Making your own Stamps MCS Meeting November

As you can see in this image the tissue paper becomes transparent and you can see the image underneath very nicely.

Ann Coats the surface with acrylic medium and the places an area she has stamped over the image. Make sure the stamped paper is dry first.

Mary's Granddaughters stamp was used in the demo. What a wonderful job she did carving out the design in the foam.

Clean up is a breeze! No really with a tooth brush and water scrub the acrylic off and let the stamp dry a bit before using again.

Ann is stamping on the tissue paper, she brushes on the acrylic with a mixture of the acrylics to create unique color patterns. Some times she switches the stamp around to make interesting patterns. http://www.ccpvideos.com/page/CCP/CTGY/SUP (Artist Tissue Papers)

Ann mixes a little methyl cellulose to help the acrylic spread easier working on a freezer paper surface so the artist tissue paper doesn't stick and clean is easy.

Laura's stamp is carved out, adding a little extra to it. Ann is showing us how she carve the foam on a bevel to get the best cuts. You will have to work little by little to get the foam cut but it makes for a great stamp. You don't have to cut out your design on the paper but do draw it on the foam block. With a very sharp blade start carving out on a bevel the foam. Not very easy but if you have a new blade it works much better. Foam is purchased at Jo Ann Fabrics or any craft store, make sure it's 1/4 thick. glue it to a wooden block with Liquid Nails. It is water proof. Let dry before using.
http://craftsuppliesforless.com/kidscraftsupplies_foamsheets.html ( just so you have an idea of what the foam sheets look like. They should be 1/4'' thick on the thinner sheets of foam it doesn't work as well)

View finder set to Image for design. Trace your foam block on a sheet of paper, draw out your design from the view finder.

copyright images which can also be used with the view finder for designs.

Samples of Ann's papers and work.

Magazines and copyright free imagery.

View finders/slide holders are used to help find images out of magazine pages for designs.

Our fearless leader Tania Blanco has been recovering at home, she would be proud of her group of ladies. We keep getting new faces and more ideas are spring up all over the place. We wish you well Tania and hope you will be on your feet very soon and back to normal.

~v~

View more members working on their stamps on the slide show.

Dianne Martia and Dennis Salaty MCS members

"Cycles"

Dianne Martia and Dennis Salaty will be exhibing their work at the Elmhurst Artist Guild Gallery at the Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 Cottage Hill, Elmhurst, IL 60126. www.elmhuratartisguild.org Oct 26th-Nov 28th Reception Friday Nov 7th 7-9pm

Collage Member Cynthia Lee

Collage member Cynthia Lee will be exhibiting her artwork in the Streeterville Artisan Market Nov 7-8th at Northwestern University Lurie Center, 303 E. Superior, Chicago, Lobby. Stop by and say Hi see the wonderful works Cynthia as be doing lately. Free to everyone Over 50 artists. artisans@soarchicago.org

November 7th Evening event is a benefit for SOAR "Streeterville Organization of Active Residents", Admission of $45.00 with drinks and appetizers and music!

Novemebers Meeting 2008

NOVEMBER Sunday, November 2
Darien Municipal Center 1710 Plainfield Road, Darien
Ann Hupke will present a workshop on stampmaking. You will need to bring an X-acto Knifeand extra blades and a pair of cuticle scissors. Don't miss this one! Meetings of the MCS are held in the Training Room of the Darien Municipal Center, 1710 Plainfield Road, Darien. Meetings are generally the first Sunday of each month from 1:30 - 4:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted, and there is a fee of $5.00 per attendee.

Printing Mini Workshop #3 with the MCS group

Water base printing ink but this process can also be used with an oil base ink. Water base is use when working with children. But a steady printer my want to use a oil base which can be cleaned up with baby oil on your plexi surface.
The print is from a photograph Nancy took of everyone and was layed over the ink. The Water base ink will dry out faster and you my have to reink the surface under the image.
Gale is showing us that the plexi glass is inked up and her paper is next with the photo of herself taped to the top. She will line it up and start printing.
Gale is using different tools to etch in the paper just enought to pick up the inks on the print paper in the reverse.
Here Gale is checking her image and thinking about re-ink the surface of the plexi glass.

Printing Mini Workshop #2

Nancy S. took quick digital photo's of all of us and then printed out an image and that image is layed out under the thin sheet of plexi glass.

The Higgins water base ink was used for the next printing process
Photo or image underneather the sheet of plexi and the paper is taped to the edge, creating a hinge effect. You work in small lines and flop our paper and blot it persay and then go back and using a nib and pen holder you dip the into the ink and continue small lines at a time. The water base inks dry fast, that's why you hinge it and work small and fast.
This is Rose's Photo image she is working on.
Joan's Puffer bird she is working on.

And Mary's Granddaughter, Sarah, is working on her's. Her finished piece is the first photo in the line here posted.

Oct 5th Printing Mini Workshop #1

Sandy takeing a peek to see how your impress worked in the Terra cota clay with the oil base inks.

MCS members gathered around the table as Nancy S. gives a demo on the different printing processes available to incorrporate in to collage.
Work station is set up to use three different colors, old phone book for blotting the ink from the brays. Clay tools to carve into the the slab of clay.
Nancy S. has just finished making some impression in to the class and inking up the slab.
Here are some Japanese maple leaves which makes a great impress.
Gale's print, what a great success. After making some impression with plastic Onion bags and the Japanese maple leaves, you then lay a sheet of paper on the clay and rub the surface, by hand or with the rolling pin. After your done with the clay surface use a scraping tool to scrap off the oil ink surface. Freshing up the terra cota slab and your ready to go again.