Stamp tramp - Making An Impression

I have a new problem. A good type of problem...but its still a problem if it makes you forget to eat lunch, right?

Geninne Zlatkis' new book about stamping, Making an Impression, arrived at my door just before Christmas. I had been hanging out like a kid for this beautiful publication because Zlatkis is not only a phenomenal creative artist, she seems to lead this life of zen where everything is in alignment, and her blog makes me so happy!

And wowee she did not let me down. What a generous collection of lovely things to make. And all stemming from the humble rubber eraser.

Since January 1st, when I finally sat down with the book and tools at the ready, I have been completely obsessed. I am looking at every image I have ever drawn as a fresh idea. Every surface seems to be calling out 'stamp me, stamp me...'. I can almost sniff out eraser supplies in shops!

At the core of it (besides the mesmerising whittling factor) I have found that there really is something magical about being able to reproduce your own images so quickly, while still retaining a bit of their own personality and imperfection.

Here are a few of my creations. Some were inspired by Geninne (the plant pots), and some are my own designs (paisley, leaf). The teacup is an adapted design sourced from here which is a great resource if you want some vintage design ideas.

I can't wait to go into production and put some of these in my shop!

Christmas truffle hustle

My sister and I got together just before Christmas for a last minute gift hustle. Home made gifts are such a treat today I think, with everyone being so busy!
Melbourne once again thwarted my baking plans by dishing up a generous 37 degree of celcius. So we turned to the humble truffle ball, whose basic recipe was implanted in most kids at the age of 12 in their first cooking class.  I remember the boys in my class were total ratbags and at the end of class stole as many as they could from everyone, sucked on them, and threw then at the roof. Our poor home economics teacher!
The basic recipe consists of:
- 1 packet of Marie biscuits (crushed finely)
- I can of condensed milk
- then some cocoa (if you want chocolate flavour/colour)
But we also made different flavours, including:
- apricot and almond (rolled in cocoanut)
- chocolate cherry, or "cherry ripe", rolled in cocoa, dipped in melted chocolate, and decorated with little sugars sweets to look like a pudding!

- Nelle -

Christmas ahead: Dalmatians and Gingerbread!

Today was a test run of two recipes for Christmas treats.

I started with a great gingerbread recipe I found in a magazine a few years ago. They're super tasty but they take a bit longer than normal cookies as you have to let the dough harden in the fridge for a bit (they say up to an hour!). That does make it easier to cut, but tests your patience... so I cheated and popped it in the freezer for ten minutes!

Because gingerbread isn't for everyone, I also tried out a dead easy recipe from my friend at Sweet Treats, for white choc chip macadamia cookies. I added dark chocolate chips as well for extra taste bud happiness. And because they are kind of cute and spotty, I call them Dalmatian cookies.

Its not just me: Typography!

Oh how I love typography. Fonts, words, letters, handwriting, signage, labels, advertising, packaging, labels. When words are made to look all snazzy, I get this feeling like everything is right in the world. It stops me in my tracks when I see a good sign. Or when someone writes me the bill at a cafe and they have wicked lovely handwriting. Sometimes I photograph it and they think I am a bit creepy. But its not just me. Theres a reason big chain stores are selling Ampersands (&) printed on canvas for the everyday man's lounge room. Letters and the way they look can be just beautiful!

Hand-drawing words and letters is particularly satisfying, and probably explains why I (and lots of other illustrators) never really got into that vector graphics computery business. Theres just something special about the smell of the ink, the feel of the paper, the experience when they meet for the first time, and the adventure of what comes out! Being able to click undo just takes the skydive out of it!

I've had a few lettering projects on the go lately, including place names for my friend's wedding and a set of moleskin covers. The paisleyness of the ones pictured here are most definitely inspired by the work of amazing illustrator and designer Natalie Perkins who I adore, and is a bit of a drawing genius. Her blog and drawings are all at once pretty, honest and revealing.

I really hope Ms Perkins is ok because according to my interweb stalking, she's been having a pretty tough time, which is totally understandable these days for ladies with all the stupid shit flying around in the ether about what we're supposed to be like - particularly creative ones who use their brains and can get caught in an abyss of wonderment about the whys and wheres of everything! I could never work out whether or not I'm supposed to drink with a straw ever since I read in the same magazine, on different pages, that it stops your teeth yellowing as past, but then the pouting makes your lips get wrinkles faster.  Conundrum!

So, if you read this one day Natalie, I think you're just splendid, and I hope you keep drawing forever.

Fitting for knitting

Melbourne is cooling off quite dramatically - which has given me a hankering to learn a new indoors gift making skill - knitting!

Not only is it strangely mesmerising - addiction levels approach those of that angry birds game on the iPhone - but its also productive and cheap too! At least, it is if approached in my typically thrifty fashion.
I had a vague recollection of knitting a poorly proportioned scarf in primary school. I figured once I had the right tools, I would simply jump back on the bike and harness the power of muscle memory.

So I set off to my local opshop where I remembered seeing a stash of knitting paraphenalia shoved away in a box. After some rummaging I walked away beaming with pride and excitement.  I'd pulled together a Premium Knitting 101 starter kit, for just $40. It contains what might be considered an excessive amount of beginner materials: about 20 pairs of different sized needles in a lovingly hand sewn case, 40 or so balls of coloured wool, a stack of retro knitting patterns, and a whole bunch of nifty looking gadgets that I can't even imagine how to use.

Of course, unlike riding a bike, knitting requires you to do fancy pre-activity things like slipknots and "casting on". After many failed attempts to call my mum for advice, YouTube came through with the goods. Boy, there are so many people who blog about knitting! After much sifting, I found one really helpful lady: Judy.  Judy has been knitting for over 50 years and has had her custom knits worn by the likes of Barbara Streisand and Tom Hanks - so shes not only generous with her super-useful website and videos, she's also got WOW factor. Thanks to my opshop, and my celebrity knitter, I am now well and truly on my way!

Have a hoot!

An international uprising of the paper toy is afoot! And this isn't just some new fad vaguely associated with street art or something. There are generous and talented people from all over the world sharing their designs for free, for you and me! In fact, for anyone with a printer, scissors, glue, and a hint of coordination to enjoy.

I can't take much credit for this little creature other than the sacrifice of a small papercut and the addition of a speech bubble. Its all thanks to the creative folk at 3eyedbear. I've been reading about it lately in a book called 'We are paper toys' by Louis Bou. But you can also just Google the hell out of it. I promise, you'll have a whale of a time ;)