Creative Outlet by Judi Kauffman for The Queen’s Inkling

The electrician who installed the new ceiling fan in my studio put aside various unneeded parts, including a plastic piece from an outlet that I rescued from the trash heap! Viewed one way, it looked like eyes. Viewed the other way, it looked like a small shrine with two niches. He didn’t utter a peep when I set it aside, but after he was finished and we’d paid him, he asked me what in the world I planned to do with the castoff plastic, so we headed back to the studio for a quick demo…

I got out a Magic Stamp block, heat tool, some ink pads and envelopes and showed him what I’d envisioned. And while I was at it, I showed him a block I’d made with some rippled cardboard pieces left from a packing carton, too. He stayed long enough to see me create the face shown on the envelope below and in the close-up photo at the start of this tutorial. I completed the rest once he’d headed off to his next customer.

I sent him home with a couple of Magic Stamp blocks, some stamped and plain envelopes and a Pigma Micron pen because he said his son loves to draw and is hoping to become a cartoonist.

I hope the photo gallery will intrigue and inspire you. I’ve written instructions for Magic Stamp blocks in the past so scroll back through the blog if you need that info.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Look around your home, your office, and wherever else interesting low-relief manmade items might catch your eye. Create some Magic Stamp blocks and stamp your art out! 

2. Set aside some of the stamped pieces to use as is – postcards, backgrounds, envelopes ready to fill and mail…you’ll know ‘em when you see ‘em!

3. Keep going on the rest – get out your fine line pens, markers and colored pencils. Find and add faces, flowers, bugs, or whatever lands in your imagination and works its way down to your hands. Doodle, color, tear and layer and create collages.

Time for your own creative outlet! Literally (the electrical department at a hardware store offers so many possibilities). Or otherwise (packaging is often a great source of textures and patterns).

GALLERY

SUPPLIES:

• Magic Stamp blocks
• Heat tool
• Pigma Micron pens in black (01, 1, 005)
• Gelly Roll Medium pen in white
• Winsor & Newton ProMarkers in assorted colors
• Dye ink pads in assorted colors
• Solid color cardstock
• Envelopes
• Optional Rubber stamps (sentiments, greetings, return address, etc.)
• Spray mist bottle with water (to create watercolor effects)
• Glue stick (for collage-style envelopes)