April 2008 - Melody C.
"Little Booklet "

Port Angeles, WA, USA

(Click on picture for instructions)

How long have you been stamping?
I've been stamping seriously (which means that I spent a lot of money on “stuff”) for about 5 years; but I've been accumulating stamps and inks for a long time.

What is your favorite technique?
I suppose it would have to be layering, but then if I see something related to bookmaking (especially small ones) I've got to try it.

Favorite stamp company?
It's so hard to pick, but I do love Fred Mullet; Stonehouse Stamps, Art Neko (especially Heather's images), Penny Black brushstroke and Stamps Happen.

Favorite Asian stamp?
That's not a fair question because my favorite stamps change daily and with my moods.

Favorite stamping accessory?
My new scor-it..

Favorite colors?
My favorite color is red, but I find that I like to use other colors while stamping (especially the cooler colors of blue and green).

Your favorite embellishment to finish a card?
A chop mark or using a gold Krylon pen to finish the edges.

What is the one tool you couldn't live without?
My X-Acto knife

Any helpful tips for the group?
heck out all the various galleries on OSA; don't be afraid to experiment; join swaps, and love your mistakes (oh, and never, ever forget to put the lid back on your jar of extra fine glitter before you turn on your heat tool)!

As a member of OSA, why do you like stamping in the Oriental theme?
I've been attracted to Asian art for many years; I love the seemingly simple designs and the calm colors (which is not to say that I use them!)

Is there any one place or city you'd like to visit to find rubber stamps, supplies, or Asian art elements?
I love visiting San Francisco because of Japantown and Chinatown, but I've always wanted to visit Japan to buy more washi. (Hi, I'm Melody and I'm a paper-holic!)

What other stamping lists or local clubs do you belong to?
Just OSA; it's the only group of which I don't seem to tire.

What favorite stamping magazines would you recommend?
My favorite magazine (Expression) went out of business a couple of years back and I haven't found one to replace it (but, that doesn't stop me from buying others).

Published in any magazines? If yes, please list.
Take Ten, Stampers' Sampler and one in the UK (whose name I've forgotten)

Any other hobbies, talents or craft interests?
I have to keep my hands busy, so I draw, knit, bead, bake bread, do stitchery and read and read and read. And, then on every Wednesday night, my friend Laurel comes over and we spend a few hours printmaking (I have a lithography press and stones…).

What inspires you to be creative?
That's a hard question for me to answer because I don't really know. I just know that if I don't do something creative, I just go nuts!

Any art background ?
I have a major in art history, a minor in fine arts and many years of drawing and printmaking (mostly lithography and woodblock).

Have you used any unusual item in your stamping that wasn't necessarily meant for stamping?
I have so much craft stuff that I figure it was ALL meant for stamping!

Any favorite websites you would recommend for inspiration?
OSA would be my first recommendation, but I also enjoy Lisa Vollrath's website and a fun one is TV Weekly.

Do you have a day job when you're not stamping?
Nope, I quit my day job back in '94 so that I could get pregnant and create art (and well, I did get pregnant!)

Tell us about your family and where you live.
My husband of nearly 20 years and I live with our 12-year old daughter (and our almost 13-year old standard dachshund) on the Olympic Peninsula in the state of Washington (our local bookstore says we're in the “left hand corner of the map”). We moved (or should I say escaped?) from Washington D.C. in 1996 and what a terrific move it's been. I really like living in a small town again. (I grew up in Cupertino, California BEFORE it became “Silicone Valley”). I worked as an executive assistant in D.C. for one of the many lobbying firms and loved the pay and the staff, but seriously disliked my job; so, I was thrilled to be able to 'retire' to be a mom. My husband worked for the government for 35 years and retired January 1, 2000 and I think he's working harder as a local volunteer than he ever worked before! Our daughter is a wonderful child, beautiful inside and out. She is an active participant in life and has cello and piano lessons, and takes part in judo and swimming clubs (I'm fairly busy being the chief-schlepper). So, after we moved here, we built our “dream home” on the side of a small mountain at the base of the Olympics and look over the Strait of Juan de Fuca and gaze across to Vancouver Island. It's a lovely place to live.

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Little Booklet
By Melody C.

Supplies needed:

• 1 sheet 8” x 8” card stock
• A (from the template) is 2-1/8” x 5” [or a rectangle of 2-1/8” x 3-1/8” with tabs at each end whose corners are mitered];
  B is 3-1/8” x 4-1/2” [or a rectangle of 2-1/8” x 3/1-8” with tabs on each side whose corners are mitered], and
  C is 3/8” x 2” [.95 x 5.1cm] – you’ll need three of these) – use scraps of cardstock 1 sheet 3” x 17” paper (7.6 x 43.2 cm)
• Glue stick
• Bone folder and ruler (or other scoring device)
• Stamps and ink pads and small pieces of paper or lightweight cardstock

Trace template pieces (2 of “A” and 2 of “B”) onto cardstock. Cut out the pieces and save the scraps to use for your spine pieces.

Score the fold lines, and then fold in the tabs. Set aside.

Score your 3 x 17 sheet at 2-1/8”, 6-3/8”, 10-5/8” and 14-7/8”. Flip over and score at 4-1/4”, 8-1/2” and 12-3/4”. This gives you an accordion fold.

Decorate the pages as desired (skipping the first and last pages as these will not show).

Glue spine strips on pages.

Glue left tab onto the inside of “A”; glue right tab onto the inside of “B” and make sure that the fold (on “B”) lines up with the edge of “A”.

Glue first page to the inside of (2) and the last page to (1) (again making sure to line up the fold on the first and last pages with the inside edge(s) of “A”

Glue remaining tabs to cover the first and last pages.

Tuck in the top and bottom tabs.