The lovable Peach (Little Miss has settled into her name quite well) has been settling into life as a companion animal quite well. She is a cardio kitty, she loves to be chased, and she is an UP cat, she like to be up high, looking down at life around her. She also likes to eat plants, so I am going to have to re-home some of my green babies. But check out these cat shelves! Peach is shy to make the final jump to the top platform, so we may need to lower it. This morning, I encouraged and helped her to get up there. She is quite acrobatic.
Peach has been a blessing. I mourn the loss of my good Arrow, while at the same time, I honestly feel I need cat-energy in my life. I need to pour love into a furr being. I also believe that David and I share a bond based in our love for animals, specifically cats, that heightens and enhances our relationship.
I am on a stamping mission right now, my creative synapses are firing and I am finding new and creative ways to get images out of my mind and onto the page. I am still working on The 20, but I have come to a halt because the Procion MX dye is washing out in an unacceptable rate-an so need to find a solution to the problem. Additionally, I need to find a new ink or manner to print on paper, as the Memento
If I were totally honest, I don’t like cheap art supplies like this very much, which seem like little plastic items, whose refills are expensive, I just keep thinking, there has to be a better way. But at the same time, I use these things and am getting some really good results. This particular stamp is too large for the Dew Drops, and so is actually insufficient to the task. Maybe I really just want to hear the the-thk-thk of rolling ink out. And I daydream about using watercolor pigments and rice starch, so I will find a solution, it will just take some time.
This set of stamps is loosely printed, I could print it ‘tighter’, but I like what is happening here. This is, of course, a self portrait, using this photograph, I have not quite figured out how to get the ‘goggly eyes’ to look right. I am still working on this. Stay tuned.
Melanie Testa 
GREAT stamp image/s — I remember that photo well. So glad Peach is happy, and I love that wall step thingy!
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I am loving what you are doing with these multi-stamps. Very very nice. Do you hold the stamp and blot it on the stamp or hold the stamp and blot it on the pad to cover a large area? I’ve been looking for an inexpensive solution to finding stamp pads I can use in a class setting and Susie Monday suggested using a thin foam (like you use for packing) and then putting thinned out setacolor on it. I have to find the foam first – thought I had some but the foam I had was too plastic-y and the paint just sat on the top. I’ll let you know what I come up with. I look forward to seeing what you come up with!
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OH – and Peach is SO ADORABLE! I love the shelves for her. I know my cats would love those as well. Were you “encouraging” her up with some treats or a toy? I’m so glad you and David were able to find her!
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Miss Peach looks so adorable (and hugable) on her shelf. Ms. Kitty is our resident acrobat, much to Bobcat’s dismay. 🙂 ( He is unable to jump because of his hips) I love the shelves! I have been growing wheat grass for Ms. Kitty. I get whole wheat at the store (like they use for sprouts). Fill a low pot with damp potting soil, sprinkle on the wheat, place a damp paper towel on top and within a week, it is sprouted and growing. (I remove the paper toweling once the wheat sprouts.) Ms. Kitty loves it and I started some for Mom’s Roxie on the last trip and she is gobbling it down. I believe you can also grow other grains, but wheat is easy to find here. I rotate the pots and start a new one every week, so she always has fresh greens. Now, Kitty still chews on my houseplants. I wonder if it is the different textures? I love a good baby salad mix, maybe she feels the same. I really understand the need to give and receive animal love. Since I am only home part time, I really miss my loves. Roxie is a sweetie, and we have a deep bond, but she is not my cat and I am not her human. She does stand by the door for days after I leave, waiting for me to come back, which touches my heart.
I love the portrait and your use of stamps. I have been wondering about getting some good quality inks and making my own stamp pads with a small tin and thick felt. I haven’t followed through with this idea yet, but have been wondering about it for a while. I am intriqued about watercolor and rice flour!
Wishing you, D, and Peach a wonderful week. xoxo
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The stps are fantastic and lots of fun and exercise for Peaches.
I just can’t believe what you can do with a stamp. I really like the self portrait and I like that you’ve kept it looser. I look forward to seeing your solutions for a printing medium. You could use inks. Is there a medium available to thicken them? I use Setacolor transparent fabric paints for some of my work and I just discovered there is a medium to mix with them for doing screen printing. I got it but haven’t tried it yet.
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Hey Melly,
Peach is just adorable! And I love the cat shelves. Your new stamping work is awesome!! Wow!!
I’m no expert, but I do know that Golden Fluid acrylics can be made washable on fabric. I have experimented with the marbling on fabric (see Jo Fitsell in QA) technique and found them to be very colorfast and vivid. In the marbling technique, you soak the fabric in alum first to make the paints adhere to the fabric. The fabric maintains it’s hand, which is great. Maybe something similar would work? Your work is inspiring! Can’t wait to see what you do next.:)
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I am quite intrigued by your faux silk screen stamps. And especially since I’m on a self portrait binge right now, I love where your portrait is going. I especially like the way it looks like one of the blocks is at an angle in order for the cut outs to work right. That photo cracks me up too!
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Cute kitty pics! Glad Peach is fitting in well!
Procion MX washes out too much if the base fabric has any finishes on it at all. So it has to be PFD cellulose fabric (cotton, rayon, hemp) , or else washed with synthrapol and very hot water first. Just regular cotton may or may not work, and that is your first thing to change to keep the colour of MX Procion.
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The stops and perch are exceptional! I hope Peach knows how fortunate she is to have gotten you and D for humans! 🙂
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should say steps, not stops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I love where you are going with this! Fantastic!!
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