Stamp Making and Stamping - Virtual Workshop

This live, virtual workshop will introduced attendees to the world of stamp making and stamping. Students will learn about variable types of steel and their properties, how to anneal steel, carving and pattern making techniques using files, and how to properly temper steel to make a lifelong, lasting tool. There will be step-by-step demonstrations on how to make different shaped stamps - each of them introducing new techniques that will allow the attendees to explore in-depth ways of shaping and texturing the steel. Using the stamps made during the workshop students will then learn how to accurately lay and stamp patterns on sheet metal.

This course will consist of two sessions. There will be a no-class day between each session.

Class will be held live via Zoom during the designated time frame. A link to the Zoom room will be sent via email. 

Each session will be recorded and you will receive a password protected link to the recordings that expire after 30 days.

Please read the Materials & Tools tab! 

Meet the instructor

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Matthieu moved from Paris to New-Mexico when he was 19, where for seven years he studied Navajo, Hopi and Zuni jewelry techniques. He was immediately drawn to stamping, making concho belts and bracelets. He then moved to Mali, West-Africa and worked for a few years with the Fulani, Tuareg and Bambara jewelers. 

In 1999, Matthieu settled in Montreal Canada and continued his studies by going to a jewelry school and learning a more classical part of the trade. Over the years, Matthieu has returned to Africa regularly.

In 2014, Tim McCreight and Mattheiu Cheminee created the Toolbox Initiative, a non-profit organization that helps jewelers in West Africa through the gifts of donated tools.

“I have been stamping and making stamps since the beginning and have developed a form of stamping design by creating patterns that fill the entire piece of metal. This is called “tessellation”.

Matthieu has written two books,  “Legacy, jewelry techniques of West Africa“  and “The Art of Stamping”, both published at Brynmorgen Press.

Visit Matthieu's website or instagram page for more info on his work.

Materials & Tools

Students will need to have the following materials in preparation for this online workshop. If you do not already have them, a suggested item and/or a vendor from which you can purchase these items has been provided below. Click the vendor name (in red) to be redirected to a page where you can find or choose the item. The quantities you need for each item are listed first. Please be aware that some items may come in larger quantities than needed for this class. Please order these materials as soon as possible due to longer than usual turn-around times. We recommend not opening the item packaging until the day of the workshop.​

This workshop will be focusing on working with tool steel. 5/16" O1 tool steel is recommended, but you can also convert old W1 or O1 steel nail punches and other old steel tools (no thinner than 1/4"). 

Students should bring

In addition to the above items, you will want to have the following items available: 

  • hard/stable work surface
  • escapement files (optional)
  • safety glasses 
  • ruler
  • old files/nail setters/chisels
  • fine point permanent marker 
  • glass jars/containers - for oil and vermiculite
Virtual Course
Tuition
$150.00
Instructor
Matthieu Cheminée
Level
All Levels
Pre-requisites
No experience needed
Location
Virtual - Eastern Time Zone
Length
  • 0 days
 

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