Two best ways to improve your stamp carving

I sometimes get questions about the level of detail in stamps I've carved.  "How'd you do that?!"  Today, I'm all about sharing my two secrets: light and magnification.  For me, these come in the form of one tool: a lit magnifier attached to my craft table.

Other then getting a good transfer of a design onto rubber, the absolute best way to improve carving is to get as much light on the design as I can and magnify it as much as possible.

Here, check this series of photos out showing the difference when you add the light and magnification (you can click the photo to enlarge it):

A carved stamp with regular light and no magnification.

A carved stamp with better light and no magnification.

A carved stamp with both magnification and better light.

I use a table-mounted lighted magnifier, but I also have a little travel one that I can take with me when I'm on the go (yes, I carve stamps on the go - highly recommended for the odd looks people give you).

Have any questions?  Let me know in the comments.  Happy carving!