I found my lino cutting tools when I was in the cupboard looking for some white acrylic paint that I knew was in there somewhere. I even found the paint eventually. I like the feel of the cutter sliding through the soft rubber, much easier than working lino, which is just as well, because I don't have any lino, but have access to erasers in any supermarket. The first is a simple bare tree. The blue splodge is not a carefully carved bird, but a speck of dust bunny that picked up the extra paint.
This one is supposedly a Work in Progress. I cut the outlines, then inked and stamped just to check the general design before removing the rest of the rubber. I rather liked it in this state, so may leave it like this and start another without the negative effect. I used my springy hammer hole punches to make the circles, then cut around the line with my finest V cutter blade. I'm not sure about the down-pointing branch on the left, but it does fill the space. Looking at it makes me think of the little stalk left after I have eaten all the grapes. I may use these as you see them above, in the centre of a plain white 4" card, or may use them as the focal point of a postcard or ATC, or I may just accept the fact that I enjoyed making them without having to find a use for them at the end of the process.
I like to make things in threes; it seems more satisfying for some reason. Maybe because it reminds me of milking stools; three legs and no wobble on whatever surface you need to use them. So to stop these two stamps feeling insecure, has anyone a suggestion for a third?
love that tree stamp - very creative.
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