Firstly and most importantly my granddaughters husband is home. He is having home health come in 4-5 times a week but he was well enough to go home with the additional help. Praying for continuing improvement and some return to normalcy for them all.
Secondly, I have had time to try my new stamping gismo and I think it will help a lot with the stamping. You can only use the silicone flat type of stamps with it but you can keep re-stamping until you get a good print so that is a bonus. I think you can take the rubber stamps off the blocks and use them the same way but I haven't tried that yet as I didn't want to render the wooden block stamps unusable.
It also came with a stencil so I tried that and decided I wanted to do more stenciling. It is fun. Of course, I was way too heavy handed with the ink at first but after watching many YouTube videos I realised I needed dobbers and sponges etc. My daughter sent some money for my birthday so I got a lot of supplies from Amazon including more stencils and blending brushes, foil paper, sticky squares for 3D effect, finger dobber sponges and blending tools which come with disposable sponges. I was in card making heaven and I didn't feel guilty because the money was a gift.
The gismo also has a type setting board and letters and numbers etc. I have yet to give that a go.
I finished the second replacement cardigan for the dolls. (the one on the left). Now I just have to get a skirt made. The one on the right is sitting around with just her underwear and cardigan on!
The weather has cooled slightly so we have been able to get out and do some mowing and outside stuff. My husband is now able to do more post surgery and he had 4 infusions over the course of 4 weeks and that seems to have helped him regain some strength. We had more large limbs down with the storms which we will cut up for firewood at some point too.
We have been working on editing one of his stories ready for publication also so things are simmering along nicely.
Hope all is good in your worlds!
Glad to read that your stamping platform arrived and that you were able to get loads of supplies. Just FYI, I take my rubber stamps off the wood block by slowly, at about 5 to 10 second intervals putting them in the microwave until the glue loosens. Then I carefully remove them. I store them individually in a small sandwich bag with the wooden block so I know what it is. Today I've been watching videos on using watercolor pencils and doings some painting of things I stamped especially for that purpose. Also very glad to read that your granddaughter's husband is home. Cookie
ReplyDeleteThanks, as always, good information. I suppose you could always glue them back onto the blocks if necessary. Is the glue easy to get off the stamp itself? Sometimes I use my gel pens to add color to my stamps. I hadn't heard of water colour pencils until you mentioned them but I imagine they would be nice to use. Not going to look though she says with fingers crossed behind her back!
DeleteMost of the glue stays on the wooden block. I've never removed it from the back of the stamp itself, but just leave whatever residue is there on it. The stamp will easily go back on the wood block should you decide to do that, but once I started using a platform it was so much easier to get what I wanted that I never went back to stamping with a wood block. What a great idea to use gel pens on stamps. I've never tried it. Is there anything special you have to do to get a good image? I love water color pencils. So easy to use and cleanup is a breeze. Lots of youtube videos on how to use them. I used the Crafters Companion Spectrum Noir aquablend pencil video. Easy Peasey. It can be applied to all water color pencils. Far be it from me to corrupt you, BUT --- the Home Shopping Network is having a 24 hour craft day on August 22. It will start when the clock strikes midnight on the 21st. Lots of papercrafting shows that day. I love to watch and get ideas of how to use what I have in a different way. Of course they are selling everything they show. It takes a lot of restraint not to buy. Just saying (lol). Cookie
DeleteSounds like all are improving. The dolls are cute
ReplyDeleteThanks Cheryl, I am so happy that my grandson (in law) is improving. The dolls are wanna be American Girl dolls that I rescued from the thrift store. Part of me just never fully grew up lol.
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