Making Mandalas

I've spent the small amount of spare time I had this week making mandalas out of used postage stamps. The worst part of the job is removing the stamps from the paper.

First, you have to soak them in very warm water until they separate from the paper. Then, they are placed on a paper towel to air dry. Next, they need to have a heavy book set on top of them overnight to flatten them. They tend to curl up as they dry.

I punch out 1.25" diameter scalloped circles that I fold to get eight equal sections, like a pie. This is my placement guide for the postage stamps. Here are the ones that I've finished this week pictured with one of the original stamps they were made from.

All four mandala made from the same stamp

As you can see, how you orient the postage stamp onto the guide can completely change the look of the mandala. Each stamp has four sides, so you can get four different looks.

Both made using the same stamp

Both made using the same stamp

Even the colour of the punched out circle in the middle can change how the finished mandala will look. I will share more as I make them. I have a whole lot of stamps to get used up!