Carving Stamps with Kat Lendecka

If one print themed workshop wasn't enough this week, I booked myself on a 2 hour workshop with Kat Lendecka.

I found her on Instagram and really got into her work and process.  Her posts quite often are mini videos showing a snapshot of her process often including a reveal of a print she was working on.


During the day it had been snowing and I hoped that it wouldn't settle or freeze on the ground.  I'm a bit nervous of driving in either of those conditions.  Fortunately, once it was time for me to leave it was fine.

When I arrived I was greeted by Kat and her lovely whippet.  I was about 3 minutes late as I couldn't see the door numbers in the dark, I was so pleased when she came out to meet me I felt such a fool wandering about with a torch shining it on the other doors.

Once inside we made at start.  I was introduced to the other 3 participants all who lived locally.  Then Kat made us all a cup of tea and started to talk about what we could expect from the evening.  She shared a little of her background and it was interesting to hear how she had progressed after leaving university.  From a student studying graphics, who almost lived in the print studio to leaving university with the realisation that to continue would incur a huge expense for all the printing equipment.  It was at this point that she decided that keeping her practice low key she could not only continue to be a Mum at home but also work on her practice using lino-cutting and stamp carving to create affordable prints.  I have to say whilst the workshop was running a couple of "kerchings" rang out on her phone from her etsy shop (see below Cat and Owl print for link).

Cat and Owl £20 by Kat Lendacka (etsy shop)

I was really pleased I had come prepared to the workshop.  I'd spent a little while earlier on sketching some possible ideas for stamps.  Working on the same theme that I am using at my jewellery class I decided to sketch down a garden door, a cage and a key.   Kat gave us each a small piece of the blue easy cut lino to practice on.  We were instructed to trace the design using tracing paper then transfer it onto the lino.  Then using one of the finer tools cut around the image.  Making sure to work outside the lines each area of negative space was removed.  This is where, you have to make the decision on whether your stamp will be a positive or negative image.  An this is where my head starts to turn itself inside out in a bid to get it right.

My practice stamp was the key.  I worked carefully working slowly and zoned out from the room as I gently carved the rubber way.  Once completed, Kate cut the excess away.  I tested the stamp to check to see if I had a clean image.  Not bad for my first attempt.  Then I moved onto creating a the larger cage stamp.  This was quite challenging and I was a little worried that I would cut into the important lines.

However, the result was just fine.  Again I tested the stamp.  I did this by stamping over the key so it would look trapped in a locked cage.

Before I knew it it was nearly time to go home.  And so for the last 20 minutes we printed our stamps onto cards.  I played around with the colours to achieve different effects.

What a wonderful way to spend a Friday evening.  If you would like to attend one of Kat's workshop her website is www.katlendacka.com

More images from the evening can be found here