015)

I bought them from this seller on eBay.

http://m.ebay.co.uk/sch/how-luk/m.html?_pgn=1&isRefine=true

They are based in Bath.


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## janzo (Mar 12, 2015)

Thank you.  Will take a look


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## Saponista (Mar 12, 2015)

They came today, I only ordered them on Tuesday. I don't have any soap ready to use them on yet though!


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## navigator9 (Mar 12, 2015)

Oooooo, pretty. I especially like the top one. I know, I have to make some soap too. I just haven't had a chance lately, but I can't wait to try mine!


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