Hand carved stamp - #CARVEDECEMBER

I wanted to carve another snowflake stamp (I carved 2 a few years ago).  I started out folding a piece of paper, cutting it and then unfolding it.  Then used a similar design for my stamp.

For some reason the paper looked cool, but when I first printed my stamp it looked really ugly and not like a snowflake at all!  I was really disappointed!

When I was about to forget all about the stamp, I thought it might look cool if I printed over it, but with it rotated 60 degrees.  Aha!!!  Now I actually like it!!  At it will always look different, that's for sure!

Top:  Left - stamp; Middle - 1 print (ugly); 2 prints (better!)
Bottom: prints of different colors with black outline

Challenge #247 and New Stencils Gel Printed

Challenge #247 - African Artist by Tina-Akua Hunziker

This week's challenge (here) was to use Tina's tangle "African Artist".  I had to keep looking at the step-by-step instructions to make sure I got it.  Even so, I messed up on this one, but decided to post the first attempt, anyway.

I also am not that thrilled with the tile; it feels very heavy to me.  Oh well... better luck next time :).  I did enjoy the tangle after a while, and am definitely going to try it in different ways to see if it doesn't feel so heavy.

New Stencils Gel Printed

You might have seen the stencil I designed and cut last week; I decided to do another one this week and then try both on the gel plate.

I had a lot of fun with them, and took a lot more prints than I had intended.  Isn't that always the case with the gel plate?  It is for me as I keep thinking "what if" I did this or that, and next thing you know I have prints all over the place :).

Here are some of the prints:

Stencil designed and cut last week

New stencil drawn and cut this week

Challenge # 246 and Newly Designed and Cut Stencil

Challenge # 246 - Monotangle Trees

This week's challenge was a wonderful guest post by Dilip Patel (here).  I could spend hours on this one and try all different things, but since instead of hours, I have minutes... I went with a Bijou tile (2x2 inches).

Newly Designed and Cut Stencil

I have been thinking about designing a stencil of a repeat pattern.  So, on Sunday, I went at it and this is what I came up with.  I think I will have a lot of fun with this one.

Started out with a print from a hand-carved stamp (bottom right), trying different things on graph paper, seeing what would work as a stencil, and finally drawing the piece (top left) to be copied over and over to make up the complete design.

This is what the stencil looks like after the first test (it is 4x4 inches).  It took me forever to get each of the little pieces out - apparently I didn't press hard enough with my x-acto blade.

This is what my first print looks like (using the stencil 4 times, of course).  I also outlined all the shapes with black ink, just so I could see the pattern better.

Then I started thinking what would happen if I were to go into some of those bigger white shapes and "cut out" the inside.  I haven't done it on the stencil (yet!), just wanted to see what it would be like.  So I drew the shapes, and painted then with some of the acrylic paints I had used with the stencil.  I like it, but drawing/painting them and cutting them out are 2 very different things, so I'm still thinking if I will attempt it or not.

Challenge #245 and Gel Printed and Tangled Boxes

Challenge #245

I'm so glad to be posting again!  It means I found a bit of time to create :).  Sometimes work takes over my life, and this was one of those times - I sure hope it is over for now!

This week's challenge (here) was to go back to basics and Hollibaugh - you can see the link to the step outs in the Diva's challenge page.  I wanted to do something I had not done before, so I drew three strings and made those my intersecting lines.  I hope you like it; I obviously had fun with it :)

  

Gel printed and Tangled Boxes

I'm trying to use some of the paints and materials I've had for years, rather than keep buying new ones.  So, in an effort to use some of the acrylic paints I had, I used my small gel plate (3x5 in) and some of my stencils and had a lot of fun with a couple of boxes.  Then I started tangling on the box (as you can see I'm not finished yet).

I'm having a great time with this wonky box, and I'm starting to wonder how it would be to do it on a wooden box.  I think the surface would be a lot smoother and easier to tangle on.  I might have to try it!

Challenge #241 Stones

I had a day off today, so it was fun to be able to do this challenge today.  I loved the theme of the challenge (here), and remember being in awe of an artist who balances stones in the most unbelievable ways in incredibly beautiful places.  

Rather than copy someone's work, since I had the day off :) I tried to balance my own pebbles.  It was hard!!... but when it worked, it was so much fun :)  See the pictures below of some of the ones I was able to capture (before they tumbled down) and my submission tile from one of them.  I do need to work on my shading :(

Challenge #240 from a Gel Print

The Diva Challenge for this week (here) was to be inspired by the season.  Since it is Fall here in New England, I had to go with leaves.

As you know, I've been playing around with gel prints, and have created a few books with them.  The idea is to use them as art journals, and go back to each one of those prints and play with them.  So... I looked for one of the prints with leaves, and tangled away.  I also used Inktense, colored pencils, and black and white pens to transform this print.

This is the "AFTER" version

The "BEFORE" version is the 6x6 inch gel print on the right.

If you are interested in seeing more unfinished prints from this art journal, you can see them in the video below.  I have actually added a lot more pages after I created the video, but have not redone it.  Maybe I will do another in a few months, when I have a few more pages already transformed.

Challenge 239

This week, this was all the art I had time for.  Hopefully I will find a bit more time next week :)

The challenge this week (here) was to watch the video about how to draw Munchin, and then use it.  My tile is a bit bla, but... that's how it turned out :)