Mudra Craft Stamps: The Art of Warli Made Easy

Hi! I am very happy and excited to be here today. I am thrilled because we recently released a whole range of stamps, stencils and Chipzeb, including a stamp set and two stencils designed by me.

When Varshitha asked me to design a set based on the Warli art, I jumped up with joy. I have a background in Textile Design and a passion for the traditional Indian arts. Both Varshitha and me have felt that we need products that are inspired by this rich heritage.

Warli art is probably one of the most popular tribal arts of India. It is traditionally painted on mud walls in white. The motifs are simple line images taken from the daily village life. The Warli tribals are known for their love of music and dancing. The stamp set incorporates these lovely images with a modern twist. When the stamp set was done, Varshitha asked me to design a stencil as well. I designed two - a square and a mandala. I have tried to keep the spirit of Warli art in my stencils by incorporating the triangles and parallel lines which are very typical of this art form. I hope you have as much fun working with these stamps and stencils as we had when designing them.

Card 1:

I combined ink blending and stamping along with stencilling to create a simple card.

Take a piece of paper and blend three colours of distress oxide inks. Since my paper was large, I was able to get two panels.
On one panel, I placed the Warli Pattern stencil and applied water with a damp cloth. This takes out the ink leaving behind a darker pattern.
I stamped various images from the Warli stamp set with black ink and then heat embossed with clear EP.
The sentiment is from the Butterfly Flutters stamp set. I heat embossed it with Metallic Platinum EP.
To finish I popped up the stamped panel on some foam tape.

Here is a closer look at the card.

Card 2:
I used the Joseph's Coat technique on the second panel for a more graphic looking card.

Take the second piece of paper with ink blending and add some water for a distressed look.
Attach it to the Warli Pattern stencil. I like to do this by putting pieces of washi tape on the reverse side.
Apply any dark ink through the stencil.
The sentiment is from the Floral Fantasy stamp set. I stamped it with black pigment ink and heat embossed with Enchanted Gold EP.
I added a strip of black glitter paper for some interest and popped up the panel and the sentiment on foam tape.

Here is a closer look at the card.

Card 3:
Simple ink blending through an intricate stencil always gives beautiful results.

Take a piece of cardstock and attach it to the Warli Mandala stencil.
Blend three colours of distress oxide inks through the stencil.
Trip the panel and pop it up on a kraft card base with foam tape.
The sentiment is from the Carnations stamp set. I heat embossed it with the Metallic Platinum EP.

Here is a closer look at the card.

Card 4:
Don't waste the inks on the stencil. Keep some spare pieces of paper handy and get a twofer.

Spray some water on the stencil that you have used and press it immediately on a piece of paper. Leave it for some time to allow the colour to be absorbed into the paper.
Dry the piece completely.
Trim the panel and mat it with coordinating paper. I just blended some ink on the mat since I didn't have matching paper.
Mount on the kraft card base with foam tape.
The sentiment is from the Rose Bud mini stamp set. I heat embossed it with Gold Tinsel EP. I also matted the sentiment panel with some gold foil paper.

Here is a closer look at the card.

Products used:

I hope you enjoyed knowing a bit more about the Warli stamp and stencils. I am looking forward to seeing your creations with these products.

We also have a brand new challenge for you this month. We want you to join us in celebrating October as 'Inktober'. Pull out your inks and stamps, stencils, die cuts, Chipzeb etc. And have fun playing with them! You can link your entries here.

I used my distress oxide inks for all my projects. These are unique inks that have properties of both pigment and dye inks. They turn chalky when dampened. Their hybrid nature makes them ideal for ink blending as well as stamping. Unlike distress inks, distress oxide inks are opaque. So they can be used on dark as well as light cardstocks. For stamping in black, I prefer the Onyx Black ink by Versamark. This is a pigment ink that gives a crisp and clear image while stamping. It can be used for heat embossing. It is also waterproof when dry, making it the ink of choice when doing watercolouring, ink smooshing etc.