Carving it out some more!

After seeing what everyone else has been up to in this months GPP Crusade, I was inspired to create some more of my own stamps...and my list of what I want to carve is still long!

   

The swirl design was taken from a tissue box!....nothing is safe.
I played with doing a couple of positive and negative carvings. These were done on the same piece of rubber, i.e one on the front the other on the back.

   

On a previous  post, I showed my journal where I had done leaf rubbings and took photos & notes capturing the scene with the intention of perhaps doing a piece in the studio ....well, I have done something ....not quite what I had thought but it's a start! I photocopied my journal page with the rubbings and then using tissue paper, traced over the leaf and transfered it onto the rubber.
I'm not that happy with the background on the negative space one, it needs something to make it not so square....I will sit with it for a bit.

I loved Julie's tree so much I had to carve one of my own.... I started out by roughly tracing an image of a tree from a book but had to improvise as part of the tree was not in the photo and another part had a fence post obscuring it. I also wanted it bigger & longer, so after enlarging my image on the photocopier I then extended it further.
It measures 15cm x 10cm (6" x 4").

This is another one I want to sit with for a bit as I'm not sure if a few areas could be imporved, but with anything it is good to step back for a bit and then reassess.

Here are some journal pages I am working on (in an A5 size journal). I actually stamped my leaf in the background on the page to the right.

Inspired by the roses done by Lisa and Kim, I just had to try a flower. I use the waterlily / Lotus flower a fair bit so it would only be right to carve one of these. My dilema was what size?' ... well, go big of course! ..and maybe do a smaller one if I still had the craving for carving.

These are some quick initial stampings. The black is with a dry ink pad! and the pink is acrylic paint. I think it may need a bit of a tidy up. I had used the biggest block I had, the final image measures 16cm (approx. 6.25inches) across the flower x 15 cm (approx. 6inches). The majority of the carving was done with a stencil knife.
After doing this I truly think that I am insane!

I actually found the best way to transfer an image onto the rubber was pencil rubbing. The image came out clear and didn't rub of as easily as the blender pen transfer. I had a bit of a dilema with the flower as I used a clip art image. For this I did a gel medium transfer. I left the paper on the rubber for quite a while, until it was completely dry and then very slowly and gently removed the paper with water. My first attempt did not work, firstly I had not let it dry long enough and then I was chatting to my sister and not concentrating so rubbed too much in one area and removed the image. Another thing to note is that you really have to remove ALL of the paper. Leaving even just a slight film of paper in areas creates resistance with the carving tools.

Some other things I found:
The decorative borders (repetative line designs) were all carved from erasers. I would highly recommend only using erasers for designs that won't get used a lot or for short term longevity. They are brittle.

I would also like to add that straight lines are harder than curved, much less forgiving....but as my sister would say "It's handmade!"

Go slow, particualrly with large intricate designs and take breaks.

All stamps, except the tree, were carved from Soft Cut Carving Block, from an Australian company. It is white, was really easy to carve, and is quite flexible.
I carved the tree from the pink Speed-ball Speedy-Stamp Carving Block (these are pretty hard to locate down-under!). Compared to the white block, this was a little harder to carve, perhaps saying there was a little more resistance is better, but I think this was better for the intricate tree. Doing it on the white block I think I would have lost branches...and then my sanity!!

Hmmm, now let me see, I'm running out of carving blocks but not ideas ....there was that amazing eye, some hands, flourishes, a bird or two .....

Comments

[Megan]

Brilliant Ursula, you have really got the knack. I am impressed!
Love the lotus! HAPPY BIRTHDAY - it must have been an inspirational day!
Mxox

[Gillian]

OOH! Pretty things! I love the water-lily - and the tree - and everything else.
You've inspired me to have a go and I've ordered some blocks from Ebay but it's so hard to find the right stuff here in the UK, sob....sob....

[Jo Anne]

WOW! I just hopped over to say thanks for leaving a comment on my blog about my carved stamps and discovered that you have some awesome ones posted! SO cool...love YOUR tree and the waterlily is beautiful!

[Diane]

Oh my!!! LOVE all the stamps you have carved. Absolutely gorgeous. I think you have mastered this technique. I really liked seeing how you used the stamps on some of your artwork. You are so inspiring!

[Julie Prichard]

How fantastic! Your tree....but especially your greek key design (Is that what it is called?)! It is so symmetrical and perfect! Hooray!

[audrey h.]

Ursula...you are on a roll :) These are stunning. Love the tree and the pages you did with them. The last flower just blows me away. The detail on it is fab. It is just gorgeous!

[susan w]

That lily is exquisite! As is the tree. How often are you having to change blades with this - wow. I am using a "Flex-Strop" block to swipe blades on every so often. I ordered mine and I am glad to have something to keep from replacing blades every so often. I found the pink Speedball rubber too "rubbery" - too much resistance like you said. I am using the Nasco Safety Cut ("Kut"?) - it has teeny grains of something which act as an ongoing sharpening stone so your blades stay viable longer. You'd have to order it but you could probably round up a crew to make it a bigger order and worth the shipping. cheers

[Julie]

Ursula,

These are brilliant...I love all of them. Isn't it great coming up with new things to carve? I have a list too :lol:

[Laurie Blau-Marshall]

Wow! I looooooooooove the water lily! Absolutely beautiful! I was loving the others and it only got better as I went down the post.

Thanks for sharing,
Laurie

[Lysh]

Oh delight... you are using your supplies! That tree is delectable. I'm not sure that I would have the patience or steadiness or hand for such an intricate piece. A truly lovely "acquisition" for your stamp collection.

[Maj Carita]

The leaf - WOW! The tree - even better! And then - the Lotus flower - GASP!!! I am flabbergasted! It is just so beautiful!

[michelle ward]

Ursula - I'm with Maj, GASP!! on that flower! Amazing!! Don't you love using paint? Makes you never want to try an ink pad again, they never seem wet enough. All these stamps ROCK! I'm so happy to see you having fun with this - thanks for sharing your stuff and your tips and your "craving for carving".
*thinks about swiping your clever phrase*

[Roberta]

Wooow, your stamps are amazing! That flowr looks like real! Amazing job!

[susan w]

Ursula - I gave you the wrong name of the sharpening block thingy - it is called SlipStrop by Flexicut (in case you were trying to find it.)

[JeriAnn]

Ursula, it's good to know that I'll have roommates in the home for the artistically demented! I have two more pages of bird sketches I'm trying to resist and now that I've seen your tree, I want to make one for my birds to nest in. And I haven't even begun flowers and faces and...oh, my. It is an illness, isn't it? If cutting stencils is half this addictive, I'm in BIG trouble.

By the way, your stamps are FANTASTIC! I covet every one.

[kathy McCreedy]

Hi Ursula,
I am blown away by the complexity and beauty of your carvings! Love the Greek key border design, and the Lotus flower is to die for! I'm curious what tools you are using... they look very different from the big clunky "dig out" Speedball tool I'm using... I'm going to have to go shopping again! Thanks for your kind comments on my carvings... they are quite elementary compared to yours, but hey, a girl's got to start somewhere, right?!? :D

[inge Bekaert]

Hello Ursula,

I agree with all the other comments! I saw the leaf and thought "mmm nice", until I scrolled down... the tree is very good, but the lotus is a hit!
Bold designs can look very good, but I'm also a person who likes details, so your carvings are my kind of stuff !
I really love the lotus flower : where did you find the design ?
It's a lot of work to carve, especially if you do it only with an exacto knife, but you can really work very fine. No cuts in your fingers ? ( I did...)
I think carving has not ended yet..

greetings
Inge (from Belgium)

[ArtKat]

All wonderful stamps! They're all great - so much detail on the flower, and I love the tree! :)

[pauline]

wow!! looks like the Greek fav. border!! tree and flowr awesome as well!! u r one talented gal!
regards
P.

[JulieH]

Oooh! I think the tree is my favourite - but they are all wonderful and thank you for the product review. I have only ever tried on erasers and Lino so will have a go with the block next.

The journal pages look great too.

[Nicole]

Wow....what a fab stamp....gorgeous...

Hugs
Nicole

[Kim Tedrow]

That flower looks like a botanical print! Amazing! And I love the tree too. Well, all of them actually :) -Kim

[Vivian]

Wow! The tree is fantastic as are all the other stamps. Great job!

[carin.c]

All the stamps are great, but that Lotus... I really want that Lotus... and in the pink paint... MAGNIFICENT!

[Martina]

Love the journal page of the tree with the leaf floating in the background- beautiful...and the lotus- absolutely stunning!!!