Will it surprise you to know that I carved more than 31 stamps for #CarveDecember? Today I thought I'd share a few of the "extras." For the most part, stamps that pattern will always be my fave! I also have a bunch of tessellating stamps that I made but didn't share. I'll plan on sharing those next week! Let me know which of these "extra" stamps is your fave. I'd love to know! Thanks for stopping by! Read more →

Another fabulous #CarveDecember is in the books! Here are my last few stamps (days 28-31): I had a great time this year and, as always, learned a lot. I'm definitely a better carver and printer than I was last year. Yay! Progress is often slow and incremental, but it's progress nonetheless. A big part of the learning process was the daily practice, but this year was super special because of The Carve December Class. I learned something new from every single one of the ten guest teachers in the course. And the #CarveDecember community really brought the fire this year.... Read more →

I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend. Today I'm sharing my carves from days 21-27 of #CarveDecember 2020: This first set of tags was created by using my gelatin plate. In the #CarveDecemberClass I share how I use my hand carved stamps with the gelatin plate. These next two prints are both reduction prints. You may recall that I posted about reduction printing back in September. It's a method of printing in which you destroy the block as you print. It's a super fun process! I've noticed a theme of nature -- especially leaves and flowers -- in my... Read more →

This month has absolutely been flying by. I can't believe we're already two thirds of the way through #CarveDecember. Here are my most recent stamps: Amazing how different the same stamp can look depending on how you print it! I actually carved this one twice. Let me know which version you prefer! I can see that I'm slightly obsessed with stripes at the moment. And who can blame me? Far greater artists than I have spent a lifetime painting stripes, like Ellsworth Kelly... Sol LeWitt... Barnett Newman... and Bridget Riley... ...to name just a few! I'll have to see where... Read more →

The carves this year feel more intense. I think it's the Carve December Class. There's something new to learn every single day! Take a peek: Also: Instagram "recent" hashtags are back! You can find so much good stuff by visiting #CarveDecember and #CarveDecemberClass! It's not too late for you to start carving! You can participate in #CarveDecember for just one day. Stamp carving is easy and fun and you can even do it with just a craft knife and a pencil eraser! I put together a super short how-to video for you: Thanks for stopping by! Read more →

I can honestly say that the stamps I've carved for #CarveDecember this year are some of my best. I'm feeling very happy about that! I have to give credit to the #CarveDecember Class. It has pushed me to think more deeply about what I'm creating and I've picked up some fabulous new tricks from the guest teachers. Take a peek: It is not too late for you to join in on all of the stamp carving fun. You don't have to participate every day. You can pop in just once and that's awesome! Thanks for stopping by! --- P.S. Instagram... Read more →

Carving a stamp can be as quick as 10 minutes or as long as days. It really all depends on the size of the block. This simple little stamp took me less than 10 minutes to carve: It's also teeny tiny. This big block... ...took me about two-and-a-half hours. You can watch the process, which I've condensed down to under a minute, in this video: (Members can view the real time 2.5 hour process in the Classroom. And yes, this is the one of the stamps I carved for the #CarveDecemberClass.) If you're on the fence about participating in #CarveDecember,... Read more →

Today's card is about being lazy and reimagining an existing stamp instead of carving a new one. ;) I carved this "flower" stamp several years ago. But over the weekend I decided I could turn it upside down for a Christmas Ball Celebration! Watch the video for the how-to: Supplies: watercolor paper Pigma Micron PN black ink hand carved stamp craft foam scrap paper optional: clear ruler QoR watercolors paintbrush gold paint pen tape runner blank black card I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. I hope you enjoyed this whole week of card tutorials! I had a great time putting... Read more →

This is such a simple idea and super duper addictive. Once I started making these trees, I just did not want to stop! In essentials, I just stamped a whole bunch of hand carved stamps on top of each other. Watch the video for the how-to: Supplies: white cardstock tissue tape stamping ink hand carved stamps craft foam scrap paper for masking tape runner paper trimmer gold cardstock optional: paper punch and wet adhesive I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you're interested in learning more about carving and printing your own stamps, I offer several online classes. I'm currently... Read more →

Today's guest is Christina Richmond, aka Tweeny. Christina lives in Bath, and as a Jane Austen fan, I've always had a fantasy version of Bath in my head. We do chat about this at the top of the podcast, but then we get into the creative meat of the matter: when graphic design meets lino. If you do not see the podcast player above, please click on this link. On the off chance that you've never listened to a podcast or don't get why anybody would want to, here are some facts: (1) Podcasts are convenient. It's a recording that... Read more →