Let the Wind Carry You Home

I hadn't worked on much in a little while, except a couple of tags for a friend's baby shower, but there's an idea that had been poking at me for a while, ever since I found black-primed canvases at Michael's.

I knew I wanted to use it for a project based on the Alter Bridge song Blackbird.  I love Alter Bridge.  They've really become my favorite band.  To be honest, I liked them on the radio but never really followed them until I realized that Edge, one of my favorite wrestlers, entered the ring to one of their songs.  I'm glad I noticed.  They're one of those bands whose albums surpass their singles.  When Edge suddenly had to retire or else risk paralysis or death, I started to think of their song Blackbird as his new theme.  It's possibly their best track, but I'll let them speak for themselves:

(I always think Myles' vocals are a little weird live, but still... Note the Beatles homage at the beginning and the totally sweet Tremonti Series PRS Guitars - a Maryland guitar company :) )

So....

I had sort of started the project a good while ago, but wasn't happy with what I was getting.  Trying to stamp on stretched canvas is pretty hard, especially when it's not stretched very taut.  So I had walked away from my sloppy gothic text stamping with Michelle Ward's Printed Matter stamps and let it sit there for a while.  But this weekend, I finally followed through with what I wanted to do.  At worst, I'd have to paint black over it and start over, right?

 First things first, I needed a custom mask.  So I printed out the image I wanted (the blackbird from the Blackbird album cover) and stuck some Tim Holtz mask material (I like it cos it's already sticky on the back) on it and started cutting.  And why cut a mask and discard the rest of the material?  So I was careful to not make any extra cuts so I could have a stencil too. 

Yeah, that little guy was a beeotch and a half to cut out.  But so, so worth it.  Because I peeled off the paper, stuck him down where I wanted him on the canvas (ok so the sticky didn't so much stick, but it worked well enough), and swiped over him with some silver paint.  And some red paint.  And some black paint.  And I'm pleased with the result.

It's the first piece of Alter Bridge inspired art that I've finished.  I've got another project that's been sitting half-done for a while that I need to get back to.  I just need to fit it in between the dancing and the mending and the just being too tired to do anything but sit and play video games after work. 

Nemesis

You know, Pocketeers, sometimes things just don't work.  I have been struggling with some of the most basic of stamping skills, and it's driving me crazy.  But I realize that sometimes there's just something that is jinxed and you should be able to do it but it just won't come out right, so I have decided to share mine with you so maybe you won't feel so bad if/when that happens to you.

It all started with this:

I embossed the leaves using Gathered Twigs Distress Ink and clear embossing powder, then inked over it with Ripe Persimmon Distress Ink.  Now, look closer:

 The embossing powder refused to cooperate.  I tried everything.  I polled the GPP Street Team group on Facebook.  I took their advice.  I used a little brush to wipe away stray grains outside the stamp.  I wiped it with a dryer sheet before stamping to avoid static cling.  Nothing worked.  Eventually, I found one discussion forum that talked about having no end of trouble with the particular brand of embossing powder that I was using, so I decided it must be a powder problem and accepted it.  I inked the orange on first, dried it with a heat gun, let it sit overnight to be good and dry, and did my stamping over it.  The result:  little orange stray embossing dots.  Better than off-white at least.  And my background is finished.

That was last week.  This week, I'm still having trouble with the embossing powder not distributing evenly, but at least it's not clinging everywhere it's not supposed to.  But there is of course a new problem.

Ladies and gentlemen (do I get any gentleman readers?), meet my Nemesis:

I love these stamps.  They're the "Pumpkins & Flourish" set from Inkadinkado.  And when I ordered them I couldn't wait for them to come in.  Now I am about ready to throw them out the window.  I love clear stamps.  I love the designs that come in clear stamps, I love that they're so compact, I love that I can see through them to position them exactly where I want.  I do not love that my Distress Ink beads up on them more than rain beads on my Rain-Ex coated windshield.  Because then you get this crap:

See how bubbly that looks?  What The Fruitcake?!?!  Even with the awful embossing, the regular rubber leaf of last week at least took the ink evenly.  Without embossing, this is some of my copious amounts of testing:

(Ok there's a little embossing on the right side of this image)

That damn leaf will NOT come out solid.  Not in this color, not in these colors:

Incidentally, Archival Ink works just fine:

Again I turned to the intarwebz.  Taking advice from various online sources, I tried letting Archival Ink dry on its surface (FAIL - all it did was come off with the Distress Ink), I tried using an eraser to clean the manufacturer's finish off of it, I tried sanding it lightly with an emery board, I tried washing it with soap and water... All I got was a big bucket of FAIL.  The best image I got at all with the inks I wanted to use was this:

Still not solid, still not crisp.

On a whim, I experimented with Distress Clear Embossing Ink.  The stamp finally seemed to like that and gave me a clear, solid image.  So I tried a different embossing powder.  

It's obnoxiously perfect.  So I guess all I have to do is not use Distress Ink in any sort of color on my clear stamps.  Which is extremely frustrating.  I use those inks because I love the colors!  So I can either continue to beat my head against the wall (figuratively) by trying over and over again, or I can limit how much I can use in my work.  

I don't like those options. 

Stupid stamp.

Stolen Moments

It's crunch time. I have one term paper and two final exams left. I have three presents to make, and a bazillion Christmas cards to send out. But I've been stealing moments here and there. Yesterday morning before I sat down to finish my first term paper I got inspired and sat down to make a tag.


Distress Inks, stamps, and Tim Holtz Ideaology gears on paper and "vellum"

It's something my manuscripts professor used to say. Can you read my handwriting? "Tempus fugit et non comebackibus." So true right now. Where is all my time going? I was ahead of schedule and now I'm definitely behind.

BUT there is EXCITEMENT to be had! My mom, yes MY mom, a luddite if ever there was one, now has her very own blog. I helped. Go, go, visit Zingala's Workshop. Comment. She'd love to hear from you :)

And, my Pocketeers, if you're not following Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas, you should be. There's all kinds of pretty going on over there. What do you think got me to do a tag?

Just because everything's changing doesn't mean it's never been this way before...

(Post title from the same song as the previous post title.)

So I finally have pics of the new and improved Narnia Jeans!





Sorry the lighting is kinda sucky. I was at trivia, and Pam's hubby was kind enough to take the pics but no amount of photo-fu can turn crappy lighting and a mediocre camera into professional conditions. Anyway, I'm actually happier with the re-paint than with the original. Don't know if you can tell the difference from the pictures, but I can see it. They're better this time.

The Narnia Exhibition was FANTASTIC. It was just magical. OMG seeing those costumes up close! Or as close as I could get to the glass, at least. Isis Mussenden is my new hero. The detail in the costumes is just incredible. Also, Tumnus' scarf is not just k1sl1/purl, because it definitely has knit v's on the wrong side too. So I have no clue what it is. I'm just gonna be happy with mine for now. I can't justify doing a third Tumnus scarf. Well, I'm sure if I really tried I could, but I won't... Anyway, I hope the exhibition comes somewhere closer because I would LOVE to go again. If it comes near you, go. It's definitely worth the trip.

I'm seriously itching to MAKE STUFF and it's killing me because I've got homework and the basement craft room is a colossal mess (yes, still) and there's just so much to do before I can really justify sitting down and playing. Argh!

There's Always Room for Another Obsession

Michelle Ward is evil. In a good way ;)

Sometime back in 8th grade art class, we did block prints with blocks of rubbery stuff that we carved with these spiffy little carving tools. I loved it, and have always wanted to try doing it again, but didn't know where to get or even look for the materials. Michelle and her latest crusade have shown me the light.




I looked for local suppliers that might have the carving blocks I needed, and sure enough, they were there all along, at my local store. Stupid me. Friday in a mad whirl I stopped there after work and bought a few blocks and a carving tool that's got all the blades and the spares can be stored in the handle (how cool is that?). That night I set to work, and now I have my first two handmade stamps!

First stamp:




And on the back of the block, the negative image, carved on Saturday morning:


And really, are you surprised at what they are? Seriously.

I have so many images that I want to turn into stamps! I'll definitely be working on more soon. A little strapped for time at the moment, as I've got to put together a lecture on the St. John's Bible for my old high school, but as soon as that's done, I'm back to the carving! And I haven't even thought about stencils yet... In the meantime, click the button at the top of the post and check out the stuff other people are cutting. They're awesome!