Saturday, September 04, 2010

Rabbits At Work

Tyler Stamp

We have been very, very busy in the rabboratory. It had seemed for a long time that getting a custom stamp made was too expensive, too complicated and really not doable at all. And hosting a whole line of stamps was ridiculous and not to be thought of, ever......The advent and maturation of the internet has changed all that.

Sydney Stamp

In this day and age I can send a scan to a small family company and in a few days receive a rubber stamp made from the image I sent. In fact without even meeting these people I can send them an Email with my info and have them bill me for their services. It seems a little like magic.

Amelia Stamp

I love rubber stamps and have to control myself around them, indeed I once had a suitor try to win my favor by giving me a couple of rubber stamps; a hypodermic needle and a skeleton wearing a hat a la Jose Posada. I wish I could make lovely artworks with rubber stamps, I have seen some marvelous and truly magical works, but I can't and I accept that as totally OK.

Harriet Stamp

When I send out a print to it's new home I put many, many armadillos on the package. Some of you have even seem my folksy handiwork. It's fun for me and it's fun for the people who work at the post office that I go to. There are two post offices in town. I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I go to the one that is a little farther away and that I have to drive to, but I do make sure I have other things to do in the area or it is on the way to something else. I don't like to go to the one downtown because there are sometimes unwell people with unidentified and contagious diseases. The last time I went there the guy in front of me had a coughing fit all over the counter, I tried so hard not to breathe or touch the counter. I think because of this kind of event and others even less savory, the clerks, though they surely fulfill the requirements of their respective job descriptions, are understandably cranky.

Miss Eve Stamp

At the other post office all the clerks are very, very friendly. One guy is almost absurdly happy to help everybody, he always ends the transactions by saying "That was really fun, let's do it again!". And he seems to mean it and know that he is over top at the same time. It is quite fascinating. At this post office all the clerks are endlessly amused by the armadillos, one asked a co-worker if it cost more to send packages with armadillos, another noticed I'd added word balloons and started reading them aloud.

Bunny Head Stamp

In the back of your mind you may be wondering what it is with armadillos and me, and wouldn't it make more sense if I had a rabbit stamp. You would be right, of course, you so often are. I have looked for rabbit stamps and never found the right one. So I've had a bit of a bee in my bonnet about that. One day, on Facebook, I'd done a rabbit drawing for something and posted it and Friend of Animals wrote something about wanting a stamp of it. This added another bee to the first bee in my bonnet as regards rabbit stamps. Lest I go crazy from the buzzing I just went ahead and did stamps and you can visit my Etsy (I love Etsy BTW) shop by clicking HERE. Be sure to click on each one and read the descriptions, they are a little bit fun, though not as fun as Mr. Fun from the other post office.

Tiger Stamp

The thing that makes my stamps kind of special is that each design started out as a woodblock print so it really looks like a print, not like a photo or a line drawing. I find prints special, they are an interaction between the artist, the carving tool, the wood, the ink, the paper and day itself. It's a group effort. It certainly is not always easy but it seems that it is through limitations that a uniqueness is achieved. I have some more designs in the works and am going to have T Shirts for buying as well......






19 comments:

Anonymous said...

They are absolutely amazing! I've enjoyed watching your process from woodblock to print to stamp too. Thanks for sharing and the promotion. I hope you sell LOTS.

PJ said...

You've done something very special. The T's, can't wait to see them.

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

I love these stamps! Your post office guy sounds like something else. I wonder what he'll think of the bunnies?

d. moll, l.ac. said...

MOC-it's been fun to share and get encouraged by my friends!
P-you might need a T....
BG-Post office guy will flip out, I can hardly wait for Tuesday when I send out my first orders. I hope I get his window.....

bunnits said...

I love your stamps! Must visit Etsy shop.

You have inspired me to start doing prints and rubber stamps again. Back in the late 90's early 2000's I was carving rubber stamps hot and heavy, but time got scarce and I put everything away. At the time I was into tropical nature themes and rainforest frogs, etc. A few months ago at a local art supply store, I got the bug again. Unfortunately, the time to do it has not increased. :-(

Crafty Green Poet said...

These are beautiful portraits! I love the descriptions on Etsy too!

d. moll, l.ac. said...

B-I hope you find some time! maybe they sell it somewhere. I found time when I lost my teaching job, though I didn't get a severance package..Carving stamps is fun, did you use those fat white erasers by Stadtler?
CGP-thnx, and thnx for reading my descriptions too, they were entertaining to write and I hope somewhat so to read.

Annie B said...

I also have a weakness for rubber stamps, and these are very fine.

YowlYY said...

I was over the moon to learn that you got my Miss Eve as motive for two stamps, so how could I not stop by and get some? As I plan to keep two for myself and send two to friends (bunny fanatics), I can see myself coming back for more, next time getting also the rabbit4. I loved your text to the stamps too, they're very you! Now, if you start printing t-shirts and tote bags... :)

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

These are wonderful!
For the past five years I've been making our Christmas cards and embossing the greeting over a stamped design. It is So Much Fun!

And how marvelous to have an actual real live Happy Person at the post office! I always try to make them smile at my post office. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Love those bunnies!!

The Fab Furs said...

Love the stamps! When will the Sky Rabbit Ts be forthcoming?

Alice said...

D! amazing!!! they're absolutely incredible. you never cease to impress!!! i'm sure it must be exhausting being so fabulous, but someone's gotta do it! and you do it so very well. G G G Gorgeous with a capital G baby!!

Lisa said...

D, they're so beautiful! I need to get to your Etsy ASAP. Who is this Miss Eve?

RG said...

OK - got to get my plastic and head over to the Etsy store. Wowzers!

How did you do the stamps? Did you send a scan of the wood block to the outfit that then made the stamp?

We have a big yearly Letterboxing event here and each letterbox has a handcarved rubber stamp in it. Many of the Letterboxers also have very elaborate hand carved stamps as well. Even I have carved a "reasonable" rubber stamp of a bird!!! Kind of like carving cheese! But artistic from me? - uh, no.

YowlYY - I thought that was a dead duck ... no blog action for a long time. Where is the connection - a different blog? Miss Eve and Neville? (Norville?) hmm .. wonder how they are.

RG said...

PS: about the armadillo stamps and the Post Office. :<) When some of the Grandchildren were very young, BL would send frequent little packages to them. She plastered the outside of the package with stickers and little notes and pictures. Same deal with the Post Office, especialy here where it is a very small office and everyone knows one another!

Anonymous said...

I should have a stamp too - being so comely and humble.

d. moll, l.ac. said...

ZB-do you have your own blog?
RG-BL knows what's good.
RG-it's through these folks, so easy, easier than cutting cheese. http://www.simonstamp.com/
L-Miss Eve was part of a commissioned print I did a couple years ago, she is still in Nottingham enjoying life with her much younger paramour, Neville.
A-You're burbling, love it, thanks :)
FF-You want a Sky Rabbit T? this can be arranged....T's probable not 'till next month, we will see, it is supposed to be pretty easy....
PT&E-handmade cards are always best, I bet yours are totally beautiful!
Y-Well, yes, how could you not get some, I didn't make Miss Eve stamps just to tempt you, she is such a lovely bun and there she was looking just so graphic, well how could I not make her into a stamp?
AB-Moku Hanga is just like big wood stamps, thanks for liking mine:)

Karen M said...

These must be the best stamps ever!

Clovie Boy said...

The Tyler stamp is my favorite. Also, I really like your 2 From Nottingham print. Very nice! Will you have more?