What is a RAK?

More than ten years ago I entered the wonderful world of rubber stamping and scrapbooking. I was lucky that where we lived at the time there was a wonderful rubber stamp store called Stamp Antonio. I found a great magazine in Stamp Antonio one day, Vamp Stamp News or VSN for short. There between the covers of that magazine I found that there were email groups online you could join all dealing with rubber stamping. Well, I just had to join and the rest is history! It was there though that I was introduced to the Rubber Stamp RAK. What is a RAK you ask? Well it stands for Random Act of Kindness. I am sure you have heard of them, but may not relate them to what they are in the rubber stamp world.

Rubber Stampers are unique people. They are artists with big hearts. They make these wonderful pieces of arts with their scraps of paper, ink, glue, glitter, and of course rubber stamps. Then what do they do with them? Well they send them to out to people. They may send them to people that they know for birthdays, holidays or thinking of you cards. But often times they are using these great little rubber stamped pieces of art and sending them out to people as RAKs, Random Acts of Kindness. I can't tell you in the past how many times I have received a beautiful card that someone has taken the time to make themselves in the mail. They may be a person that I have chatted to online, but some times they are just someone I have seen in passing in the rubber stamp online world. They have sent this to me to make my day and they don't know how much they have touched my heart.

Artist, even if they are the "every day" variety are still artist. They enjoy sharing their work. They enjoy having their art give others joy and smiles. And that is exactly what a rubber stamp RAK does. Who knew that bit of paper could bring someone so much joy. It doesn't need to be much either. Just a simple rubber stamp that has been stamped on plain paper and colored in, with a message inside that says for you can make some ones day. It is truly the thought behind this that counts. The thought that someone that barely knows you took time to hand make something for you

Thanks to everyone over the years that has sent me RAKs! They are truly treasured. I hope that I have, and can, do the same for others. It's the little things in life that make a difference. If a simple rubber stamped card can make some ones day, than that is the least we can do for someone. It is a wonderful tradition in the rubber stamp world, online and offline. Remember you can share the joy of any craft that you do, not just rubber stamping.