forge

Whoever said necessity is the motherhood of invention was right (Calvin and Hobbes?).

Backstory first: I visited Carissa the librarian a couple of Fridays ago and we did a little stamp carving and crafty talk as her baby napped. I learned a couple of neat tips (e.g. move the rubber, rather than the tool, when doing circles) and thought about more designs.

She also shared a really neat thought: everyone has an art style. It may not look like what you consider 'art', but it still is. I started thinking about this when my still life painting looked very different from everyone else's in the painting class I took last year. They all had delicate, fine lines and then there's my coffee mug...

Then my devotional the other morning was talking about God being the Master Artist and Creator, and look at the diversity He created!

Bottom line: I tend to be a bit folksy with much of my art, including stamp carving, and need to embrace that and not fear what things will look like when I create them.

Okay, now the reason for invention. I've been trying to finish up my cardboard scrapbook that encapsulates the year 2009 and the August page is all about the Pittman family reunion. This took place in Indiana and I've been having trouble finding embellishments to round it out. So I decided I should make my own corn stamp!


This turned out so well that I thought 'I'd better make more vegetables!' and immediately made two more. I have more ideas for that pea stamp already (anyone need baby announcements? please say yes!) ... and sorry about lighting on that last pic. Don't know what happened there.

These are all erasers, hence everything's rectangles!

Book recommendation: Pop by Gordan Korman
Recipe recommendation: New Bedford Portuguese Kale Soup
Movie recommendation: Julie & Julia