Ink!

Ming, a friend of mine who's also an artist, asked me to design a tattoo for him. I really love his artworks and his style, and I always think that it's such a privilege to design tattoos for people because, well, they do last forever.

He wanted a wood-cut-styled deer head, and was pretty open to ideas. So I came up with this deer and made a stamp this morning, while listening to Orwell's 1984 audiobook. 

And below is a colored version, with water-color pencils. I'm still exploring with them.

And, finally, I get some vacation, which I haven't had for a whole hectic semester. I am leaving for London on friday, and will go to Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester after that. I will be going to an annual antique fair in London - my lovely house-owner offered the invitation. Then on the 28th, there is a conference on J. M. Coetzee, the South-African writer whose autobiographical works I'm writing my thesis on, in Leeds that I'll be attending with my supervisor. 

While looking forward to the wonderful weeks in the UK, I have two custom stamps to completed before I leave, and they are both for wedding invitations. The customers are really communicative and I'm really grateful for their trust.

Guess I'll see you in a while:D 

New Custom Portrait Stamp

New custom stamp!

I'm really grateful for customers like April - she's super informative, helpful and just fun to work with. And I'm happy with how the stamp turned out, especially the comic book/retro vibe.

Except for stamp making, I'm cycling a lot recently. Having lost my unreasonably expensive bus card a few weeks ago, I now realize that it might not be a bad thing after all. I pass by this amazing lake every time I go to school, and am always amazed by how mirror-like the water surface is under the clear summer sky.

Super Versatile Skeleton

To keep myself from going brain-dead from thesis-writing, I've been listening to audiobooks and making more stamps. Great combination.

This is an idea I've had for ages, and finally decided to make it happen yesterday night. The new two-toned rubber block I got from my supplier in Japan was absolutely delightful for carve stamps with a lot of details. I've used it for a couple of custom stamps and my customers are happy with it too. I think it looks super cool too.

I had so much fun with this super versatile dude. He's a bit crazy, just like me, and I think we're gonna get along really well. I saved this set for myself but if you'd like another set made I'll happily oblige! Leave a comment with your email address and I'll get in touch!