Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Saints and Sinners

It's been too long, and I have so much to blog about, I will have to divide it into more than one post. I will begin with the fun I had last night at the Los Angeles Craft Mafia's little get together at the Saints and Sinners Lounge in L.A. I actually looked at the website beforehand, and while my immediate thought was "Is a mommy from the Valley cool enough to go to this place?" I wasn't going to miss it.
Well, it was so fun! This group meets once a month to socialize AND do a craft at the same time. Mark Montano is a member, and just came out with his FIFTH book "The Big-Ass Book of Crafts" which you can buy here on Amazon. This link will also show you his other books for sale. Mark was there, directing the group on an awesome craft.

Well, you just won't believe the craft he had organized for the group - making your own rubber stamp! Yay! So, now I was able to complete Michelle Ward's challenge for this month! Well, it's cheating a little, 'cuz it's not "carved" but it is totally handmade/hand cut, so I think it counts (It does say "Cut It Out").
Here's what I made!
It was unbelievably fast and EASY!! All the instructions are in Mark's book, but, basically, you take a wood block, attach a flat layer of a foam sticker sheet, then, using the same foam sticker sheets, you cut with plain ol' scissors your design and stick it on! What could be easier or cheaper! This idea is so simple and brilliant. I flipped through the book, and it has TONS of easy crafts just like this one.
Moving onward - I know I promised to post my visual journal entries from Vegas - so here they are for your viewing pleasure!
Remember how I said I got the journal at a craft fair in Tel-Aviv? Here's the cover:
The Hebrew at the bottom actually says "travel journal". The Hebrew at the top can be loosely translated to Wonderland. The entire book is handmade.
The paper is from a vintage map, and I have circled Thessalonica (today known as Salonica, Greece) and Sofia (in Bulgaria) because those are the two cities where my paternal grandparents were from before they moved to Israel.
How do I love this layout? Let me count the ways...This is SOOOO me. The Asian paper is ripped from a newspaper. I hand drew the tree branch on tracing paper, tore the right edge and inked with red ink. It's glued over paper that is actually the inside of a security envelope. Oh yah - gotta check out the cool designs inside those security envelopes, folks! To the far left are staples from the next page, which I didn't originally realize would be there, but I love how they look.
The background papers for this were glued on ahead of time (i.e. before I left for Vegas). I added the "Vegas" arrows from some advertising brochure I got in the taxi, then did my journaling on the green mulberry paper.
This is the last entry from the trip. The background was also pre-glued, and I just added the journaling.
Ok - that's WAY enough for one morning!



















18 comments:

Lisa MB said...

Girl, did you figure out the cloning thing and not tell us? 'Cause you've obviously been in more than one place at a time. Saints and Sinners sounded so dang cool! Speaking of Mark, I was just at the "library" (um, Barnes & Noble) and I found the Big-Ass Book of Crafts. I think it'll go on my Amazon wish list!

I love love LURVE the Israeli notebook... it's making me pant with excitement in quite an unseemly way.

And I'm really enjoying your latest art. Have you used your new stamps yet? I like the double-swirl one best... that would look hella cool if you created a background with it by doing a clear embossing repeatedly, then painting over it so the embossing resists the paint. Sound interesting?

michelle ward said...

tally - that S&S Lounge looks like a fun place!! Love your images - and of course they count - I even mentioned foam in my initial post. So quick and easy and they make great impressions with ink or paint. Yay! You made stamps! Thanks for sharing with the team.

Anonymous said...

What a FANTASTIC idea for making your own stamps!! Brilliant and your designs are really great!

Tally O said...

Lisa - your clear embossing idea does intrigue me. I hope I actually get around to trying it.

Now, I promise - promise - promise! When I figure out the cloning thing (notice I used the word when) I will share with all. Seems like a pretty darn good reason to keep coming back ey?

Anonymous said...

How cool to go to an event like the S&S Lounge AND complete a stamp for the latest Crusade. Talk about serendipity! Stamp making made even easier could be quite dangerous for those of us who are hooked.

I liked your tree stamp and the delicate tree drawing in your journal. By the way, the Israeli journal is definitely achla!

i wish i had a penguin friend said...

we're so glad that you came out! And thanks again for all the printer information :) Next month it's on the Eastside, but in May it'll be back on the westside... hope to see you at the next meeting!

Mucha Muchacha said...

You are so much fun! You helped make our get together fun and friendly. AND your stamp was awesome. There was some serious craft talent at Saints and Sinners on Tuesday, I couldn't get over all of the great stamp designs everyone came up with.

Elizabeth said...

There are definately more than one way to cut a stamp!! BRILLIANT!!! As is your wonderful book!! I love the chinese newspaper page! thanks for the link to this book, I am adding it to my wish list!!
Hugs!
Elizabeth

Chris said...

Oh, I love the texture and 'feel' of these pages. What synchronicity that your class was about carving stamps! I'm going to check out that lounge. Thanks for sharing!

Ursula Clamer said...

What another great idea for making stamps! I really like your deigns, especially the tree.
I love the pages in your journal, they are really cool.

JBMolina said...

Hey girlie! I promise I'll go with you next time! Those stamps are beautiful and what a great great idea! That's so simple it's genius.

I like your journal pages too. Vera vera cool. Love the Vegas arrows.

peggy gatto said...

Hey tally, love the stamp idea!!! Why didn't I think of that!
Your pages are amazing with the layers of papers and you know I love asian papers. Have a great weekend!

Kim Tedrow said...

Love the stamps, thanks for sharing that idea. And I LOVE your journal pages, esp the one with the asian paper. -Kim

Kat W said...

Great stamps! (It's not cheating, I made foam stamps, too!) ;)

Anonymous said...

Your visual journal pages are wonderful and I love your carved stmaps, especially the branch :)

carin.c said...

Love those journal pages - SO INSPIRING!!! Also glad you shared yet another easy way to make our own stamps. I've got to try that one too now. Thanks!

Cindy said...

I never would have thought of making stamps that way. Brilliant! I love the soft look of foam stamps, so I think I will have to try it.

Your journal is awesome! What a treasure you found!

Maija said...

Great stuff Tally!!