Hand Stamped Necklace | Not All Who Wander Are Lost

Hey friends!  The summer is nearly over but for those of you still having last-minute adventures, I’m sharing a hand stamped necklace design today that I think you’ll love!  Tell the world that not all who wander are lost with this washer necklace.

I’m using mixed metals and metal stamps from today’s post sponsor, ImpressArt, and I’ll share with you how to get the look.  Those of you who read here often know I’ve been stamping with ImpressArt for years, and I love sharing the new designs and products they’re rolling out!  A couple cool things to check out today are the new empty cases to separate your stamps (I dropped my old Scarlett’s Signature font into the 3mm size cases) and also the Simple Strike Jig which is great for beginners or for anyone still mastering the more detailed design stamps.  Also, for your convenience, I’ll leave affiliate links and links to ImpressArt in the list below if you’d like to click through for any info on the products I’m using today.

Supplies:

• Steel Bench Block
• ImpressArt 1 lb Brass Stamping Hammer
• ImpressArt Crossed Arrows 6mm Design Stamp
• ImpressArt Scarlett’s Signature 2.5mm Uppercase Font
• ImpressArt Simple Strike Jig
• 1/2 inch Brass Circle Blank
• ImpressArt 15/16 inch Pewter Washer Blank
• ImpressArt Stamp Straight Tape
• ImpressArt Stamp Enamel
• Ornate Jewelry Head Pin
• 6mm Faceted Czech Glass Bead
• 2 – 10mm Jump Rings
• 1 – 5mm Jump Ring 
• ImpressArt Hole Punch Hand Pliers
• ImpressArt Chain Nose Pliers
• ImpressArt Round Nose Pliers
• ImpressArt Flush Cutters
• 18″ Necklace Chain

First, I’d like to show you the new Easy Strike Jigs.  These are great for beginner stampers because they’ll hold your stamp level, and you can strike with confidence because you really cannot hit your hand unless you’re trying (haha).  You can see in the photo above that I’ve marked off with stamp straight tap where I want my impression to go.  I still encourage you to use the tape if you struggle with your alignment because it can be a little more difficult to see around the jig to ensure your letters line up.  The jigs come in several sizes so you can use them for alphabet stamps, or, I especially like the jig with the design stamps.  Because design stamps are more detailed, it’s important that it’s perfectly vertical to get a good, even impression.  I’ve been dying to use my 6mm crossed arrows in a project, so I started there, and planned the rest of the piece around it.

Brass is a medium-hard metal so it will require more force to get a good impression.  If you still struggle even with the aid of the jib I encourage you to try a softer metal like aluminum or ImpressArt’s alloy, Alkeme.

Next, I darkened my impression with Stamp Enamel.  Just apply it to the stamped area, wait ten seconds, and wipe the excess away.  It’s virtually permanent, and so easy to apply.

Next, I used my hole punch hand pliers to create holes at the top and bottom of the brass blank.

Now, deciding on a quote for the washer was a challenge for me.  I wanted an adventure theme!  I stamped a couple of options before settling on the quote, “Not all who wander are lost”.

Washers are easy to stamp, though, because lining up your stamps centered between the inner and outer edges is actually easier that stamping a straight line in my opinion!  Once I had the right quote, I darkened the impressions on the washer as well.

Now, in my book, most pieces are not complete until you add a beaded charm!  So I couldn’t resist.  String a 6mm faceted czech glass bead onto a pewter head pin, and wrap the wire end of the pin around your round-nose pliers to create a small loop.  Then, take the wire end and wrap it around the pin in neat coils between the loop you made and the top of the bead.  Trim away any excess wire.  (If you’d like to see my video where I show exactly how to make beaded charms, you can find it on my YouTube channel right here.)

Finally, assemble the pieces!  Use 10mm jump rings through the holes at the top of each stamped blank, and a small jump ring to connect the beaded charm to the bottom of the brass disc.  String both pieces onto a necklace chain.

If you’re a wanderer (or know and love one) then this is a great piece for your collection or to give as a gift.  Thanks for joining me today to check out this hand stamped necklace design and I’ll see you guys again soon!