L is for Letterboxing

Another one of my favorite pass times is Letterboxing. It is the reason I started carving stamps. The basic concept is that there are thousands of little containers (Lock N' Locks are my favorite) all over the world. In these containers are a stamp and a book. You also have a stamp and a book. You follow the directions, hopefully finding the prize which is the stamp. First you stamp the boxes stamp in your book. Then stamp your stamp in the boxes book. If you like it you repeat the process. Some of the stamps I have found are simply amazing. Most have been hand carved, which I prefer. The best place I have found to get the directions and discuss the finer points of the hobby is Atlas Quest. They have a great section for beginners and information on how the hobby started. I would like to share some of my favorite pages out of my book with you all.

This one is my favorite because Gwen carved them when she was 6 and 7.

These were from a Renaissance event.

 

L is also for LTC

LTCs or Letterbox Trading Cards are a branch off from letterboxing. They are 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 and contain a hand carved stamp. Other than that you there aren't other rules. Sometimes the swaps focus on a certain theme and those are my favorite. These are a few of the cards I made.

Morning Star

Hugin and Munin

Gadget

Dronkey

Yellow Trumpet Tree Blossom

Hey Diddle Diddle

Gwen made this one it is Epona from Zelda.

Follow your craft,
Michelle

C is for Carving

Carving is one of my favorite pastimes. My first carving was on an eraser with a Speedball gouge. The results were at the time very pleasing to my eye. Now it looks fairly sloppy and simple. At first I was mostly carving around larger block images with only small details if any.

When I got my Steadtler tools, which has a much finer tip, I began to leave the large stretches white and carve out the lines. When I discovered the Speedball pen holder I switched back to their products for the bigger spaces. Then happy day of happy days I got the best tool ever. A nice man made a custom tool that is much like this one. I can't remember his name, but owe him much thanks. I found that my end product was much improved by each upgrade in equipment. Also, lighting so important. My style is very cartoonized. I love cartoons because they make people happy.

I learned how to carve stamps from this sight. The only thing that I found that I really didn't like is the recommendation of using magnifying glasses. They did make it easier to carve, but my eyes started to need them after several months. Now I can carve without them again, but for a while I had a lot of trouble focusing on small things.

C is also for Collage

I wanted to share with a collage of some of my favorite images.

I also like to share how they look as a carvings.

C is also for Cotton

Just wanted to make good on my promise to talk about the cotton. I don't like it. It sticks to it's self making my stitches uneven. It also doesn't have the bounce that the wool and acrylic that I have used have. The stitches look loose to me. Not sure if it is just because I am new at this, but it was making me nutty trying to use it.

Follow your craft,
Michelle

A is for April

So today it starts! The Blogging From A to Z April Challenge is something I have been thinking about for a while. I am number 480 on the list and supper excited. As of the time I wrote this post there were 1579 bloggers signed up. Whooo Hoooo! I can't wait to get to hopping and see what everyone has to say.

A is also for abandoned projects

It is interesting how so many people begin something with such a bang then get busy or find something new they want to try and things fall by the wayside. I looked around and found a handful of abandoned projects that I would still like to share and hope to finish. (Eventually) I thought a lovely group shot would be the best way to start.

I am sure we all remember Scarfzilla, you know the scarf that thought it was a blanket. Oh no, you forgot about him. Well, so did I. Here he sits waiting for me to buy more yarn and come back to him.

More recently abandoned is this lovely cotton scarf. I was having a great time working on it, but had to start learning new stitches for this very challenge.

This beautiful fairy card, while finished was never given to the intended recipient. So it sits sadly in my box of unfinished projects.

These baby announcements feature one of my favorite carvings I have done. I carved the stamp for a friends first baby girl and she did use it for her announcements. However, this sad prototype was never finished. I was supposed to add a shinny pink ribbon to the edges, but this fantastic ribbon has been lost somewhere in the depths of my crafting stuff.

This stamp was discarded when I decided that I didn't like the way the scales bowl looked carved out and wanted to start over. I was able to finish the project, but this poor little guy has been waiting to be finished for quite some time now.

This stamp is one of my favorite mythological creatures, the hippocampus. I honestly can't remember why I stopped carving it, but do remember that I was very happy to find the image it is based off.

I love the art of JRR Tolkien. I wanted to try and capture some of the beauty with this stamp that was started on a family vacation. However, the vacation came to and end and as you can see the dragon is still uncarved. 

I hope you enjoyed being drug down memory lane with me. I can't wait to show you some of the things I was able to finish and learn in the coming days.

Follow your craft,
Michelle

Like it, you will. Late, it is.

Ok, so this whole posting the winner of my contest on the 15th didn't work out so well. First because life got in the way and I am just now able to get it up. Second, because no one was able to figure out what the stamp is. The Green Man was a great guess because it is a green man. . . And the answer is Yoda.

I love how this stamp came out but, every time I look at the stamp I start singing the Weird Al song which has been in my head for weeks now. Since no one was able to get it, I will give a set of eight cards to all three people who took a guess.


What did I do with it you ask. I made a valentine for my dorky husband of course. Who loved it, by the way.

 

Now that the top secret project is over I am focusing on getting Gwen's scarf finished. Not that she has needed it much this year, but she is so excited to have a scarf made by Mommy. I wish I was making more progress, but it just seems that there are a billion things to do and not enough time.

Follow your craft,
Michelle

A quandary

I finished my top secret stamp at Austin's Coffee. It was kinda nice to be carving in a different location than my house. Then kids not running around yelling was a great help.

I had a quandary while at Austin's. I am, by far, no expert on the subject of the carving. One of the comics, Jiggy (go ahead Google him) made an announcement that we were in need of an expert. As it so happened amongst the waiting comics and eager audience an expert was located. His opinion was invaluable as he assisted me in perfecting my art or at least making it so I didn't have to make the decision.

It's not a rose, penis or anything to do with an apricot. Here is another piece. Please feel free to take another guess. 

Follow your craft,
Michelle