Hand Carved Stamps Using Various Materials

I had some quick carve time today and wanted to share with you. First is a chevron stamp I carved from Speedy Carve by Speedball. My favorite carving medium because it is so durable. I mean like forever. It doesn't crumble or break.

Then I used Speedy-Cut Easy by Speedball, a blue material that does crumble a bit and the carved edges are rough but I like that about this material. It gave me some uneven polka dots.

Finally using an older material I got at Dick Blick awhile back, that is so crumbly and breakable it is ridiculous. However it does give me a quick and easy grungy stamp look. BTW, this material is no longer available. But I suggest trying Speedball Speedy-Cut carving blocks to get this effect, not as crumbly though which is a good thing for controlling the carved image.

I really like how this rough chevron turned out.

These stamps will definitely be making their impressions in my journals. Stay tuned.

Blogging Drive-By

Hi there bloggers and visitors. Today I am doing a quick drive-by blog.

Sharing with you here, are a couple of small shots of collages using my blotter paper pieces, washi tape and security envelope pieces. And of course stamping, which is by the way....what life is all about. Stamping. Yes it is.

 

Happy Birthday Rosemary, my darling daughter who turns 18 today. I love you to the moon a million times. You are so beautiful inside and out and I could not be more proud of what a sweet young lady you have grown into. xoxo. 

Have a great weekend. 

Post Office Project with Jane Davies

My friend and talented collage artist Jane Davies (you know... the one who was so sweet to include me in not one but two of her books, see them here) has a put together a project for a very worthy cause.We are not saving lives here people but this is worth participating in the fun.

 Jane is hoping to save her local post office from being shut down due to the small size and lack of mail volume. See her blog post about it here. Yes, it is very small.  Now, I have been to Jane's house in the darling little town of Rupert, Vermont and this post office is so adorable and just a few doors down from her house. It is quintessential small country town and the likes of these towns are not common. Besides the sheer minuscule size of this post office is so unusual that it should be saved for posterity. So, it is not hard to choose to participate in supporting keeping Jane's town post office open. Plus, a postcard project is fun and creative.   

These are my postcards that I sent to Jane's post office in Rupert, Vermont. I following her video idea about making these for postcards from a 8x12" sheet of paper. Check out her process here

This is how mine started. Using Canson watercolor paper and you know.....gouache. Of course.

I stamped all over and then some...

Then started adding some random black and white lines like she suggests in her video

Mine didn't turn out as well as her's did in the tutorial, but that's okay.

But at some point I had to just finish it. 

Then they were ready to be cut up into quadrants for mailing. 

She started a Facebook page to post the avalanche of postcards that are pouring in all over the country. She sent me an email and said she was overwhelmed but that it was "fantastic".  I love looking at all the art work on these postcards, there is some tremendous pieces. I can't wait to see more.

 I hope you get a chance to drop a post card in the mail to: 

Jane Davies

P.O. Box 45

Rupert, Vermont 05768

January Hand Carved Stamp

January came and went so fast. I had hopes of getting more done. 

However, I did carve a new January stamp which is perfect for my journal.

 I so often am surprised when I look back on older journals and I have not dated my entries. So I have been trying to be more consistent with that. I figured a carved stamp would be ideal. I like the chevron effect used here to symbolize moving forward. 

And as I move forward, here's to a more organized February. I am going to try to carve a stamp for each month. Thanks for stopping by, be sure to check back.

Making Art with Hand Carved Stamps

Using my hand carved stamps, paint, collage, and of course a bit of Photoshop. 

I enjoy these bright colors in the middle of a cold winter.