More stamps. Metal Stamps from ImpressArt

OK, so now I have the stamping bug.

Got my hands on some steel stamps made by ImpressArt - which I got from BeadFX. These stamps aren't designed to be used for glass, but are made for metal and can be used with metal clay, polymer clay (before firing/baking) or even with leather.

I've used metal stamps (stamps designed for metal) before for glass, with good results, so I thought I should give these a try too.

First up - hey a paw print! This is 6 mm, about the same size as the smaller Leonardo pawprint, (see last post), but is raised, so it makes an imprinted (concave) impression. It is a little more generic, almost cartoony - but it works just fine, thank you. I prefer the Leonard ones, but that's because I'm picky about the shape of the paw.

 Next up - well - who did you think was leaving those paw prints? This is labeled a German Shepherd - although I say it looks more like a Belgian Tervuren. It's pretty cool, if very, very specialized. Could be a signature stamp - if you had called yourself "The Bead Herder," "Fetching with Fire," or "Barking Beads."

 And this one is a stylized flame. Which is just pretty freaking cool. And soooo appropriate for just about any of us ... .

Keep the tool out of the flame, soften the glass where you want to make the impression, put the bead down onto a surface that you can push on (i.e. a torch top marver is perfect), and firepolish very gently after - you don't want to soften the detail. Don't linger on the hot glass - you don't want the stamp to get hot and stick.

 Because these are made of steel and intended to be hammered, they do not have a wooden handle, so I would caution you to remember, they have the potential to get really, freakin' hot. Pick 'em up with pliers, wrap some leather around the end, or just do whatever it takes to not hurt yourself.