SHARONVILLE — Dismiss the notion that rubber stamps are for office use only.

        From their lowly beginning as a way to ink words on paper, rubber stamps have emerged in recent years as an artistic medium. To the 2,500 or so enthusiasts expected to attend this weekend's Stampaway 2001 convention, stamping has become a way of life.

        “This is my ninth convention,” said Chris Palmer of Springfield, Ohio. “All the classes I take, I learn different techniques. I also pull techniques and tips off Internet sites; there are thousands of them. ... The hard part is finding the time to try them.”

Instructor Pat Niemuth (left) of Stillwater, Minn., shows Maggie Turner of Elizabethtown, Ky., a new cutter in her winter scenery class at Stampaway 2001. (Dick Swaim photo) | ZOOM |

        Techniques can be as basic as using a stamp and ink pad to transfer designs to paper and then coloring them. They can be as complex as creating multilayered images or decorating jewelry or boxes. People of all skill levels are welcome.

        “There's people here like me who can't draw stick figures, and then there are artists who incorporate stamps into their work,” said Peggy Burwinkel of Blue Ash, who was helping attendees register for classes at the Radisson Hotel on Thursday.

        “What started (stamping) for a lot of people was the cost of greeting cards,” said Mickey Mikelonis, who works at the Blue Ash shop Stamp Your Art Out, the convention host. “People discovered they could make their own cards, and have fun doing it.”

        Classes run today from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Sharonville Radisson Hotel. Saturday's session at the Sharonville Convention Center takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stamping classes will be offered Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Stamp Your Art Out.

        Information: 793-4558.
       

Two boys charged in girl's beating death
Young murder suspects appear across nation
Start of school raises shigella fears
Study of police moves forward
Cincinnati police honored
Online high school has 117 openings
Playground program kept kids happy, busy and safe
Rev. Rivers' visit postponed
Teen leaped from seventh floor with police in pursuit
Youths look for answers
Buyers cross state lines for yard sale
Kings Island staying open 5 extra days
Police ponder new methods as violence rises
RADEL: Revamp looms
Reunion starts on relationships
Rubber stamping enthusiasts gather
Tristate A.M. Report
Butler Co. gets high-tech help
Mason in group that woos firms
Plea bargain ends case of man who injured son
Byrd called a 'brutish thug'
Federal flood aid is sought
Med student killed, coroner now says
Schools may use vans again
Concert benefits church food bank
Disaster status to provide help to flooded areas
Driver felt ill before fatal wreck
Drywall maker Lafarge cited by state as polluter
Schools chief in Erlanger-Elsmere plans to retire