How To Use A Wood Block Stamp Video - Clip

Our wood block stamp re-stock has arrived from India, and we're opening the floodgates. A "How to Use a Wood Block Stamp" tutorial went out with our August newsletter - if you missed out and would like a copy, simply sign up here. To whet your appetite, here's a (very) short video demonstration.

How To Use A Wood Block Stamp Clip from A Trade For A Trade on Vimeo.

"How to Use a Wood Block Stamp" Sneak Peak

In August we will be re-stocking our collection of wood block stamps with the most popular (and now sold out) designs. If you'd like to receive a "first dibs" email, please sign up for our newsletter here.

As an added bonus, a "How to Use A Wood Block Stamp" tutorial will be included in the August e-newsletter. Look for it around the middle of the month, and make sure to have your artsy hat on hand - it's going to get crafty around here.

Without giving away any Top Secret Information, it's fair to say the tutorial will include a supply list, lots of photos, and the top three hand block printing mistakes. For now, feast your eyes on this sneak peek:

Design*Sponge Features Wood Block Stamps

I had no idea that Grace over at Design*Sponge had previous experience with wood block stamps, but it makes me ever so glad I sent her a link to our new collection. These babies come from an amazing organization in India specializing in the revival of traditional hand block printing.

If you've never tried block printing, take up Grace's call to action today and get yourself a stamp and some plain fabric. I doubt any of us will ever be good enough to do this or this, but I guarantee you'll have new respect for hand printed textiles in general. Who knows, it might even inspire you to hop that plane to "India, India."

Thanks, Grace for the shout-out.

Craftmark - Handmade in India

Craftmark - Handmade in India is just one arm of AIACA (All Indian Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association). In addition to certifying traditional craft processes - from hand block printed fabric to basket weaving to recycled rubber products - Craftmark does their best to promote authentic handmade Indian goods. We're very excited to carry a few Craftmark products, and we hope to carry many, many more in the future.

From top right: hand block-printed fabric, recycled rubber bowl,
handwoven eco-friendly baskets, Gujarati Mirrored Wool ScarfBlack Stone Pottery (Longpi) from Manipur

Black Stone Pottery (also called Longpi Pottery) is made only in the state of Manipur using a black rock and a special type of clay called Lisha. Potters mix the stone and clay at a ration of 3:2. Unlike traditional pottery, these Black Stone pieces are all shaped by hand. Potters use bamboo molds to create the unique shapes - you should see some of the teapots!

Wood Block Stamps from India

Hand block printing begins with woodcarvers creating stamps by carving into high-quality teak blocks. Each stamp takes between 2 to 5 days to carve, and carvers must create a separate block for each color used. Master hand block printers estimate that a single stamp will last for 1500 meters of fabric. Stamps can be used to print textiles, stationery, walls, pottery, and clothing, among other things. They also make great decorative pieces of art. We source many of our wood block stamps from Craftmark-certified artisans and organizations.

Peacock Wood Block Stamp

One of our most popular wood block stamps is back in stock, peacockin' it up.

New wood block stamps from India!

We received a new shipment of hand carved wood block stamps and lovely hand block-printed handkerchiefs from India today - here's a little sneak peak. Many of these (and more!) will make their way onto A Trade For A Trade in JULY. Don't forget to "like" us on Facebook to get the latest news and sales. Stay tuned!

Wood Block Stamps:

Hand Block-Printed Handkerchiefs:

Product Highlight: Hand-printed Handkerchiefs

Since we're on the topic of hand block printing, I figured you might want to know some uses for wood block stamps - or even just a place to pick up some handy-dandy hand printed textiles. Using wood block stamps is much easier than it seems - just press the stamp into place on the fabric of your choice and give it a sharp whack with the back of your hand. This will ensure that the full design transfers to your fabric. It's probably best to start with a small project - like hand printed handkerchiefs. These handkerchiefs from A Trade For A Trade are made of light-weight cotton voile, and have various India-inspired designs. $5

Once Upon A Tea Time

Priya at Once Upon a Tea Time recently spot-lighted our wood block stamps on her blog. For the less craftily-inlined, wood block stamps are created when artisans hand carve into high quality teak blocks. Although they're part of cultural traditions all over the world, currently the majority of wood block stamps hail from India. Artisans then use these stamps to print beautiful and elaborate patterns.

The real trick is that they must create a separate stamp for each color used in a design. Master printers estimate that one block will last for 1,500 meters of fabric, and once it runs out the design is often retired.

While in India, we learned a few ways to tell if fabric is authentically block-printed. So remember these out the next time you're looking at ethnic textiles:

• Designs do not "line up" every single time - on the blue ginko fabric above, you can see how the yellow color occasionally bleeds outside the lines of its flower petals. That's not a flaw - that's just the sign that an artisan didn't line up the stamps perfectly.
  
• With a little practice, you should be able to see the "block" and how the print repeats. Blocks are rarely larger than a foot square, for ease of use.