Atelier Noto

(Mom working on Cheryl Oberle's Arachne's Bower  in the cool evening on the 'patio' of the Atelier)

Since I converted my garden shed into a workshop I have been spending most of my time outside, playing with water colors, creating my own stamps, covered in a slight sheen of dust, paint, sweat and bug spray.  I could almost live in the "Atelier" as we are now calling my little creative space.  But I have to share it with the no-see-ums when the evening rolls in, and with our unpredictable summer fogs I sometimes wake up to 50 degree weather and if I haven't been careful, soggy artwork!

I have recently started carving my own stamps.  They resemble wood cuts, but the product I use to carve them is infinitely more forgiving than wood or vinyl.  I use Speedball Speedy Carve blocks, they come in a variety of great sizes, and I have found that the scraps from the larger shapes I cut make great small stamps.  I use the Speedball carving tools, which work well on harder blocks as well, but cut the Speedy Carve blocks like a hot knife in warm butter!  Here are some of my finished stamps:

When I first started stamping with them the 'stamp' was a bit floppy and so there were gaps in the prints.  I had a brain storm, "lets glue them to 2x4 blocks".  HA!  While in principal this works wonderfully, hand sawing bits of 2x4 is a real pain.  I know there is a solution out there, and I will find it.  Meanwhile I am stamping up a storm!

I have combined my stamping with Carla Sonheim's Water Color Transfer techniques to great effect.  Check out her classes, I plan to take all of them as time permits.  I am stamping them on used packing tissue, blank recycled card stock, and recycled brown bags to make wonderful "up cycled" wrapping paper sets.  And playing with yards of muslin to test out different fabric paints and inks with a thought to making tea towels, place mats and napkins.  It seems like the possibilities are endless.

I am having some knitting remorse.  I didn't finish the Noro cropped jacket for mom's birthday, but it will be finished when she returns in two weeks.  I did wrap the unfinished sweater - needles, pattern, yarn and all, knowing that as a knitter herself she would completely understand - she loved it, and we both got a huge chuckle out it all.  I haven't knit a stitch on my own Arachne's Bower because I have been so consumed with ink, paint, fabric and other distractions!  And then there is the real job which interferes with play time.  I'm so lucky that the real job is shooting weddings which is such a joy! Spoiled for choice might have to be my motto.