Hi there everyone, its alix here again :0)
Today I thought i'd share some of the online class by Julie Fei~Fan Balzer that i've been taking this month. I am a big fan of online classes as you can take them as and when suits you, you don't have to travel or sit too long anywhere uncomfortable...and you can even do them in your p~j's...no~one need ever know! Actually though, the best thing for me about an online course is generally the prompting to get out of a rut and try something with a bit less thinking and a bit more doing. I'm terrible for spending hours contemplating what to create or make...and then running out of time or energy to do it...so sometimes a bit of organisation is what i need to get me going again. And this course has kick started me again big time!
The course I'm taking is called Stamp Carving 101 and if you've been to my personal blog lately you'll have seen lots of evidence of it!
I'm not giving away any of Julie's secrets or hard work...but showing you an example of one of the lessons i followed pretty much to the letter. This was the carving out a bracket frame lesson. I drew mine freehand and transferred it to the rubber with the pencil transfer method. Its an easy shape to carve out so a good one to get started on...and a very versatile stamp to have in your stash as its ideal to frame a small image or hold journalling, as well as to make swirly borders with. Hence why i didn't chage the design! ;0)
When i had carved my stamp and printed it out with a Big and Juicy pad you can see how cute it it...but i wanted to play with my new stamp...and i wasn't in a *cute* mood today...i was feeling distinctly grungey and inspired by dirty walls and graffitti...so here is my stamp used in that way!!
Its not the prettiest journal page you'll ever see...not even the prettiest one by me...but i had 10 minutes and i was feeling direct and raw and this is what I came up with!
Sometimes you just have to carve out your own niche for the day, right? :0)
As always thanks for stopping by and I hope I've given you pause for thought...if nothing else do stop by Julie's blog and see what she's up to from time to time...she is awesome!
I've always wanted to do this ...even got lino carving tools waiting !
maybe i will look into it furthur now :) thanks for links and well done on your stamp carvings :)
Posted by: jayne | March 22, 2012 at 10:50 AM
Ooh.. Love homemade stamps it's something I'd like to get into. Did some lino carving with the dc a few years ago and still have the tools somewhere for that. Where'd you buy the pink carving block if you don't mind me asking? I'd love to see more stamps you carved and what you did with them. Julie is fab isn't she I did Technique-a-Palooza a few years ago now. http://balzerdesigns.typepad.com/photos/classes/classad.html
Worth every penny.
Hugs,
Mandy
Posted by: Mandy | March 23, 2012 at 10:55 AM
Mandy i got the speedy carve from an online shop: http://www.lawrence.co.uk/ but you can get it in the online jungle too! ;0)
more stamps are coming...i've made lots...just a question of having the time and energy to upload them now!
Posted by: Alix | March 23, 2012 at 06:48 PM
Thanks Alix for the info about biying the speedy carve. Will be loking into it for sure.
Mandy
Posted by: Mandy | March 30, 2012 at 05:13 PM