November 2003 -- Brenda M.
"Decorated Clay Piece"

brendam@orientalstampart.com
Oregon

(Click on picture for instructions)

How long have you been stamping?
I started stamping about 10 years ago. I was making handmade cards collaging washi and other beautiful paper, and I found out that I could buy verses instead of writing them in my own (lousy) calligraphy. One day, I looked at the other stamps in the store, and the rest is history!

What is your favorite technique?
I have several favorites, and it all depends on the end result I want. However, I find that the Backgrounds to Dye for technique (see my file in the OSA website) is very versatile. My standard favorite techniques are intaglio with shrink plastic, cold laminate collage, serendipity, and using embossing powders in a variety of ways. I like work with polymer clay since it is also very versatile. Recently, I’ve gotten into making books.

Favorite stamp company?
If I had to pick just one, I would be in trouble. I have a lot of Judikins and Magenta. Fred Mullett stamps are also a big part of my collection. Stampers’ Anonymous is a current favorite, but I don’t have huge number, yet.

Favorite Asian stamps?
(Hey, wait a minute: I thought these questions would be easy!) I really like Hanko Designs’ woodblock prints for Japanese images. Tin Can Mail is great for Chinese designs, especially the quirky ones like Chinese palm reading. Stamp Francisco also has images I use a lot. You can see that I have many favorites!

Favorite stamping accessory? (i.e. EP, UTEE, Pearl-Ex, punch)
(Again, only one? Oh, no!) I use a lot of embossing powder. I like to sprinkle different colors on different areas of a design (especially bolder designs or collage designs). To me, this gives more interest to the finished product. Also, it’s less time consuming than coloring images: I’m lazy! I also use regular ep and the craft pan (electric skillet-type appliance) for an impression in the ep. The technique is like UTEE, but you use regular ep. Because the ep is finer-grained, you can use finer-lined stamps. The technique goes like this: on a metal tag or glass piece, sprinkle a thin layer of regular or fine
ep. You should cover the metal or glass, but not too much thicker than that. Set the piece on release foil in the skillet. Adjust the temperature to about 300 degrees. (I melt it in a craft pan so that I don’t blow the ep all over the place with my heat gun.) When the ep is melted, remove it from the pan and impress it with an inked stamp. I like to use Brilliance ink.

Favorite colors?
I like buttery-yellow and celadon green. I like a lot of other colors, too, but these seem to stay with me.

Your favorite embellishment to finish a card?
I like to use brads and eyelets to finish cards. I had this breakthrough that you could use them for more than attaching layers and I now used them as decorative elements. I also learned that I could custom-color brads by coating them with ep, and that makes them even more versatile to me. (Heat the brad – or coat with pigment ink- dip into ep and melt. Be sure to hold the brad until it cools because if you put
it down, the ep will dent if it’s still hot.) I also adore charms. My big discovery with them was that I could color them with rub on metallics to get custom colors.

What is the one tool you couldn’t live without? (i.e. X-acto knife, heat gun, glue stick, sponge)
My latest favorite is The Ultimate glue by Crafter’s Pick. It works like E6000, but there’s no awful odor. I also like Elmer’s craft glue stick, and thanks to Lynn Lim for sharing that find with me! I am glue-impaired, so I’ve very happy when I find something I can successfully use. I think the second choice would be my Carl Cutter. I love it!

Any helpful tips for the group?
As a group member, you have so many resources at your fingertips. Ask questions, check out the files regularly, and get involved in one of our exchange groups (RAK list, MOSAS, 1-4-1, etc.). I have learned so much from the OSA membership, but I had to get over my fear of feeling stupid by posting a basic question. Also, host a swap. As a hostess, you get to see so much art! (I’ll help you out with tips for hosting.) In terms of general tips, buy in themes. For example, develop a color theme so you have ribbon, cardstock, vellum, ink, and embellishments that coordinate. (Notice I didn’t say “match.”) That way when you are making a project, and it’s 9:00pm, you don’t have to wait until the next day to get what you need. I also buy in image themes, and that’s how I arrange my stamps. (This works for most stamps, but some stamps could “live” in two different themes.) One
example is that I have a drawer of stamps that are all Chinese mages. Another is just Japanese, and a third is images I could use for either theme (e.g. fish, fans, bamboo). Decide if you want to keep your projects “pure” in terms of cultural themes. Do you care about mixing Korean and Japanese images or embellishments? (If not, the next tip does not apply.) Learn about the different cultures and what the
characters look like. Don’t depend on companies to sell a sheet of rubber that is all from one culture.

As a member of the Oriental Stamp Art group on yahoo, why do you like stamping in the Oriental theme?
I see the Oriental theme as timeless, unlike some stamping trends that I think will fade away. First of all, there are many themes within the Oriental genre. For example, I like nature themes in all of my work, and they are a large part of Oriental images. I also am drawn to simplicity, which is often an element in Oriental art. The theme also allows for very traditional expression or very avantgarde expression.

Is there any one place or city you’d like to visit to find rubberstamps,
supplies, or Asian art elements?
First: San Francisco/the Bay Area. Second: Seattle. The Bay Area is self explanatory. I haven’t been to Seattle to investigate the stamping scene, but it seems so rich with many stamp companies located in the area.

What other stamping lists or clubs do you belong to?
I belong to a couple of other larger groups: Altered Books, Artist Books, and Stamptalk. It seems like I’m on all of the sister groups to OSA : ) There are a few local groups that I make time to attend. One is a paper arts group and the other is a stamping group. I always learn something when I go, but it’s hard to carve out the time and make the effort to get there! I live about an hour away from bigger cities where clubs meet.

What favorite Stamping magazines would you recommend?
I buy Expression most of the time. It makes me think, even if I don’t make the projects they feature. I also like looking at their advertisers, who are sometimes different from the rubber stamping magazine advertisers. The Rubber Stamper is another favorite. I usually like the projects they feature. I used to rave about Stampers’ Sampler, but I don’t see as many new techniques there as I used to. I think it’s a good place for inspiration because of the sheer number of cards per issue.

Published in any magazines? If yes, please list.
I’ve been published in Stampers’ Sampler.

Any other hobbies, talents or craft interests?
I don’t sew very often any more, but I used to work with fabric a lot. You will see some incorporated into stamping designs or book covers I make now-a-days. I am interested in bookmaking, and I use stamps, collage and other techniques in these projects.

What inspires you to be creative? i.e. do you listen to music while you
stamp or watch TV, keep an art journal?
I think about designs and projects as I’m going to sleep. First, it’s a nice, gentle way to fall asleep. (For me, the alternative is worrying – lol.) Second, I am not staring at the work and wondering where I will go next. When I step back from a project, I usually get better results.
When I’m making something (a card, book, or whatever) I frequently do not have a picture in my mind of how it will turn out. So, when I get to a place where I’m a little stuck, I set the project aside and do something else. That’s when I figure out “solutions” to design problems or technical problems. I think it’s one of those things where if you are staring at something, you can’t see the forest for the trees.
Much of my inspiration comes from looking at and holding other eople’s work. I admire what they have done and think about how I could incorporate a technique or design element into my own projects.

Any art background ?
I have a bachelor degree with an emphasis in fiber art. My favorite areas were dying fabric and felt-making. Both are too messy for my current lifestyle, but I had fun with these.

Have you used any unusual item in your stamping that wasn’t necessarily meant for stamping? (i.e. found item or household item )
I can’t say that I’m way out there with using things the way they weren’t intended. I use a lot of plastic containers from the kitchen for storage or as water vessels for painting. I’ve used a cookie mold with polymer clay. Also, I use skewers for piano hinge books.

Any favorite books on stamping or art techniques that you would
recommend? Any on Asian arts & crafts?
Mary Jo McGraw’s book, Greeting Card Magic with Rubber Stamps and her new dvd, Stamp Art Inspirations are both very inspiring for me. The dvd contains updates on many of the techniques shown in the book. Also, it’s nice to see the processes, not just snapshots.
Mingei crafts by Karen Thomas is one I go back to again and again.

Do you have a day job when you’re not stamping?
My “day job” is teaching. Right now I am the department chair for a basic skills department at a community college. Fall term I am teaching pre-college reading. This is a demanding job, and stamping helps me to relax.

Tell us about your family and where you live.
My sweetheart and I live in beautiful Silverton, Oregon. The town of about 7,000 has no stop lights! We chose to live here because of the beautiful location and it is as good as we were going to get for commutes to both of our jobs: my husband works in a different city than I. We have a small, wooded lot in the city, and we see deer on a regular basis. (Gardening is not a passion for us, so we don’t care if they munch our small collection of flowers!) We’ve also seen raccoons, squirrels, skunks, all manner of birds, and chipmunks on our property. It’s a restful retreat.

See Brenda’s Blog: http://www.brendamarksstudio.com
E-mail Brenda at: brendam@orientalstampart.com

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR "Decorated Clay Piece"

NOTE: The sample posted on the home page is made from paper clay; however, I would use polymer clay in the future. The paper clay seemed to get soft when painted with the glaze.

Materials needed:
Light colored clay (polymer clay preferred)
Water soluble, dye-based re-inkers
Diamond Glaze (or similar medium)
Deeply etched rubber stamp
(Jumbo Rollagraph, Asian Inspirations by Paula Best was used)
Paintbrush
Rub ‘n Buff (or similar metallic rub ons)
Spray-on sealer

Project Steps:
1. Roll out clay to thickest setting on the pasta machine or about 1/4”.
2. Mist the clean rubber stamp with water and firmly press into the clay. You may need to practice until you get the right pressure. You want a clear, indented image left behind.
3. Bake or let dry according to manufacturer’s directions.
4. Mix a small amount of Diamond Glaze (1/2 tablespoon) with a drop or two of reinker. Stir this very gently to avoid creating air bubbles. Test the color on your clay to see if the color is deep enough. Adjust by adding more re-inker as desired. Do not add too much re-inker (less than ¼ of the mixture) or the Diamond Glaze mixture will not dry.
5. Paint areas of the clay piece with different colors. Allow to dry.
6. Apply Rub ‘n Buff to the raised areas of the design.
7. Seal with a spray-on sealer.

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