Who doesn't like cupcakes?

Cupcake fabric postcard from hand-carved stamp

I finished this fabric postcard, placed it in the fancy stand to show it off, and delivered it to my friend Nancy Smith today.  It's my donation to the big raffle basket (with a dessert theme) that she's coordinating as a member of the Willamette Valley Auxiliary (an extension of the Assistance League of Salem).  This fundraiser, as part of Operation Backpack, helps provide backpacks filled with school supplies for local K-12 students  who might otherwise start their school year without these basics.

My hand-carved stamp and "practice" postcard

 I realized how much I enjoy carving my own stamps and using them to create one-of-a-kind fabric designs.  I stamped the cupcake image on 5-6 different cotton fabrics that I'd dyed, painted, screenprinted, etc. beforehand.  On both the pink and blue postcards above, I freemotion-quilted with a Mettler 50/3 brown cotton thread (on top and in bobbin), using a Topstitch 90/14 needle.  No problems; just an easy meditative little quilting experience.

I have a tendency to overdo it when using most types of cutting/trimming tools. (Loppers on the hedge:  clearcutting.  Trimmers on the hydrangeas:  removed  about 88% of the decades-old plantings, etc.)  But so far, I've maintained control with my carving tools and not chopped away too much of the carving block.  (I used Speedball carving tools and carving blocks.)  I like the three stamps I've made this year:

My 3 hand-carved stamps