I love it when inspiration hits and it doesn't matter where you are. Sometimes I'm asking someone for a small piece of paper or even a napkin to draw my inspirations for my art and collages. I love bringing my materials outside and creating there whenever I get a chance. Usually any place is a good place to create! Here is Sugarskull7's creating space and the keepers of her space. I think I'll do an Etsy Studio (Creature) Keeper blog feature! We can have a look at all of our favourite animals that occupy our spaces!
Sugarskull7
Here goes:I’m a 38 year old wife, mother, former phone company employee, current dog trainer, and Etsy artist! I started carving rubber stamps about 12 years ago when a friend of mine fell victim to a severe rubber stamp addiction. We were both telephone operators at the time, and she always had an issue of Rubberstampmadness propped open on her desk. We were allowed to do “activities” (draw, knit, write notes to each other) while taking calls, so she made cards with her stamps. I was fascinated. I loved the works of art she created, but I wanted “my own” stamps. I’ve always been an artist, drawing and painting since I was very young, so I wanted stamps of my own designs. When my friend showed me an article about eraser carving, I was hooked. I could make my own stamps!!!!!
Many of the designs I offer on my Etsy shop were originally carved while I was answering calls as an operator. Looking back now, I have no idea how I did that! These days, carving a stamp requires all my concentration. Chalk it up to getting old…My workspace is basically my bedroom floor, several storage boxes, a fishing tackle case and a shelf in my closet! Designs are always done in a sketchbook, and when I’m ready to carve, I set up in a sunlit spot on of my bedroom floor and I’m ready to go. As the pictures demonstrate, all stamps are Corgi-inspected for quality and flavor before they are shipped to customers.
Some tools I can’t live without are Speedball linoleum gauge blades, Testor hobby knives, PZ Kut carving material, a magnifying glass, and of course, ink!
Before being turned on to Etsy by a friend who suggested I sell my paintings there, it never occurred to me to sell hand-carved stamps. As I browsed through all the gorgeous Etsy shops, though, I came across artists who were offering their carvings for sale and I was amazed! I had no idea there was a market for this art form! So I posted a few of my stamps and was thrilled when some of them sold! So here I am. I’ve only been selling a little while, so we’ll see where it goes. It’s unlikely that this is something I’ll make a living at, but the fact that some people out there like my work enough to want to own a piece of it makes me extremely happy. For me, that’s success.
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