Hey Lillis and anyone else in this area who cares:

As for carving rubber, in the Portland area, Michael's usually has
Speedy Stamp (the pink stuff). Art Media (downtown Portland by the
library and I think there's one in Beaverton) has some crumbly white
rubber called Nasco Saf T Kut. I use it all the time because it holds
ink well and doesn't need to be mounted. A lot of people don't like it
because it can be hard to do really super fine detail with it. You can
also get Staedtler Master Carve blocks at craft stores, such as Craft
Warehouse, I think and some rubber stamp stores carry them. I know
First Impression does. They are a dream to carve with. Regular white
art erasers work well, too, but you're limited to the small size they
come in.

Some other possibilities are PZ Cut, which can be mail-ordered, and
Plumber's Gasket, which can be purchased in sheets at hardware-type
stores like Home Depot, etc. PZ Cut is probably the easiest medium to
cut and carve with, but it doesn't hold ink well at all unless you prime
it by either sanding the surface or going over it with Scotch Brite
first. Plumber's Gasket really needs to be sanded good to take the ink,
and it is a medium that prefers a sharp tool. The other downfall of
these two mediums (in my opinion only, though, I'm sure) is that they
tend to be quite floppy (Speedy Stamp, as well) and make better stamps
if they are mounted.

It is good to be a well-rounded carver and give all mediums a shot so
you can find the one you like the best and also, so that if you are in a
bind and don't have you favorite type of rubber around, you can be
versatile and carve on something else, if need be.

I hope this helps you out!

Best regards,

Amanda Briles