It was decided even before I could really think about it, to do another week of stamp-a-day...which turned into another, and yet another. Eventually I did FOUR weeks and as a happy result have 24 new stamps in my armoury!
This is how the second week went. With my love for all things french it was on my mental list to make a fleur-de-lis stamp that I could use for multiple applications, and that's just what happened. I'm still using some black pieces of flooring rubber that I bought from the hardware store for my art classes two years ago. I think I have mentioned this, but is a fantastic and cheap alternative to lino. It would take me another week to find out how to manage really fine detail, so up to now my rubber stamps have been quite chunky. With this design it didn't matter though, but I was quite happy how the finer 'droplet' details came out. The heraldic symbol produced some lovely gift tags- gold ink on black and brown card, and a classic repeat pattern sheet of gift wrap that my other half teasingly remarked look like old-fashioned wallpaper. I must admit it did cross my mind too, with backflashed childhood visits to then very fashionably 70's homes. Wallpaper or not, I love the pattern and it will be used much more. And for those who observe style laws, Retro is very in anyway!
The next few days produced some bread-and-buttter stamps, basic polkadots, another royalty design in the form of a simple repeated diamond check, and a basic heart. By this time it was weekend and we were away with friends in Sydney. Determined to not miss my self-imposed day's stamp obligation, a heart was cut with a steak knife from the Friday night champers cork. I left it with my friend to make I love you-stamps on her childrens' hands and drawings.
On Monday I had a lovely catch-up coffee date with a friend who had just returned from a visit to our home-country. She gave me a symbolic and very special african beads bracelet, and the commercial wrapping had a little quaint house on, the symbol of a charity this product supports. I love little houses, so that was the inspiration for stamp #12, a quirky casa not unlike the one we built and lived in back in Cape Town. After making the print, I hand-colour the heart window in red.
Also resonating from the visit, the African continent that is my birthplace hovered in my subconscious. It became what I thought was one of my best stamps yet, partly because of the clean print it made, but probably more because of the solid reality of that diverse continent, the mystery and the memories it holds for me.
Week 3 of Stamp-a-day will follow soon with some more french icons, heavy metal and decorative flora.
This is how the second week went. With my love for all things french it was on my mental list to make a fleur-de-lis stamp that I could use for multiple applications, and that's just what happened. I'm still using some black pieces of flooring rubber that I bought from the hardware store for my art classes two years ago. I think I have mentioned this, but is a fantastic and cheap alternative to lino. It would take me another week to find out how to manage really fine detail, so up to now my rubber stamps have been quite chunky. With this design it didn't matter though, but I was quite happy how the finer 'droplet' details came out. The heraldic symbol produced some lovely gift tags- gold ink on black and brown card, and a classic repeat pattern sheet of gift wrap that my other half teasingly remarked look like old-fashioned wallpaper. I must admit it did cross my mind too, with backflashed childhood visits to then very fashionably 70's homes. Wallpaper or not, I love the pattern and it will be used much more. And for those who observe style laws, Retro is very in anyway!
The next few days produced some bread-and-buttter stamps, basic polkadots, another royalty design in the form of a simple repeated diamond check, and a basic heart. By this time it was weekend and we were away with friends in Sydney. Determined to not miss my self-imposed day's stamp obligation, a heart was cut with a steak knife from the Friday night champers cork. I left it with my friend to make I love you-stamps on her childrens' hands and drawings.
On Monday I had a lovely catch-up coffee date with a friend who had just returned from a visit to our home-country. She gave me a symbolic and very special african beads bracelet, and the commercial wrapping had a little quaint house on, the symbol of a charity this product supports. I love little houses, so that was the inspiration for stamp #12, a quirky casa not unlike the one we built and lived in back in Cape Town. After making the print, I hand-colour the heart window in red.
Also resonating from the visit, the African continent that is my birthplace hovered in my subconscious. It became what I thought was one of my best stamps yet, partly because of the clean print it made, but probably more because of the solid reality of that diverse continent, the mystery and the memories it holds for me.
Week 3 of Stamp-a-day will follow soon with some more french icons, heavy metal and decorative flora.
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