long time, no blog

hello there.
i just realized it's been 2 months since my last post.

i feel bad, but i needed it.
i keep pretty much to posting my art here, and i haven't been creating any. so there you have it in a nutshell.

still haven't created anything per se, but i have been working intensely at putting cling cushion on all my red rubber unmounted stamps, and in the process produced some decently nice stamped background papers. so, i thought i'd pop in to show you a few of them.



this bluesy sheet was the first one. i envision it being useful as punched-out inchie squares. as i filled sheet after sheet of cling cushion with stamps, i discovered some thing evil happening inside my stamp cases. when i first began storing my stamps in vhs cases, i'd used a lot of tacky glue, tape runner, and tape to adhere my stamps to case walls and chipboard dividers. there is apparently some kind of bad chemical reaction with what i'd used, and i was getting little white spots on my clear stamps and crumbling on the rubber backs. so i had to basically drop everything else and re-do my 50-some odd vhs cases. that's what i've been working diligently on since october.

i was able to stamp the images of a lot of my stamps in my stamp binder and on the storage dividers as i progressed. didn't complete that but did make a dent in it. started with my alphabets. so that's where the inking up came in. these backgrounds are simply stamping-off sheets...layer on layer of it.



this is my first pinkish one. i was doing my word stamps. lots of heidi swapp words there, also leave memories. i love how the stamping off produces the hint of a colored background. i thought i had finished these but after seeing them scanned in, i realize i need to lay down several more layers, so these are not ready to use yet, as is. i may print out as a transparency and lay down over an ink-sponged background or some patterned paper. and in the future, i should sponge-ink the paper before beginning to stamp.



another pinkish one. this one seems to be some phrases, some people, and some background elements. love how the paper artsy ghoulish guy is staring out from center stage. i might make atc's from him and from the cowboy couple in the corner.



now, this one is my reddish one and is the only one using just one ink color and stamp set. i think the ink was ranger watermelon red vintage dye ink. love how the stamped-off images form the second color. if only that would last through more stampings. i see now why people just use two coordinating colors. Stamping off an entire background takes a lot of time and energy. of course, i wasn't stamping to make these, they are just by-products of needing to stamp off on paper before cleaning each stamp. this red one, though, will make a gorgeous patterned paper on a card.

other than working on my stamps during my art time, i've also been inspired by a few fellow artistas lately. one of those is the very talented christy hydeck aka art by chrysti and she's been participating in the 29 gifts thing since dec. 1st.

i was late to her party, but it's got me thinking about doing something along giving lines here in 2009. and more immediately, it was karma, i guess, that i answered a local clothing donation cold call. i've got a huge garbage bag full to set out on my porch in the morning. i also would love to consistantly send handmade cards to the military next year. all these ideas are a-swirling round and hopefuly a few will land and sink in soon.

there's another artist i'd like to mention: my amazingly talented friend paula bogdan . her art journals are awesome, but she is also a teacher by day. she still manages to find the time to drop me a little encouraging word just when i need it. it's like, she knows. lol

anyway, i am so happy for her. she has an article in the new somerset studio journaling magazine out january 1st on newstands. i will be hunting for a copy. way to go, paula!

i'm hoping i can get my reorganizing finished and actually do some scrapbook pages or a little art. don't give up on me, dear readers, i'm still hoping for a breakthrough, lol. until then, i want to wish everyone reading this a happy holiday season: a merry christmas, hannukah, kwanza and new year.