Weekly Challenge 149: Welcome 2014

The very first challenge for 2014 at I am the Diva czt is to use the new year theme or 2014. This is my take on the theme. Enjoy!

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Men Buy Cigars, Women Buy Empty Cigar Boxes

Yes, it's true. Cigar shops sell cigars and empty cigar boxes. According to an article in the New York Times, women are the biggest buyers of empty cigar boxes. It both puzzles and amuses cigar sellers. But we women know why. We buy them to alter into handbags, altars, mixed media art and anything and everything else. I am one of those women who buys empty cigar boxes. There is a convenient store on Route 4 East that shares floor space with Dunkin Donuts. Sometimes, on my way to work I stop to buy coffee. As I exit from the shop, empty cigar boxes piled on top of the cupboard catch my eye. Once in a while I get tempted. They are about $5 a box. I have collected a few though I have not decided what I want to do with them. All of them look so nice on their own, it seems a shame to alter them. They also smell good. They are still waiting for my muse. Below is a sampling from my collection:

This one above, I actually got in New Orleans from a cigar shop on Decatur Street where  cigars were actually rolled on the premise. It was seedy enough to convince me that they were rolling more than cigars there. When I asked  if they sold empty cigar boxes, one of them took me to the back of the shop into a glass enclosure and asked me to take my pick. I got the distinct impression that he was waiting to be asked for something more than an empty cigar box. But, I really wanted only a cigar box!

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Rubber Stamping

I was tempted into rubber stamp making after seeing hundreds of DIYs on Pinterest and Craftgawker. I bought a set of carving tools and a handful of craving blocks from a local Dick Blick store. Needless to say, my initial foray into stamp making was not encouraging. I put the whole project into a cold storage and decided to stay with commercial products.

Just a few weeks ago, I decided to give it another try mainly because I wanted to improve product packaging at my shop with some special wrapping and stamping. Surprisingly, I made better progress this time around. As the old adage goes, practice does make perfect. I started with a basic leaf shapes, then progressed to letter OM, a few birds and an elephant. Not all of them came out right at the first attempt, of course. I do feel encouraged. Along the way, I learnt a few things about materials and attitude:

1.  Use blocks of different size, texture and thickness. Simple erasers like Staedler's, though small, are a good base to work with for small and simple designs. They cost very little and if the stamp turns into a dud, you can put it to its original use as an eraser.

Of the several lines of carving blocks available, Mastercarve is the best in terms of thickness, texture and ease of use. It is so thick that sometimes I feel that one can carve on both sides. However, it is the most expensive and currently not available anywhere. The lotus, OM and the elephant above were made with mastercarve.

Speedball Speedy Carve is currently the best available in the market and it comes is variety of sizes and prices. It has a nice solid surface which allows for carving small and intricate designs. However, it is not very thick which means that large stamps will be wobbly to hold and may have to be mounted on a wood block. The birds on a cup above was made with this material

Speedball Speedy Cut is a poorer cousin of Speedy Carve. It is of poorer quality with a crumbly texture. One should not attempt anything that is delicate or details. That does not mean it is totally useless. It is okay for simple shapes like leaves and is good for experimenting since it is very cheap. The big leaf in the photo above was made with this block.

2. Be patient. There will be many moments when one is tempted to dip into an inkpad to test the image. Resist them. Similarly, know when to say when and resist the temptation to keep slicing every inch of excess rubber. Avoid it. Come to think of it, stamp carving almost has a meditative feel to it; embrace that feeling.

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Trip to Venice (Virtual)!

It has been a while since I participated in the Virtual Paintout challenges but this month's topic lured me back. For the month of December 2013, we have been asked to travel to Venice to partake in the beauty of its canals, gondolas, the bridges and the colorful architecture of its buildings. Many artists have captured this place on their canvas and this is my take on Riva degli Schiavoni.  (Watercolor on Arches Rough, 8.5" by 11").

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Published in Cloth Paper Scissors PAGES

It is always a thrill when one is given a chance to share one's technique with others in the community. Thanks Cloth Paper Scissors. All the images used in the transfers come from the Graphics Fairy, a wonderful site that contains thousands of free vintage images.

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A Glimpse into My Sudio and My Work

Getting Material Ready For An Order

Tools of Trade

Nice view of the backyard

Embroidered Cover for the Journal

 Inside Cover With an Envelop (Hides the Stitches)

Finished Journal

Wrapped and Stamped with Handmade Leaf Stamp and Ready to Ship

A weekend in the studio always soothes my heart and soul.

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Mail Art: Snail Mail in the Age of Electronic Mail

This was my first attempt at mail art. I was first introduced to this fascinating art form on Dave Dube' artblog and later on I came upon upon this book "Good Mail Day: A Primer for Making Eye-Popping Postal Art" by Hinchcliff, J and Gilligan, Carolee. And there are several boards on the Pinterest to inspire.

Not surprisingly, I used my favorite characters, Elephant Lochanadevi and her child, for my first mail art. In this age of texting and e-mail, it is touching to see this pair still using the old-fashioned snail mail.

I am pleased that it got published in the July 2015 issue of UPPERCASE which is dedicated to Stamps and Doilies. It is quite fantastically put together and you can get a low-resolution view of it in here.

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