Making more of my own stamps

Hi Everyone
It's a little damp today. All the weather reports say its going to get very, very cold - feels quite mild today ! Best enjoy today's temperature !!!

I'm quite frantic today, my boys are off on a camping weekend ! Loads of kit and much organisation going on (mainly by me). As a result of all the organising, my life is on hold and I've not done anything on my lists. This will be a short blog !

I have managed to add yet another stamp to my repertoire. It's inspired by the book (making an impression - look back a few blogs for the details).




The new stamp is the far right stamp. Here are the stamp impressions placed on the January painting.



Lots of more work and I think, several more stamps. Stamping has taken over as my current obsession. Everything I see must have a stamping possibility !

My second piece on die cutting is about the cutting 'plates'. The cutting plates relate to the Sizzix machines. Here is an example. These plates are for the smaller machine, called the 'Sidekick'. The plates are just the right size to allow themselves to be posted through the slot in the machine where there are rollers, 'sandwiching' a die through the rollers. I will show this in another session. For now I'm simply showing the plates.




These plates look very different because the one on the left is very old and scratched (and cracking), the other is a new unused plate. Each time the plates are used the one in contact with the die cutting surface makes an impression on the plate. I still use the old plate but its very near the end of its life. I should bin it !



The next photo shows bigger plates to fit the larger machine and a long plate which will fit both the Sidekick and Big Shot (name of my larger machine). The size of the plates are directly linked to both the size of the machine and the size of the die. Again, you will notice the larger plates are very well used and definitely bending. This happens. A way of managing the ending is to regularly turn the plates after each cut. I do sometimes adhere to my own advice. Through experience I think you can decide if its OK to use with the 'bulging' plate, it's all about producing the final die cut. If a very detailed cut is the end product a flat plate is usually required, if the cut uses simple, clean lines, the uneven plate is more forgiving. Not much more to say about plates. They are bits of acrylic/plastic of the right size and width to help the die cutting process. You can't cut the material with the dies if you don't use them in my Sizzix machines. I mentioned the Quickcutz machine yesterday, there are no plates required for that machine (just in case you were wondering).

That's about it for this week. Yet again, I've got to say - 'where has the week gone ?'. Have a great weekend.

Bye for now.

Die cutting, stamping and realism !

Hi Everyone
Very dull today - grey sky and damp. Bit depressing ! However, it's all great inside so no problem.

Yesterday, I mentioned the idea of doing a series of die cutting pieces for the blog. Having given some thought, I've divided the topic into 'bite size' sections - I could write a book about this subject - already done by someone else. So in an attempt to put my slant on the subject, Ive organised the points I want to make in 'daily snippets'.
Today, I'm talking about the basic die cutting machines. I have two brands of machine, a Sizzix and a Quickcutz. Both machine brands are older versions of the current brand offers. I must have bought my machines at least eight or more years ago. I did have an even older Sizzix machine (now in the loft store) - this original had a lever style handle which pressed down and needed quite some force to cut through card. It was great at the time but .... things move on ! and I will not feature this machine in my chat.
Each brand has moved on again but I'm quite happy with my stuff (at the moment). Here is a photo of my machines - three in all :






The scissor style machine is the Quickcutz and the other two(pink and blue) are Sizzix machines. The Quickcutz simply squeezes a thin die with card/paper and squashes a shape. I will demonstrate this tomorrow with some photos. The Sizzix rolls the dies through along with thin plastic plates, again, I will demonstrate this tomorrow. The blue machine is a much bigger and more powerful machine and can deal with larger and thicker die cutting. The pink machine is the smaller version and more portable. Sometimes, I use the blue for all my die cutting (within a session). I will get into which and why over the next few sessions. Hope that's a helpful little start to our tour of my die cutting world.

Another little bit of news on the stamp making front. I've done another small stamp. This is the impression. I've taken this idea from the book (see last few days for details of the book). I'm going on to develop another stamp to stamp over and give additional colour combinations.



Hopefully, I will finish that today and use with my painting. PS: I've renamed the painting 'Just Walking'.

I've also done a little review of last year and decided I should divide my review into 'review months' in order to manage the job and make it a useful exercise. So today, it's a review of Jan 2012. Generally, way back in Jan 2012, I was starting a new approach (again) - my new approach didn't quite happen ! I think, this was to do with being unrealistic (its a habit I have). The range of projects I tried to embrace are very different from each other and huge projects in themselves. Again, the thing that comes through loud and clear is this 'unrealistic' approach. The unrealistic element is all about embracing my enthusiasm and my 'skills journey'. I don't want to loose this but I think better planning along with a short term reflective approach would help. I need to work on some kind of practical exercise to do this. My ultimate aim is to develop crafting skills to compliment and enhance my art work. The biggest need I have is to use paint and lots of other mediums in my work. To compliment that, I want to write about it and share it all, ultimately producing a book or two.
Having looked at Jan. 2012 in this way has been useful and writing it here has focused my mind. I am once again, enthused !

On that positive note, bye for today.

Book Talk

Hi Everyone
It's a bright and crisp morning today. The sky is almost glowing in the East, lovely !

Yesterday, I made my monthly painting the centre of my work focus and I seem to have moved on a little. The original idea for my Jan. offer was way off my final plan. I had started the painting prep Christmas and intended to use the images in Christmas cards. This is the very beginning stages.















I had drawn a version of Barney and Tugger ( two little animal characters I use in several projects) with a Christmas theme. In the post Christmas season, it didn't work. So plan B is to use some of my insect drawings



I may use additional insects too - depends on space. I also have an idea to make some beaded insects and have purchased a book on the subject. I like the idea of using beads in my work and just like my obsession with crochet, I need to find a way of adapting a traditional approach to incorporate into my work. I'm hoping the new book will help me develop some interesting additions to the paintings.

I've also started to experiment with making stamps yesterday. I'm quite pleased with my first try. I need to develop a greater precision but the inspiration from a Christmas book gift is brilliant. Here is a glimpse of my efforts.



The carving bit took quite along time but its a relaxing activity and I found myself enjoying the process. I'm always under pressure to achieve things quickly and this is a very 'slow' thing. As soon as I accepted this, I enjoyed actually spending the time carving. The smaller leaves stamp is made from a small eraser and the mushroom uses something called Speedy-Carve.






I have two carving cutters - they are described as No.2 V-shaped and No.4 U-shaped. I think I need some more varied cutters to help with fine lines and moving around any 'rounded' sections of carving. I think this would improve my final stamp and give more options for making detailed stamps. I've ordered more and can't wait for them to arrive.



I mentioned yesterday, another Christmas book (yet another book gift) that I'm drooling over



Erika Knight creates some amazing stuff and its all beautifully presented. My current favourite is this brooch. It looks simple ! (famous last words!) - I would like to make it and then wear it . I'm currently trying to locate a stone for the brooch.




On another completely different subject, I've had a few questions from people (friends and emailers) asking about using die cuts in my paintings. I do tend to try and incorporate die cuts into my paintings as they give a 'clean form' characteristic to elements of my paintings - I like this. Sometimes, the die shapes don't work (I know immediately if its a 'no' and it is often a 'no') but I do like the challenge of blending the manufactured shape with the free form. I need to improve my skills with this 'blending' notion.
I also tend to assume everyone is familiar with die cutting. I've used dies for many years and have worked for Sizzix doing demonstrations in the past. As such, its easy to think everyone is just as familiar.
Anyway, I thought I would do a little section (each day) over the next week or so (not sure how long at the moment) about die cutting from my perspective and show a range of dies and tools etc. This kind of exercise is always useful for me to assess where I can stretch my use of the technique and will help me to 'innovate' in my work.

On that note, thats about it for today.

Bye for now.

Art FUSION

Hi Everyone
It's a dark and damp start to the day ! It can only get better !

My whole day is to be dedicated to work - I need to be structured and have a specific aim to using my time. It's not quite like that for me ie 'being creative'. However, I will try.

I thought I would share another Christmas gift today. Here it is



I love this book and am up for making lots of new stamps to integrate into my work. I've collected some materials and am going to make something to help my Jan. painting. The book contains instructions re the stamps in the picture and I especially like the mushroom. I hope to use the mushroom as inspiration to make a stamp which will sit in my painting. I'm not sure how it will turn out but it's all very exciting (it is for me).I'd also like to get some beads into the picture and am working on ways of combining beading and crochet. It's all about 'fusion - FROM SCRATCH' great idea Ive had about merging some of the techniques Ive been trying out recently.

All my new art will find its way into my book - absent from my blog chat for a while. It's still 'under development' as they say. The deadlines have moved slightly but I think it's on the final stages - new work has been slotted in (seamlessly) Just giving a plug for when I launch !

I have another exciting event to finalise - a silver clay workshop. I've long been interested in doing such a class. A relatively new venue in our area is holding various silver clay sessions and I've made plans to get involved. The actual basic silver clay session has filled up but I'm thinking of something called Syringe silver clay. I've added the link if anyone is interested in taking the class.

That's it for today.

Bye for now.

Happy (belated) New Year

Hi Everyone
and Happy New Year. I've been very slow to take up 2013. We had a great Christmas and its gone so quickly ! I can't quite believe its all over for another year. However, I need to face the facts - it's been and gone. Now its time to get my 'head into gear' for 2013 !
Today, was a mild and bright day, a little rain came later but early this morning, the weather looked promising. I started my day with the usual school routine (quite a shock to my system) followed by a dental appointment followed by lunch with Richard and a quick shop at Ikea. Those few activities took almost all day with time to make dinner and write this little offering for today.

Each year, I have an annual review and announce my intentions for the next year. I've not quite got there yet ! I need to ease my way into work. However, I do have a new approach to work ( yet again !) My new ' BIG thing' will be to finish at least a painting each month. I will track and comment on my success here. My January painting is to be called 'An important Journey'. I hope to publish the final item on the last day of each month ie 30/1/2013. No pressure there !

I will do a review of my 2012 - probably not until the end of this week. So will update on that front in a few days. I need to go through my blogs and take the highlights and those things which didn't happen. It will be cathartic !

On an uplifting front, new magazine 'Simple Crochet' arrived a few days ago. I'm taking it for a few months, to check if its useful to me. I like the initial approach and style of the publication but I'm still not totally convinced about general crochet. Im drawn to crochet in all forms but it generally I feel it doesn't quite fit with our home/my personal style. Not sure why ? but I take this as a challenge to find a way to make it fit. I'm going to try and objectively use the ideas in the magazine and give them a go. I will share my findings. Here is a look at the cover



There is a broach on the girls top which I quite like and will try and make one. More crochet news - in addition to the magazine, I received several books about crochet - lots of techniques and a lovely Erica Knight book - the pictures are lovely and much more my style, I will share some ideas I have to make some items over the next weeks.

Well, that's it for today.

Bye for now.