My H'Art

A Yellow Star

2011-12-30T21:24:00.000-08:00

actual size 1" x 2"

Just a bit of carving for an upcoming swap...yeah, that's right, I signed up for an actual LTC swap! This was a rather easy carve (stress-free!), and I used a bit of orange stuff floating around in my carving box - I forgot how lovely that is to carve. Took me right back to all those nights spent carving and subsequent days spent planting. Orange stuff mounted on black foam - cool!

I've decided that it is a lot easier on these aging eye to carve less-detailed stamps. *smirk*

For Sweet Sarah

2011-12-09T09:04:00.000-08:00

A special stamp for a special young lady - I'm so proud of you, Sarah!

Four Dollar Tables

2011-12-05T17:14:00.000-08:00

On a recent thrift store shopping marathon, I found two very interesting, although ugly, end tables. Poor things - someone had tried to whitewash them and stenciled hokey-looking flowers on the tops. *grimace*

Lucky for me, they were so ugly that they were only marked $4 each, so into the cart they went.

Once home, it was time for a little make-over, so out came the decoupage! Oh yeah!

the supervisor

an opportunity to showcase
some of my favorite scrappin' paper!

why not add a stamp, too...just for good measure?

Here's the other table;
decked out with an old prayer book I had tucked away.

this is the perfect little table for our homeshul!

Getting Ready to Give Thanks

2011-11-23T18:05:00.000-08:00

Just a little something extra for our Thanksgiving buffet...

I thought it would be simpler for our guests to have the silverware in a handy bundle, so I found some festive napkins and made paper rings. Unfortunately, I didn't have a stamp that would quite work with what I had in mind, so I carved one up. Sweet!

Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving

filled with the blessings of friends and family!

Bustin' out the tools...

2011-11-14T18:47:00.000-08:00

Haven't carved for a bit...thought I'd share a stamp I just had the urge to carve. Yeah, I actually had the urge to carve. Go figure.

(The Chaverim is the name of our little band of friends who gather to worship on Shabbat and Wednesday nights; aka "besties".)

Matchbooks

2011-11-09T10:14:00.000-08:00

Well, they used to be called matchbooks. Do you remember those? My grandmother used to decorate them for the holidays with pretty foil wrapping paper and display them in a cut crystal dish on the coffee table. Of course, that was during the days when everyone smoked, so it was practical as well as beautifully festive.

Since my early days of acting as festival coordinator for our congregation I have decorated match boxes. For our biblical festivals it seems like we are always lighting candles for some reason, and I took the opportunity to spruce up the plain, generic match boxes (instead of books) to correspond with the festival.

Here's my latest for Hanukkah, which is coming up quicker than I would like to admit. I used hand-carved stamps on these, but there are many store-bought stamps you could use, as well.

Simply craft paper cut to size, decorate with stamps then glue them to the box. (I used Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive - one of my favorites.) I chose to add a little festive sparkle with small Swarowski Elements crystals.

Now we are ready to light that menorah!

Festival Craftiness!

2011-10-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

Now that I feel like I'm getting my feet back on the ground, my thoughts have been trickling back towards things artistic...even crafty. To get in the spirit of the season - the season of Sukkot, that is - I needed some new decorations for the sukkah. Somehow all my decorations from the last time I held a sukkah party have all disappeared...they were getting a little worse for wear anyway. So, with a few extra bucks in my pocket, I set out to decorate two sukkahs (technically called succot) - one is mine and one belongs to a dear friend; this year we had 'dueling sukkahs'! (And man, was that a fun party!)

I found fall-themed garland and floral picks at the local craft stores for 50 - 60% off regular price. Alright, so that was a start. Then, the thrift store was hiding a candle holder with a leafy-theme and this really cool basket that featured glass leaves woven into the design - cool! Walmart had some cheapy vinyl tableclothes and votive candles to add to the ambiance.

me & Padawan applying decor*

my fun thrift store find*

waving the lulav & etrog - what a party!*

I decided that we needed some artwork to hang in our temporary shelters, so onto the computer to print out some appropriate scriptures and blessings.

But, my favorite crafty item for the festival is my new etrog box; I've never had one and this year I got inspiration to make one. Here's the progression of my very cool etrog box:

a $3.50 wooden box from Michael's

four little wooden 'flower pots' and some refill ink

foam padding covered with moleskin scraps...

etrog & lulav

*photo credit: Netanya Leicht

Sprucin' Up

2011-06-22T13:06:00.000-07:00

I certainly like to use clipboards - they are my best friend when in the middle of a project with lots of details. I almost can't think through the details of a larger project without one in my hands! In my current project of de-cluttering my home, I have corralled a few of my beloved clipboards. I have to admit, they were lookin' a little worse for wear.

After being inspired at a quaint antique store I had the pleasure of visiting this last weekend, I decided they needed a little sprucin' up...a much needed a face lift.

This first one was definitely the workhorse of my clipboard entourage - it's an old fashioned, heavy one which has a real feel of authority to it. *smile* I decided it needed some antique-looking decoration. I used Collage Pauge and some fun scrapbooking paper - see what you think...

it's like a giant LTC!

This clipboard rode around in my shul bag for assorted smaller projects and the much needed word-searches. It already had a Star Wars theme; I had stamped a bunch of my SW stamps onto the bare wood. But, this - yeah, I like this much better. I found this paper at Ben Franklin, and it had to come home with me.

(it looks the same on the back)

But, this last one is the fun one. Inspired by a recent acquisition of a special coffee LTC (thanks MiSs cHiEvOuS!), I chose some of my favorite rubber stamp art out of my massive collection to grace this clipboard. I look forward to sharing this one with others in the future. I'm sure they will be in awe.

I used spray sealer prior to adding the
Collage Pauge so the ink didn't run.

I think these are artistic enough to just hang on the wall - I love them!

Just a little craft project...

2011-06-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

Haven't been doing much carving lately, partially due to major life changes and partially due to the serious lack of my favorite carving material (PZ Kut). But, I did try my hand at decoupage with some very fun results!

what started out as a simple box and some cool scrappin'
paper became the box for some interesting coasters...

I was going for the antique-y look to go with some
other boxes I have going on in the room...

I added a key embellishment to compliment the key
motif in one of the papers I chose. These cork 'coasters'
are really big stamps - at least they were by the other stencils and stamps...

you've gotta love flowers and leaves :-)
Also, I brushed on some gold leafing around the top edge.

even the inside is fun; I used paper with an antique feel

the bottom - yep, it's me!

One thing I would suggest, if you are about to embark on some decoupaging of your own; use Collage Pauge Instant Decoupage (I chose the matt finish). It is far superior to Mod Podge, and doesn't leave you with a tacky project (that's what I hate about Mod Podge). It's almost twice as expensive as M-P, but it's well worth it. (I also used this to seal the cork 'coasters' so they wouldn't crumble with handling and use - worked great.)

A word about paper; I selected three 12x12 sheets that were closely related and making sure one had an accent color to make the project pop. Mindfully measure and cut carefully, and layout your design prior to gluing down (using the Collage Pauge). I found that using a sponge 'brush' gave a more even application than a brush, and no stray brush hairs in your finished project. Also, if doing a box shape, don't neglect your rotary cutter and cutting mat - these tools worked great to cut excess paper off the sides. Use a piece of fine grit sandpaper to marry edges together and then bust out your favorite corresponding ink pad and sponge dauber to give it a soft, aged look around the edges.

Tim Holtz has some incredibly cool feet that you can attach to a box such as this, but they were a whopping $7 (which is cheaper than I found them online) just for the feet. Well, that was out of my budget on this trip, but I can add them later, if I want.

Have you ever tried a decoupage project? I'd love to hear about it!

Actual Letterboxing...how 'bout that?

2011-05-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

an actual letterbox - cool, eh?

Here in the PNW it has been a cold, wet, snowy, dreary, grey and dismal winter. And long...did I mention that it was long? Even without considering that my personal life was thrown into a Vitamix, it was just a yucky winter period. But, guess what? The sun still exists!!

No, really. I saw it myself just last Wednesday. And it was absolutely lovely. Warm and bright; just letting it hit my face was equivalent to slipping into a lovely hot tub after a long day of hard labor. Aaaaahhhhhh. And, what does one choose to do when the sun is actually shining? Well, letterbox, of course!

the capitol building in Olympia

We all packed up into the mom-mobile and hit the road. Being still raw from recent events, we opted for drive-bys. We were not disappointed, to be sure! In my hiatus from traditional boxing, there has been some incredible boxes planted. (Can I just say a great big THANK YOU to all you who plant drive-by letterboxes? They were great carves and so worthy of our time to get them!)

Padawan and T-4-Turtle on a mission with the clues...

I have to admit, confess really, that we are no longer the hard-nosed, staunch letterboxers we used to be. Not that I don't still consider myself a letterboxer, I absolutely do. However, the three mile hike to get the box just doesn't attract me these days (or my kids, that's for sure!!). I'm not rabid to get as many boxes in one day as I was in years past...I know, this almost boarders on blasphemy. What I do enjoy is getting the rather non-complicated plants with wonderful carves that take me to beautiful places around our area. No frustration, just enjoyment. We love to combine our letterboxing excursions with photography...very satisfying, to be sure.

So, we got five...yeah five!!...letterboxes on Wednesday. They took us down to Olympia for an awesome Box of the Month, into Maytown to enjoy Millersylvania State Park (which is graced with those tiny, little daisies every where you step) and then into the valley lorded over by the majestic Mount Rainier. We ended up in Tacoma looking for blooming rhodies and walking along the shore of Puget Sound. What a way to enjoy that ever elusive thing called sunshine.

my letterboxing kids aren't little anymore...

Cool Product!

2011-04-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

Everytime I use this product, which I just found about six months ago, I get questions.

So, here it is - Sheer Shimmer Spritz by Tsukineko

"We received samples in Gold and Sparkle and both are eye-catching and got high marks from both our in-house staffers and staffers scattered far and wide. The spritz is lovely and translucent, and adds a pop of color without overwhelming your project. It has a whispered, barely-there quality that delivers quite a punch...The Pssst! Shimmer Spritz bottle is 7ml of pearlescent shimmer and about 4" tall. Available colors are Gold, Sparkle, Copper, Pewter, and Silver and are pleasingly priced at approximately $3 a bottle. With elegant shimmer, an easy-to-use pump spray that even after numerous uses didn't clog, and a thin bottle that fits snugly in your hand for better control, the Pssst!! Shimmer Spritz is absolutely SNR approved." (Scrapbook News & Review)

I absolutely love this stuff - it works like a charm, is just enough glitz to add pizazz to an otherwise rather dull project and it dries quickly. However, you can burn through the little bottles rather quickly (the package says 'travel size spritzers'...I'd sure like a full-sized bottle!), and it does over-spray so you have to be careful. My local JoAnn's never seems to have what I want when I want it, especially this item. It is always sold out, or worse...stolen from the packaging. Ugh.

My favorite is the 'frost' offering, but I have tried the gold and silver, too - both with good results.

So, give it a try for a little added bling to your stamping projects!

Rejects

2011-04-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

Thought it would be fun to post a little set of rejects from the latest inchie project. Rejects in the sense that as I design my contribution, there always ends up being attempts, tries and goof-ups lying around that just don't make the cut. These particular ones have been gathering dust on my desk for a few weeks, and will now be relegated to the trash bin. Or perhaps the quisp envelope for future use.

Geeky

2011-04-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

An inch of geekiness...

Thought you might enjoy seeing what's happening at my craft desk. Honestly, as of late nothing has been going on. But, as I cleared off space to create some inchies, I felt myself smile at the feeling of accomplishment. This carve was obviously not one of my more challenging carves, but it was highly satisfying.

Good things are right around the corner, I can feel it...

Inchie Yard Stick

2011-02-14T17:07:00.000-08:00

(click on the pics to see them larger...)

This FABULOUS idea came from our friend Maude, and I give her full credit cuz...

I LOVE THIS IDEA!

Some leftover paint scrounged from the paint bin and a cheapy paintbrush, a 69 cent yardstick from Lowes and 30 or so of the most incredible inchie addictions makes a most impressive piece of artwork!

I love how the yardstick was wider than an inch so the inch markings show through the paint. I affixed the inches with 3-in-1 glue (which dries so quick - instant gratification!) To hang, I simply stapled a criss-crossed scrap piece of ribbon to the back - so easy! Whole project was completed in less than an hour tops.

What a super way to display some of the coolest artwork ever! The photos just don't do these little gems justice. Thanks to all my inchie buddies for being a part of this oh-so-fun swap!

The fabulous artists that made this project possible include: Padawan, For the Kids, Mama Cache, Camp Fire Lady, La Tigresse, Milk Money, 3 Blind Mice, Lionsmane, Dolphinwanderer, NCgirls Mom, Maude, Snail Mail, Red Cruzsader, BfloAnonChick, Brandicat, Tiger Pride, Ona Journey, Geometry Junkie, Full Moon Bunny, Dartmoor Dreamer, SWGS, Bookboy, Wildhair, Mamajama, Cookie Cutter, MN Compass, Celtic Cross, Magical Music Man and Cottontail.

About the Author

2011-02-02T17:10:00.000-08:00

Hey, I'm still alive! *waving to all my letterboxing friends*

Yes, it has been quite a while since my last post. In reality, to say that my life has been turned upside-down would be an understatement. There are times in life when situations and emotions are so pressing that being creative just has to take a back seat...or is just plain ole non-existent. I'm sure we all know what that feels like, unfortunately.

(stamp size 2.5" x 2")

In an effort to maintain sanity, I started this carve a couple of weeks ago. Now, it doesn't usually take me long to carve a stamp; a stamp of this size would typically take an evening's effort. Not this time, I'm sorry to say...I just finished it (and, it's not my best carving, either...*frown*). I have always liked this image and it has been sitting in my 'interesting images' envelope for months and months. I never even imagined that it would be so appropriate for a season in my life.

This is the first time since I started letterboxing and enjoying all it's various off-shoots that I have nothing upcoming. No swaps (contributing or hosting) or postal rings, no 'boxing excursions planned, no clues printed, no major projects in the works. A strange feeling, that is. Although I have been requested to carve for a friend and said yes to another interesting writing endeavor, it still feels oddly empty in the craftroom. I am confident that my creative spark will ignite again when this present storm passes. But for now, no obligations. This is probably a good thing.

On a side note, I know a lot of you are collecting pathtags. When they were first being talked about both locally and on AQ, I was so deeply mired in personal circumstances I just couldn't focus on anything additional in my life. Sounded interesting, but too much at the moment. However, in sorting the last of the inchie swap projects, my friend Tara sent a pathtag along with her contribution. What a sweet surprise! I wanted to share it with y'all...

Isn't that cool?

I love the Eeyore, too - seems fitting, somehow... :-)

Thank you, Tara!

Thank You

While I have your attention, I would like to also take this opportunity to say a humble and heart-felt THANK YOU to all the letterboxers that have reached out to me when they found out of my struggles. For those of you that sent a sweet note or extra LTCs, to those that have prayed for me and sent good thoughts my way, for those that put up with my distraction while 'boxing (Kelly, that would be you!), and for those that sent extra postage in with their swap contributions and to those hosts that put up with my lateness - THANK YOU! Thank you from the bottom of my heart - thank you for showing care and compassion to a fellow letterboxer. There has been so many times that the kind words of a letterboxer has been a lifeline in ways they could have never imagined. I appreciate it so very much.

So, onward and upward. I pray this season is nearing it's end and a new, more promising season is waiting. Hopefully, it will include more letterboxing and creative letterboxing projects.

your friend,
~SHH :-)

The Family Calendar Project

2010-12-19T08:08:00.000-08:00

Every year I am overtaken with the project of making our family calendars. I diligently try to take enough photos throughout the year to use, but somehow always end up needing more. Thankfully, there is more than one photographer in the house!

I try to change up the format every year. This year I'm trying to feature some of our photography as backgrounds as well as family pics. I even 'stole' a pic from Padawan from one of our Photo Challenges!

So, that's what I've been up to! I'm hopin' to get back to carving and creating LTCs with the new year...and maybe even some actual letterboxing. That would be awesome!

Wishing all my letterboxing friends happy holidays and a joyous new year!

T-Ville

2010-12-10T15:31:00.000-08:00

downtown Tacoma, Washington, stamp size 1.5"

OK, even though I don't live in Tacoma proper, I am there the majority of my time, it would seem!

Carved for the latest My Town project, "Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city in and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington State. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, 32 miles southwest of Seattle, 31 miles northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and 58 miles northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. Tacoma is the second-largest city in the Puget Sound area and the third largest in the state." (wiki)

And, it's about a half an hour away from my house...shorter if I'm late getting to an appointment. :-)

There is some great things in Tacoma; the glass museum that features a glass walkway filled with the work of Dale Chihuly, the Washington State History Museum and an extension of the University of Washington. There are countless shops, boutiques and kitschy bars that like to highlight local bands (my friend Josh and his friends play at Doyle's Irish Pub frequently - too fun!). Down on the Commencement Bay waterfront you can walk, jog, skate and bike along Schuster Parkway; or if you don't want to actually exercise, there are many very nice eateries with decks overlooking the water on which to lounge. Old Town Tacoma overlooks the Parkway, and is the birthplace of Tacoma. I love to just drive through and look at the unique (and antique) homes that line the streets. Just up the hill a bit will land you in the Proctor District, which has antique and book shops, coffee shops and my favorite high-end grocery store, the Metropolitan Market. Mmmmm...bakery!

At the end of Schuster Parkway you can find yourself in Ruston, which is just a little neighborhood that welcomes visitors to the shining gem of Tacoma - Point Defiance Park. This park is stunning with a gorgeous, tree-lined 5-mile drive offering breathtaking views of Puget Sound. And speaking of Puget Sound, you can't miss the famous Narrows Bridge, which is actually two bridges now. They had to build a twin bridge to accommodate all the traffic that crosses daily. Oh, and did I mention that there are quite a few letterboxes in Tacoma?

Tacoma has really re-invented itself in the last two decades, as so many urban centers have done across the country. Without a little TLC, these aging downtown centers get run down, broken down and abandoned. Tacoma started an aggressive revitalization program that has really breathed new life into the downtown area.

More information about SHH's Town

Welcome to T-Ville!

Homemade Hanukkiah

2010-12-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

Chag Sameach! (Happy Festival!)

In honor of the last night of Hanukkah this year, I thought I'd share a Hanukkah menorah, or hanukkiah, that I made back in 2003. Made for a homemade hanukkiah contest, I had too much fun hand-painting symbols of the Biblical festivals on each of the cups that hold the nine candles required for Hanukkah.

The base is a piece of corrugated cardboard painted gold. The candle holders were found on the 'wooden' aisle at the craft store and glued to my cardboard base. To light a hanukkiah, you light the candles from the right to left (the same way you read Hebrew) - adding an additional candle each of the eight nights of Hanukkah. So, I made the far right candle holder to represent Passover (Pesach) - the first festival in the yearly cycle of festivals. Then it's Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur. The tall holder in the middle represents the Sabbath and that candle is the 'helper' candle or the shammash. It doesn't represent a night of Hanukkah; it is lit each of the nights and used to light the other candles. On the left side of the shammash, is Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim and lastly, Tu B'Shvat.

Each candle holder is painted on both sides with different elements of each festival. You can see the Passover candle holder has a seder plate featured. For Shavuot, or Pentacost, the stone tablets were fun to paint. Rosh Hashanah has to an apple (apples & honey are eaten traditionally) and the famous shofar (ram's horn), since it's the Feast of Trumpets. The Yom Kippur holder has a yartzeit candle, or memorial candle, as we remember those that have gone on before us on this festival. The Shabbat (Sabbath) holder actually has four traditional Sabbath symbols on it; the Sabbath bread (challah), candles, flowers and wine.

Going from right to left again, the Sukkot holder is featuring a booth or sukkah, for the Festival of Booths. Then Hanukkah, of course, has presents, gelt (chocolate coins) and a dreidel (a toy top). Next is Purim, a festival of carnivals, costumes and the story of Esther. The last holder shows what Tu b'Shvat is all about - trees and celebrating the produce of Israel.

The backside of the hanukkiah has the festivals in reverse order (obviously!). On the right, it's Tu b'Shvat again with a pomegranate, figs, grapes & olives. Then it's the party of Purim with a noise maker and confetti. You can pick out the Hanukkah holder with our hanukkiah, the nine-branch candle holder (which is different from the candle stands in the Temple, which featured seven branches). Sukkot is the last one before the shammash, and I painted the lulav & etrog that represents the beauty of the Land; the lulav (branches of the myrtle, palm and willow trees) and etrog (citron found in Israel) are waved in the sukkah (booth) as an offering and rejoicing before the LORD. On the Sabbath holder, you can see the Sabbath candles and the flowers for the erev Shabbat meal table.

From the shammash on the far right, where you can see the candles again and the wine used for the blessing (kiddush), we move to the Yom Kippur holder featuring the prayer shawl (tallit). Yom Kippur is all about introspection, prayer and repentance. Next, the Rosh Hashanah bread (challah) is braided into a round shape to symbolize a crown and is traditionally sweetened with raisins and sugar glaze. Shavuot, or Pentacost, is the celebration of the giving of the Torah, so I chose to paint a Torah scroll similar to the ones that are read from during the liturgy. Our synagogue's Torah scroll is 500 years old! On the last candle holder we come back to Passover and show wine and everyone's favorite - matzah! (Matzah is unleaven bread made especially for Passover and no, everyone doesn't really like it!)

This little hanukkiah was so much fun to paint, although, I have to tell you that I didn't win the contest. Honestly, I don't remember who won that year; probably someone who used toilet paper tubes and dixie cups! Just kidding...

Happy Hanukkah!

Addicted alright...

2010-11-30T09:09:00.000-08:00

"You just - just sit there and be wise or something."

I think, from now on, I'm going to only carve stamps that are an inch square. That accomplishes two things; one, it will enable me to maintain my carving material longer; and two, I get instant gratification and a very engaging 'coolness' factor with these fun, little inches.

Addicting, they are.

Addicted to Inches

2010-11-29T13:12:00.000-08:00

...and a sweet addiction, it is.

What moves those of genius,

what inspires their work is not new ideas,

but their obsession with the idea that

what has already been said...or carved...is still not enough.

Crafty Blessings

2010-11-17T16:04:00.000-08:00

So, the kids yell down to me sitting at the computer, "Mom! You got a package!" I had heard the UPS truck drive up, but didn't really think much of it, since I had nothing on order.

As I made my way to the desk just inside our front door, I thought to myself, "if they called me to see the auto-delivery Proactiv order, I'm gonna..."

Then the blue package caught my eye...that's no Proactiv box. Wha...?? Badge-a-Minit?? I know what that is!! NO WAY!

Quick, bust it open...

No way! Who? Why? Oh my goodness...how cool!! Without missing a beat, the kids and I broke out the instructions and started to put together a button. Cut open the plastic bags, quick...come up with 'artwork' for our first attempt. Slowly read the directions, make sure we are doing it correctly...

And *poof*, there went the electricity! *insert tunnel-noooooooo here*

Well, no lack of power is going to stop this button-making train, no sir! We steadfastly continued and were glad no electricity was needed to operate this little baby...(one of the few things we own that doesn't require power, actually).

And then, out it came - PERFECT! Our first button!

How cool is that?? I know, now you want one. I've wanted one for YEARS!

Thank you so much to the beautiful soul who gifted this oh-so-fun piece of equipment to me - you are a blessing beyond what you could possibly know. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

What a wonderful surprise! Now, what other buttons do we need to make...

Thanks and Thanks

2010-11-12T13:30:00.000-08:00

(stamp size 3" x 1")

Thank you to all those friends, both near and far, that have said such kind things about my blogs, my efforts in carving, my artistic endeavors, my writing and my enthusiasm. I appreciate you more than you can know.

Thank you to those special friends in my life that have loved, listened, encouraged and held me up during trials I would most certainly rather forget. I cannot withstand life without you.

Thank you to my family: Rob, Morgan, Alex & Taylor, along with my dear Dad. I love you all so very much and am grateful to the LORD for your presence in my life.

Thank you, LORD, for walking with me every step of this journey. You have never left me nor forsaken me, even though I deserve nothing. For it is true - I am nothing without You.

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

— Albert Schweitzer

Black & White

2010-11-10T20:13:00.000-08:00

I had the distinct pleasure of hanging out with BlackvelvetRav, aka Kelly, this past weekend for Kuku's Birthday Bash. Yeah, she's really cool, it's true. But, when she gifted me a black VersaFine ink pad, she instantly became a hero in my book! Ever since, everything has been stamped in this incredible black instant dry pigment ink!


For the Love of Ink - an Erte creation, carved in pink stuff, (3" x 2")

an appropriate new sig-stamp, (1" x .75")

And, how 'bout a few pics from our letterboxing fun in Astoria?

The Debut

2010-11-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

The Fourth Order of the Quest has officially made it's debut!

Kuku's Birthday Bash was every bit as fun as a letterboxing event should be; laughter, food, friends and a common obsession - rubber stamps and inky fingers!

The Fourth Order was passed onto the first finder prior to High Tea on Friday afternoon, and it made the rounds the entire weekend.

Many, many, many thanks to X Marks the Spot for providing so much intriguing fun to so many letterboxers - you are the BEST!

BlackvelvetRav poses with the 'Order'

Maiden and storm rider anticipate exploring it's secret

do we have the right code?

reading the ancient script

The Fourth Order of the Quest is part of the Five Orders of the Quest by X Marks the Spot.

Who will be the first to get all five?

The Fourth Order of the Quest

2010-10-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

Quite a long time ago, five ancient lands of “Eurys Ops”, “The Land of the Afri”, “Asu”, “Australis” and “Amerigo” were governed by a council that comprised of one human representative from each of the lands, peoples called The Five Orders.

These Orders were known by their special abilities, gifts so to speak, that were represented by a member of the animal kingdom. The Orders protected the secret knowledge of peace and harmony. The life-force of the land, air and sea was centered in five diamond shaped pieces which comprised the Life Archive. The Life Archive held all the knowledge of good, the courage of the brave and the breath of honor. Once whole, with all five pieces intact, it would enable the Council to call upon power and wisdom untold. Unfortunately, it was considered too powerful by the ancients. The Archive was split up and hidden throughout the world so the powers of darkness could not use its incredible power to corrupt and destroy mankind. Under the watchful eyes of the protectors, The Five Orders, these pieces remained hidden, silent for thousands of years.

These Orders consisted of Order of the Golden Eagle that flourished in Australis, the The Order of the Raven, so beautiful, that soared above Europe, the ever steadfast Order of the Moose that roamed the Americas and proudly The Order of Mice scampered in Afri. The Asians, the origin of the First Order, had always been a nomadic Order, never staying too long in one place, but always moved by a restless spirit and always finding itself near the sea. The other four Orders, those who had elected to settle down in the four corners of this land, could not live this lifestyle, although they accepted it as the way of the First.

The secret of these Orders, the attribute that identified them, could be revealed in a single word which had been used time and time again to describe them. To survive and tell the story to the next generation - this was the mission of the Five Orders. Each Order was bound, vowed, to protect their piece, for one day the Five Orders would be reunited and commence, once again, to restoring balance, peace and harmony to all the earth.

Everything about each Order could be encompassed in one word, each a secret in itself, that held the key to unlocking their piece. None fit so well, so perfectly, as did the word for the Fourth Order, the guardians, the Golden Eagles of the Australis.

The Fourth Order was unique from all the others. With the attributes of the soaring Golden Eagle, they were intuitive and decisive, watchful and patient, accurate and deadly… the quintessential guardians. Their hallmark, the very weapon they only wielded when absolutely necessary, marked them out as the Fourth Order. The ancient weapon that harnessed light energy as a blade was something to be reckoned and respected. To learn to use the saber of light took a lifetime of dedication and discipline. When an Order member became proficient enough to wear the saber, he or she took on the name of Jedi’ot (meaning Guardian Knight in the ancient tongue), reciting the ancient wisdom that was memorized in prose.

The Fourth Order Jedi’ot, or Jedi, chose as its hiding place the beautiful northwestern corner of the North American continent, called Amerigo in ancient times. Among the stunningly snow-capped mountains, lush valleys running with abundant rivers, endless forests of skyscraping evergreens and stormy coastline, the Jedi made their home, ever mindful of their purpose of guarding the secret in their care. Interestingly, the Fourth Order was the only to retain the original and ancient script of their homeland. If you look closely, you may be able to decipher this ancient code...