Just a Quick Update

I did it! I moved into the apparel territory. Now I am stamping and dyeing clothes!

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Perfectly Imperfect: An Interview by and of the Designer Behind Impressed Crafts

How did I get into stamping?

After graduating from college is when I seriously started stamping. In school I knew I wanted to be a studio art major, but I was frustrated by figuring out what I wanted to do after school. I gave up art for some time and I focused my energy on someone else’s project. One day I went to a bookstore by myself and browsed the craft section. A very beautiful book on handmade prints caught my attention. I bought it, devoured it, and didn’t put it away for many days after. I soaked in the images, instructions, and aesthetic. (I might or might not have gotten teary eyed.) Most importantly, the book reinvigorated my long standing passion for making things. Since I was a young child I always enjoyed using my hands to create, and in the end I may never be a prolific, profound, Avant-garde artist, but I will always be a hand crafter.

 Where does my inspiration for new stamps come from?

One very important skill I worked hard on while being a studio artist is how to focus inspiration. That doesn’t mean I always have ideas flowing out of me. I learned that it is important to be patient during the times when it seems like inspiration, my muse, is nowhere to be found. In contrast, I have come up with ways to extract inspiration from many sources. For me, inspiration comes from people I know, music, catalogues and magazines, other bloggers, being in nature, and my dreams. For the most part, finding what inspires you can be easy. Transforming those ideas into tangible works is where the true labor comes into play. 

What is the appeal of stamps?

Imperfection! Stamping is one craft that embraces fades and broken edges. There is a natural look that hand stamping can evoke. The artist’s hand is evident as opposed to the look of industrial prints. What also attracted me to stamps is how quickly I can take an idea out of my mind or sketch book and translate it to tangible objects. I feel like I have only scraped the surface of what can be done using inks and stamps.  

Best advice for dealing with imperfection?

When I am in my studio I sincerely try not to get hung up on trying to create something that is perfect. I embrace the tiny specks of ink that sometimes show up on a printed surface. It may be that I missed fully cleaning a corner on a stamp before it is pressed, or I may not have applied even amounts of pressure to a stamp and part of the design is more faded than the rest. But sometimes that is exactly the look I am going for. It is the same kind of beauty I see in a distressed coffee table, a vintage leather bag, or the surface of pine tree bark.

 In many ways I relate personally to the stamp process. I am learning every day to embrace my imperfections. I have the daily decision to be caught up on what makes me imperfect, or I can enjoy the uniqueness that comes along with being an imperfect human. My challenge to you is to embrace your imperfections too.

-Angel Graves

Jar Chic

 For the past few days, I started reorganizing my home studio. Instead of mundanely cleaning up the joint, I took the time to be creative with my storage options. Recycling jars to be used as containers for tiny objects is not new to my organizational methods. To put a new twist on jar storage, I decided to create hand stamped paper wraps.  

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 Lucky for me, I have access to an array of stamps and inks. At a moment's notice I can roll up my brayer with turquoise ink, cover the surface of several stamps, and print out a couple strips of soon-to-be wraps.  Even if you do not already have a collection of stamps and ink, the supplies are not expensive. You could make your own stamps or use store bought ones that match your surroundings. 

Pictured above are the jars au naturel.

            For the best result, I first wrapped the stamped paper around the jars to measure how much was needed to cover it. I left about a half inch overlap. 

The next steps are easy enough and I am sure pictures help. Create four tape rolls and then place them in the four corners of the paper strip on the reverse side. Then simply place the strip centered on the jar and roll the jar over until you reach the end. At the end of the strip, smooth the paper with your hand to make sure the tape will keep the paper in place. 

Now that the jars are finished, they add a custom and colorful touch to my studio. One of the best things about this project is how easily you can change the colors and styles of these jar wraps. I hope these little beauties inspire the use of recycled jars in new ways.

Flame Stitch Chair Makeover

One of my many hobbies besides stamping is revamping vintage furniture. I am very certain that it runs in the family. When you have to be thrifty and you are creative, wonderful things can happen. It is possible to have the living space you desire if you are willing to look at your personal space as a problem to SOLVE instead of just a problem. 

Turning a vintage chair modern can be a seriously rewarding and easy project. Above are a few of the supplies you need to get started. 

1. My personal favorite tool: a staple gun and staples

2. Screwdriver to remove the screws that secure cushions to chair

3.  Scissors for cutting your choice of fabric{*if you are into this blog you def. already have these}

4. Fabric {you wont need too much depending on the project you take on, I used about one and a half yards with still some to spare}

 

 This chair is a piece that I purchased a couple years ago for about $5.00 and it survived many college dwellings, parties, and cats. What I really love about this chair is how easy the cushions can be removed. When you are looking for your own project, keep that in mind. Fabric and padding are easy fixes as long as the structure of your chair is sound to begin with.

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Step 1: Use your screw driver to remove chair cushions. {keep screws in an easy to find spot. It would be a bummer to loose them!}

 

Step 2: Remove the old staples that are holding the existing fabric to the cushions. Sometimes you can achieve this by simply pulling at the fabric but if you need added leverage, I recommend using needle nose pliers. 

 Step 3: Use old fabric as your template for cutting new fabric. This is the easiest way to accurately measure your new fabric. 

 

Step 4: Lay the cushions on top of the new fabric and make sure the fabric is centered. Begin to staple new fabric to the backs of your seat cushion(s), working along one side at a time.

Step 5: Remember to keep the edges of your fabric folded over once so that you do not have leftover hang underneath of your seat. When you have finished stapling, replace your cushion(s) onto the chair frame.

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After a little elbow grease, this chair has a fresh new look that is simply elegant and reminiscent of Eames designed furniture. I hope this post will inspire some serious chair UP-CYCLING makeovers.  

Heat Wave

     
 Summer weather has officially arrived in Ghent. Everyone I know is taking shelter at a cafe, local shops, or any place with air conditioning.The Impressed studio has yet to receive this modern gift of A.C. What this weather has brought us is extra quick, extra strong drying power for the kitchen towels I dyed this week. It is fun to pretend that the apartment is actually in some tropical Caribbean city. The bright citrus colors of the towels hanging from the fire escape railings truly add a Carnival kind of feel to the place. Thank you to summer for such lovely musings and free and natural drying methods.

Crowning Glory

           Sometimes a gal needs a head dress to make her feel glorious. On those days when I want to pick my spirits up, it helps to play a little bit of dress up. You would be surprised how light you will feel just by rocking something colorful. Also,on humid days, like the ones we have in Norfolk, a head band like this can be pretty handy to control wild locks. Featured in this post are a few pictures of the head dresses I created using scraps from the tie dye projects I did a couple weeks ago. If you are interested in getting your hands on these little babies, you can kind them at Kitsch!

**Alright Kings and Queens, until next post, stay glorious!**

Mini Journeys

Life is full of miniature journeys. There is no better way to record these daily adventures and doings than in tiny and stylish journals. For my entire conscience life, I had an obsession with adorable stationery. I can remember drawing and designing many special pieces of paper and coordinating envelopes. Now that I am returning to my craft roots, I am designing mini journals just like I used to as a girl. My goal is to share these little creations, but I find myself wanting to keep them! Here are a few that I recently brought into Kitsch. Does anybody think some of these should go on the Etsy?