July 2004 -- Judy L.
"Study in Mixed Asian Media"

jluttrell1827@msn.com
Albuquerque, NM

(Click on picture for instructions)

How long have you been stamping?
Since my daughter was 10 years old . . . which was 15 years ago. We took a stamping class together to "bond". . . we fought over who was going to use the scissors or the glue next. We still laugh about it today !!

What is your favorite technique?
UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Powder) still amazes me after all this time !! I love heating a bunch of it with little random sprinkles coming off the perimeter, and then sinking a clean geometric design into the melded powder. It still looks like magic to me !!

Favorite stamp company?
Lynn Perella's Acey Deucy line has always made me oooh and aaah.

Favorite Asian stamps?
Love those new brush stroke stamps from Penny Black !!

Favorite stamping accessory? (i.e. EP, UTEE, Pearl-Ex, punch)
Besides my fascination for UTEE, believe it or not, I am in LOVE with my bone folder!! Never have I ever had crisper folds, or better corners on my bookcovers.

Favorite colors?
Teals . . . but with wonderful alternative combinations of other primary and neutral colors.

Your favorite embellishment to finish a card?
I tend to be a bit of a purist . . . my cards seem rather simplistic at times. My most dramatic combination on a card has been tiny fabric squares combined with diachroic glass.

What is the one tool you couldn't live without?
Besides my little bone folder, I couldn't live without the aid of acrylic boxes . . . LOVE them for organizing all this stuff one tends to accumulate in the studio. Because they are clear, you can see nearly everything inside at all times. The ability to see most of what you have spawns constant creative juices.

Any helpful tips for the group?
Visit as many art websites as you can sanely locate . . . I tend to get obsessed with this task !! Create files for yourself of "wow art". When you find a piece of art created by someone else that REALLY moves you . . . right click on the piece, copy, and save it into a word document. Find a bunch of them . . . . So, when you are feeling puny about your creativity, take a journey into your saved "wow art" files and rejuvenate your energy. This process is not intended to copy the work of others, but more to re-examine colors, placement, balance, and all the stuff that makes you SING !!

As a member of the Oriental Stamp Art group on yahoo, why do you like stamping in the Oriental theme?
This may sound very weird to some of you, but there are times that I feel I must have been Japanese in my past life. From the time I was a little girl, I remember my mom having Japanese friends when we lived in the heart of Seattle. The art of this culture is so clean, so uncomplicated, so full of meaning.

Is there any one place or city you'd like to visit to find rubberstamps, supplies, or Asian art elements?
Right here in little ol' Albuquerque we have some excellent stamp stores as well as a paper store to die for. I just learned that the former owner of this same paper store will be opening a new location nearby….but will have EXCLUSIVELY Japanese papers in stock. Well, there goes my annual bonus !!

What other stamping lists or clubs do you belong to?
Frankly none actively. I joined several, but quickly became frustrated with one of several factors: the poor quality of artistic energy; sarcastic communication between members; untimely responses on swaps. Yes, sadly I am a bit of a witch when it comes to these things.

What favorite Stamping magazines would you recommend?
I have EVERY issue of Somerset Studio since its inception several years ago. I am not a "doll sorta gal" but I have found immense enjoyment from the quarterly publication of Art Dolls . . . the combination of elements and colors used in this artform has been a source of inspiration. I wait with bated breath for the newest Gallery publication . . . the Asian one is still my favorite.

Published in any magazines? If yes, please list.
No. But I do have my work featured in 2 local galleries.

Any other hobbies, talents or craft interests?
Reading. Counted cross stitch. Sewing. Gallery cruising.

What inspires you to be creative? i.e. do you listen to music while you stamp or watch TV, keep an art journal?
Silence . . . blessed silence. And, looking out my studio windows with the west and southerly exposures . . . looking at these incredible BLUE New Mexican skies . . . especially just after sunset . . . they turn a deep navy blue.

Any art background ?
Just the usual tragic experiences in high school art. Sometimes I think my third grade art teacher must have terrorized us when we learned to use the brush and watercolors. To this day, I am terrified to pick up a brush and even dip it in the water to start !! Very bizarre . . .

Have you used any unusual item in your stamping that wasn't necessarily meant for stamping? (i.e. found item or household item )
Teeny tiny green legumes from our Asian food store. Initially was concerned they might "sprout" over time on the cards I created . . . but they didn't !!

Any favorite books on stamping or art techniques that you would recommend? Any on Asian arts & crafts?
Handcrafted Cards, by Paige Gilchrist; Color on Paper and Fabric, by Ruth Issett; An Introduction to Mixed Media, by Michael Wright; Collage Art, by Jennifer Atkinson

Do you have a day job when you're not stamping?
Yes . . . a very left brain position as the Human Resources Manager for a local bank and their branches within all of New Mexico. Also a pro-bono mediator for our Metropolitan Court . . . barking dogs; bad car repairs; construction jobs not completed; landlord/tenant disputes; but NO family dispute resolution. . . . Would be unable to maintain critical neutrality in this venue.

Tell us about your family and where you live.
Originated from Seattle. One of seven children. Married at 20 years old . . . for nearly 17 years. Two exceptional children who have blessed me with 5 grandchildren between them. Moved from Seattle to New Mexico 12 years ago. Live in Albuquerque with 2 fur kids (cats) Ben and Jerri; the VLD (very large dog) also known as Kiowa Kate - a 5 yr old Bernese Mountain Dog; and the love of my life . . . we celebrate 10 years together in October !!

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR "Study in Mixed Asian Media"
By Judy L.
OSA SAM - July 2004

Instructions:

1) Cut a piece of ribbed copper cardstock to approx. 8 ½ x 6 ½ inches.
2) Cut 2 pieces of poster board…one piece at 5 7/8 x 7 7/8 inches and the other measuring 3 7/8 x 5 1/8 inches.
3) Cut 2 pieces of coordinating papers….each of them 1 inch longer and 1 inch wider than each of the pieces of poster board.
4) Cover each piece of poster board with the appropriate size decorative paper. Wrap the ½ inch perimeter around all four sides. Miter the edges underneath.
5) Center and mount each one of the rectangles on top of each other, in order of size, using double stick tape.
6) Cut a piece of interesting fabric to 4 1/8 x 2 7/8 inches. Fray the fabric on all four sides to approx. ¼ inch.
7) Adhere the fabric to the top layer of covered poster board, using double stick tape.
8) Cut 2 pieces of copper thread to 5 inches each. Loop each one through the center of 2 old Asian coins.
9) Cut the ends off of 12 decorative toothpicks. Using E6000, glue the tops of the toothpicks (top to cut measures ¾ inch) to the underside of each coin….3 on the right side, and 3 on the left. Allow 10 minutes to set.
10) Glue both coin pieces to opposite ends of the fabric, using E6000.

Notation: I like the depth that wrapping the poster board gives to the finished piece. Yes, you could just use pieces of paper glued on top of each other, but you would not have the same dimensional appeal.

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