January 2008 - Bonnie B.
"Bleached Ferns "

bonnieb@orientalstampart.com

(Click on picture for instructions)

How long have you been stamping?
I’ve been stamping for about five years. I could have been an early adapter, but my first exposure to rubber stamps came in 1995 when I was looking for wrought iron garden decorations and went to a store that sold both wrought iron and rubber stamps. They demonstrated the embossing technique for me, but I thought it was totally ridiculous to spend money on a tool to make lines on paper! WHO KNEW!

What is your favorite technique?
As you might have guessed by now, I love spraying – with and without masks and stencils. I also love bleach techniques, layering papers, lots of different embossing and shimmery powders. My favorite techniques seem to be the ones that make the biggest mess!

Favorite stamp company?
This has to be plural. Fred Mullett, Stamp Zia, Judikins, Stampington, Penny Black brush stokes. I loved and really miss Toybox!

Favorite Asian stamp?
Okay, I know I’m supposed to say our elite vendors, but you know what? I can say that and absolutely mean it. We are so very lucky to have such fantastic resources for finding Asian images! I’m quickly running out of stamps to buy from Art Neko and About Art Accents. Not only do I really REALLY love their images, but it’s such a pleasure dealing with Candice and Larry. I definitely love and appreciate the Taylored Images Heather contributes to the collection. Anne Stone at Stonehouse Stamps is also a most accommodating proprietor of a great stamp “store” with lots of art to look at and paper to accentuate the designs. I’m not going to name them all – just the ones who have most of my money! They are a great group, and I offer no apologies offered for this shameless testimonial (for which I have received no compensation)!

Favorite stamping accessory?
Again, this has to be multiples. My favorite? Fred Mullett’s “Big Ugly” Stamp Positioner. After that, my Carl Rotary Trimmer, an Ott light, a large self-healing cutting mat, Tombow markers, and India Ink pens by Pitt/Faber-Castell.

Favorite colors?
Oh my! Are there any colors that I don’t like? All time favorites are red and yellow and their derivatives. My least favorite is lavender. I’m not particularly fond of pastels unless I can get really intense saturations and maybe glitz them up a bit. I’m afraid I tend to be bold and sassy– just like the red I love!

Your favorite embellishment to finish a card?
My favorite “embellishment” is a simple artist’s seal or kanji. Although not technically an embellishment, I like using layers of paper to bring out colors in the design, and gold or black edging. I get really caught up in the design itself, and I want it to be interesting and good enough that it doesn’t need anything else. I will use the occasional brad, charm, coin, rub-on, or punch, sometimes a ribbon or cord. I like little bits of fine-textured glitter. I’m not a big embellishment fan, really. Sometimes I think embellishments compete with and distract from really lovely pieces of art, but I also see some embellishments that complete the work perfectly! If I had lots of space to store extra things, or if I could find it once I have it, I might have a different opinion. If you see major embellishments on my work, you can probably figure that I’m trying to cover up a stupid mistake!

What is the one tool you couldn't live without?
I’m tempted to say my trash can! It gets the most use. Again, I have to answer in multiples. Exacto knives with millions of replacement blades. One of every variety of scissors made (especially the Ionic Tim Holtz edition). A couple of embossing tools. A metal ruler and clear drafter’s triangles. A collection of erasers for lifting, smoothing, removing. My large Xyron 900. Here I have to add a caveat. I absolutely require this machine for large adhesive applications, but I detest the excessive packaging that comes with the refills. There has to be a better way. I limit my use as much as possible, and save several pieces to run through at a time.

Any helpful tips for the group?
I’ve not been shy about sharing tips about stamping on Thursday tips. The tips I would offer here are much more philosophical and maybe pedantic. But given a platform, why not use it? My first tip is not to be afraid to try new things. It’s only paper! You’ll mess up, but it won’t hurt anybody. You’ll learn more from your failures than your successes. Second, if you make a mistake, you can probably fix it, cover it up, or salvage some part of what’s left after you really messed it up trying to fix it! Finally, the best lesson I ever learned was that you have to learn to see. We worry about techniques, colors, papers, etc. but overlook what may be the most important element, and that is light and how it affects everything else. We can’t create what we don’t know. I would recommend an exercise that I’ve repeated over and over as a photography buff. Find an “artistic subject” outside. Examine it over the course of the day. Take pictures if you can. You will be surprised at the differences you will see. Green (or any other color) isn’t always or only green. Shadows have color. The direction, intensity, and warmth of the light are as real as the physical structure you see. I’ve schlepped camera and tripod before dawn, throughout the day, at dusk, in the evening, over the course of several days to get one lighthouse picture. One day it works! It’s a lesson I treasure.

As a member of OSA, why do you like stamping in the Oriental theme?
I have been a long-time admirer of woodblock prints and sumi brush paintings. What looks so simple and sometimes austere is really technically very difficult and intricate; and it appeals to me as both art product and process. I love the focus on nature and the juxtaposition of nature and architecture. I love the color, the humor, and the action in the prints. I love washi and fiber papers. I enjoy working with other styles and themes, but somehow those little rubber dies seem natural extensions of the Japanese woodblock designs. And then there’s the ink! It just feels right!

Is there any one place or city you'd like to visit to find rubber stamps, supplies, or Asian art elements?
Other than Japan or other Asian locales, my next trip to the Pacific Northwest of the United States will include some major shopping opportunities. Washington and Oregon seem to be at the epicenter of the Asian stamping universe in this country.

What other stamping lists or local clubs do you belong to?
Other than commercial lists, this is the only one. I’m not really a joiner, and it took me a while to sign up for OSA, even though I was regularly enjoying the website. Candice at Art Neko suggested I might be interested and offered to support my request to join. No local clubs (other than a neighborhood book club). I take a few classes here and there when visiting artists are teaching somewhere, and we have a couple of very fine local stamp stores who provide connections!

What favorite stamping magazines would you recommend?
The magazine I never miss is VSN. It’s a great resource. My next favorite one went out of business, but Expressions magazine offered lots of good information in multiple media. I enjoyed Somerset Studio in the past but not much recently. Their Asian art special issue from several years back is a treasure. I thumb through The Stamper’s Sampler and Take Ten occasionally.

Published in any magazines? If yes, please list.
I’ve only submitted to VSN, and Nancie Waterman has been kind enough to publish some of my art.

Any other hobbies, talents or craft interests?
I have a chronology of interests that would probably amuse you. Motorcycles (too painful), sailing (too much dependence on other people), running and racquetball (tough on the knees) occupied a lot of my time earlier in my life. I consider them important because of the exposure I got to many different environments and natural phenomena as well as their contribution to developing an ability to persevere in something that made no sense. I can sew – making most of my own clothes when I was younger and poorer, starting with doll clothes and making my first wearable outfit in the second grade. I have done crewel embroidery and counted cross-stitch, but those require too much sitting. I’m considered a gourmet cook – whatever that means – which makes it even more important not to do sitting hobbies.(No, I don’t sit when I stamp, and I don’t bring food into the studio!) I love decorating, and as expensive as stamping is, it’s nothing compared to the cost of painting rooms and choosing upholstery and accessories. (hmmmm! On second thought. . .) I play with polymer clay on occasion. The one hobby I have had longest and still enjoy is photography. Working with photography really taught me to see. I’ve described that little lesson in my tips above.

What inspires you to be creative?
Without being flip, my answer has to be simply living. Rarely a day goes by that I can’t say that I’ve seen something that is at least breath taking if not earth shattering in its beauty. I think, for me, creativity comes from wanting to possess something that can’t be owned –mists settling on the mountains, a thunderstorm over the ocean, dewdrops on leaves. It comes from having experienced times when I wanted or needed things I couldn’t afford – so I made it myself. I am fortunate to live in a place where there are wonderful parks and woodlands, museums, galleries, theater, music - I’m surrounded by natural and cultural treasures. I have also been fortunate to have lots of people in my life (including OSA members) who make me want to do something personal and special for them. I have been blessed by the kindness of strangers, and thinking of goodness makes me want to create something to show my appreciation. Another real source of inspiration for me – now don’t laugh – is my dog. Our morning and afternoon walks are my favorite times. Her curiosity, perseverance, and unlimited joy in exploring her world rub off on me. What’s in that hole under a tree? Exactly where did that squirrel go? What are all those scents filling the air? How can deer be so big and so quiet? Did you know there are snowbows – colder rainbows? She’s totally trusting and vulnerable – qualities essential for trying new things. There’s so much to see – colors, textures, shapes, shadows, light. It informs my art!

Any art background ?
Having no formal art training, I’m pretty much self-taught. If I can’t figure it out, I search out resources. I have a natural creative background through my family. My mother, in her short life, was one of the most naturally talented people I ever knew. She created beauty wherever she went. Our clothes were handmade, and even though they may have been made from feed sacks, they were always adorned with embroidery, appliqué, ribbons, and/or pinafores. She created holiday ornaments from natural elements, made cakes that sparkled, added glamour to even the most mundane family gatherings. Most important, she taught children – hers and others – to look for beauty, to be inquisitive, to use their talents, and to be grateful. It’s hard not to be creative when you appreciate so much. My grandmother and aunts were teachers – the most creative people on the face of the earth. My grandmother made beautiful lace, crocheted items, embroidery, and quilts. One aunt is a musician who performs, teaches, and writes reviews and program notes for choral and orchestral groups. My grandfather was a carpenter. My dad’s family were farmers, mill workers, hardworking family men and women who spoiled us with affection. I grew up on a farm in North Carolina with dogs, cats, and barnyard animals and had acres and acres to roam. Not what you might think of as an art background, but a background where creativity could grow.

Have you used any unusual item in your stamping that wasn't necessarily meant for stamping?
Haven’t we all? Hardware cloth, can lids, painters tape, spackling paste, drywall tape, shop towels, center punches, way more than I can think of now!. One of my favorite stamp cleaning tools came from the paint section of the hardware store – very much like the foam/brush pads sold for much more in the crafts stores.

Any favorite websites you would recommend for inspiration?
The OSA site, of course, would have to be number 1. It’s fantastic. I love looking at Fred Mullett’s site – yes, I’m stricken! – Zana Clark’s site is very informative and beautiful to look at.

Do you have a day job when you're not stamping?
I dropped out of the paid workforce when my husband moved us to Erie, PA, in 1995. After one year of not being able to find anything remotely suitable to do there, I got my first Airedale Terrier and spent the remaining two years walking along Lake Erie and surrounding nature preserves in sub-zero weather praying for sunlight! I continue to be a consultant for the National Cancer Institute of the US National Institutes of Health. For them, I am the person who examines and evaluates administrative procedures, organizational structure, and management expertise for Cancer Centers receiving support grants through federal research funding. These are primarily university-affiliated institutions; and I’ve been fortunate to be able to travel across the United States, doing only the reviews I want to do, and staying in touch with my professional side without a full-time commitment. I also occasionally agree to be a consultant for Universities or major medical centers that have problems they need to correct in their cancer centers or who need assistance in preparing for upcoming reviews.

Tell us about your family and where you live.
My husband, Tom, and my Airedale terrier, Gretchen, and I live in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. Tom is a former research scientist and medical school professor who now works for the National Institutes of Health. I spent most of my professional life as an academic and research administrator - first at Duke University where I got my first graduate degree and lived for twenty years. Tom and I then lived seven years in Lexington, Kentucky, where I picked up a second master’s degree while working at the University of Kentucky Medical Center; three years in Erie, PA; and now nine years in Maryland. My mom died when I was thirteen, following a hard two-year battle with a brain tumor; and, at the age of eleven, I was largely responsible for caring for my three younger siblings who were six months old, four years old, and ten years old up until the time I went off to college. Because I spent so many years taking care of other people, I decided I really couldn’t make the commitment to have children or other responsibilities that would keep me from exploring some of the things I missed growing up. I waited until later in life to marry, and I acquired four grown sons along with my first (and last!) husband, twenty years ago. I’m very close to my sister’s three daughters, one of whom recently moved to the area; and my husband and I now have two grandchildren, one of whom lives reasonably close by (age 2) and one in Chicago, IL (age 6). With lots of extended family and wonderful friends, it’s a grand life!

I want to say that I am most honored and humbled to be named Stamp Artist of the Month! I wish each of you and everyone you love a healthy, happy, and prosperous new year of PEACE ON EARTH AND GOOD WILL TO ALL!

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Bleached Ferns
By Bonnie B.

Some of you have seen a variation of this project in my Yahoo album. I’m sorry not to come up with a totally original project; but in order to be able to get it done this month, I had to fall back on something I’d tried before. My thanks to Fred Mullett for the original inspiration for this card, and for teaching such wonderful classes that even I was able to make it work!

What to Use

The list of materials that follows tells you exactly what I used, but you can certainly substitute your own preferences.

Stamps:

• Big Deer Fern 1 (BG-55) by Fred Mullett
• Deer Fern 1 (159) by Fred Mullett
• Deer Fern 2 (160) by Fred Mullett
• Dragonfly by Creative Mode
• Seal (Fred Mullett) “Simplicity is the heart of elegance.”
• Texture stamp hand made.
  

Materials:

• Black art-grade paper (I used Strathmore Artagain)
• Bleach and bleach pad
• Tombow colored markers: 025 and 985 yellows; 946 orange; 885 coral; 076, 098, 126, 177, and 249 greens
• A dark-colored dye ink pad
• Memories white dye ink pad
• Deep red (Versafine Crimson)
• Black Versafine ink pad
• Judikins Detail Gold Embossing Powder
• Red Foil embossing powder
• Detail Black embossing Powder
• Coordinating Papers: Green shimmer paper; Washi; Cardstock

Essential Tools:

• Stamp Positioner (Fred Mullett’s “Big Ugly” is made for this application!)
• Fine spray mister
  

Technique

Fold heavy duty paper towels (I love the thick blue shop towels from Home Depot) to fit a shallow tray large enough for the largest stamp to fit. Pour bleach onto the paper towel until it is wet, but not standing in bleach. You should be able to get a good coating of bleach on your stamp but without having it drip or puddle. You may need to experiment to get the right moisture level.

Stamp fern images with bleach on black paper in an arrangement that you find pleasing and let it dry. The bleached images should look something like this:

You will now add color to your image, working with one fern at a time.
Using the stamp positioner, stamp one of the ferns on the positioner’s acrylic plate in an ink color you will be able to see over the bleached image. Align the plate over a bleached image of the same fern you stamped on the plate, and move the positioner into place. Remove the acrylic plate, but leave the positioner in place until you have finished with the fern. Color directly onto your stamp with your markers. You can add one color at a time, or blend several colors at once. Lightly mist the stamp and make a colored image over the bleached one. Dry quickly with an embossing tool to see how the colors set. Repeat, misting each time, until you have colors you like. Be careful that you don’t move the positioner! You may find it necessary to realign it to get the image colored completely. When the colors look good to you, stamp over the colors with white dye ink and watch the magic happen! Now move on to the next fern and repeat the process. This picture uses three fern images, so finish all of the same kind before starting a different one. Clean the acrylic plate, and start all over again. When you have finished with all the ferns you can touch up any places that you missed if you feel that is necessary.

Select a section of the image that you will use as your main image and crop. Using the red ink pad, stamp the dragonfly where you would like for it to be. Emboss with detail gold embossing powder. Stamp the wings of the dragonfly on a scrap of washi paper and emboss. Cut the wings out of the washi paper and glue over the wings stamped onto the black paper. Add a seal or kanji of your choice. For this one I stamped the red background with Versafine crimson and embossed with red foil embossing powder. Stamp seal onto the red square with Versafine black, and emboss with detail black embossing powder.

Mount your cropped image onto the green shimmer paper and then onto the washi. (You will find it easier to work with the washi paper if you attach it to a thin sheet of paper and then trim it to the size you need. That helps prevent it from stretching or shredding along the edges when you are trying to adhere it to your cardstock.) Mount the washi onto the cardstock.

Sign your work and be proud of it!