I have started to receive stamp orders recently, and so far the most requested thing people like to see in stamps is their pet.

During the carving process of these pet stamps, I have started to notice two things. First of all, unlike stamps that do not have a life, when it comes to carving someone’s dog or cat, you need to learn more about the pet itself. Is it a boy or a girl? How long have you been with this pet? Not surprisingly, most pet owners love to share their stories; the affection they have for their pets, how much they miss them even. After listening to these stories, I realised I carved out better stamps than simply looking at a pet picture.

Second thing I have been noticing, is that people wish to make stamps that can recall their memory. Through the image of stamps, people like to recall great moments that happened to them in the past, may it be their times with their doggies, shaved ice with syrups they had in a hot summer, or the Hawaiian beach scenery where their family have once been to etc. It’s not the image itself, after all, but the memory that the image brings to the viewer, that matters.