Tag: Crafts

Slow and Steady

Block Printing is a tactile experience. My hands not only hold and maneuver blocks, cutting tools, rollers, inks, and press parts, they also gauge the pressure. A certain amount of force determines the width of a cut and the depth. The V and U blades remove wider strips from the block with more pressure and finer strips come away with less pressure.

Too much force upon a block to the printing surface can cause unwanted smudges, halos, or other changes to the image transfer. Some blocks only require hand painting. Some patterns are most easily achieved with hand printing. My Llama project bags are one of my favorite hand printing tasks. It can be a bit slower than others to complete yet I enjoy the opportunity to slow down and still accomplish my task.

What do you enjoy doing slowly?

Add a Touch of Handmade to Your Holiday

Throughout the winter holidays from Thanksgiving to New Years we gather together to share meals and exchange gifts. Picking up a gift card or buying all your decorations is certainly convenient, but may leave you feeling a bit out of synch with the holiday spirit.

Most of us don’t have the time or the skills to make every decoration or an appropriate gift for everyone. But most of us have a little time and a bit of creativity. Still not quite feeling like you can pull something beyond paper snowflakes together from scratch? Try starting with the craft equivalent of a box of cake mix. Kits provide a great boost to creating something of your own for the holidays while also relieving the pressure to create every aspect on your own.

Handmade Gift Wrap

Looking to add handmade frills without using your own hands? Check out my hand stamped wrapping paper! In December you can also download and print as much hand stamp designed gift wrap as you need from Hard-Pressed Studio on Etsy.

Handmade certainly makes things feel a bit cozier and personal. Indulge in a craft day with friends or family if you have the time and resources. If crafts just isn’t an activity you can enjoy, then consider taking advantage of handmade by other hands.

 

Nurseries, Nostalgia, and Knitting

Many friends and family members are welcoming new lives into the world now and many others stop by the booth at markets in search of nursery decor. Well friends, I will soon have more to offer you! Keep an eye out on the shop or Etsy or Amazon Handmade for unique nursery themed prints.

Pink Chrysanthemum

One of the many joys of being an aunt is sharing the things you enjoyed about childhood with your nieces and nephews. For about two weeks my brother and I reveled in playing Pong on our dad’s Atari. After about two weeks the machine died, but those were a fun two weeks! My brother’s kids are a bit young for controllers or joysticks at the moment, but I can at least start familiarizing them with the concept.

Atari

A last bit of inspiration comes from a new hobby with which I’m completely smitten: knitting. That people figured out a way to weave a string with two sticks so that it becomes clothing just sets my imagination on fire. Until you cast off, the entire work can unravel and yet, once you pull that last loop through it stays fast. How fantastic! Then there is the whole business before knitting that goes into making the yarn…I’ll spare you that rabbit trail for now. Sheep and spindles and stitches will undoubtedly make their way into the blocks.

Knit Love

Where are you finding inspiration? Join the conversation on Twitter (@hardprsdstudio)!

Stay Awesome!