Tuesday, November 17, 2009

186,000

That's how many visitors have been to my blog since I started writing it. Well, not 186,000 UNIQUE visitors, but my goodness, that's a lot of reading! Speaking of reading - my umpteenth pair of $15 reading glasses just broke. I was so happy that I didn't have to have prescription readers after my cataract surgery but truthfully, I could have had a pair of really good ones with the amount of money I have spent on these crappola frames with magnifiers in them. Fortunately, I had a spare pair in the car or I would not be writing this post tonight...or doing anything else. Two packages arrived today. One is the new upgrade of Parallels, which allows me to run windows on my mac so I can update my website. Grrr...I hope it is more user friendly than the version I have. The second package is much more fun -- stencils from The Crafters Workshop. I discovered them at Spring Market 2008 and although their original market was scrapbooking, I realized immediately that their stencils were terrific for surface design. I especially love the ones that are geometric and abstract. I've used them for screen printing(with both paint and deconstructed screen printing), stenciling with oil pastels or Oilstiks, and even discharge. Très cool. Check 'em out. Tonight I played with the one on the lower right on the back of a piece of yucky fabric I had printed. I like the transparency I got with the oil pastels. Tomorrow morning, it's back to the V.A. for another doctor's appointment and then I need to get down to business in the afternoon and pack my suitcase.

14 comments:

Debbie said...

Those stencils really are cool, Rayna. And, the 186,000 is so impressive, but you can't count me (and many, many others who read through feeds) in with the 186,000 as I read you EVERY DAY through Google Reader. You'll only get a 'hit' if I want to comment, like now. I don't know how the other feeds work, though. I've read in quite a few places that people who read through readers hate it when bloggers have their blogs set up not to allow full feeds. Please don't do that! Email me and I'll give you the link to one of the commentators on the subject, if you're interested.

Eva said...

Just saw a very interesting film: "The brain that changes itself". It is about brain plasticity. The ability to keep learning and creating new neuronal connections. In a similar way, society develops. I have no doubt that your work inspired the creator of these stencils, knowingly or not.
Glasses. I placed a number of them from +1 to +3 in strategic places all over the flat. Computer specs (the best one, produced by a professional lab), and readymades from the supermarket for 3$, +3 for sewing, +2 for reading, one in the kitchen for reading instructions on deep frozen packs. They can cope with one of those varifocals that would be least 150§.
One pair of glasses is here for making sure that your wonderful comment on my latest posting was real. Thank you!

Marcie said...

You mean you actually use oil pastels on fabric? I've tried them, love the colours I can get - but how do you seal them so they won't rub off?
And yes, I too read you all the time on Planet Textile Threads, via Google reader, I learn a lot from all you talented artists.

Diane Cransac said...

Those would be wonderful for sun dyeing! How neat ^_^

Sujatha said...

Impressive number, Rayna!! But you make such good reading ..I am not surprised. You inspire me to try out so many new techniques..in fact after reading your blog every day, there are so many thoughts raging in my head ..I want to blog too......

kathy said...

Love that retro stencil!...I went to their site...how do you order them? They don't have it set up to order direct...I guess I'll have to call or something.

Jude said...

Rayna, I MUST have those stencils! How can I order them? Any ideas? What are they made of? I use things to spray bleach around on denim clothing. If these will hold up to bleach it would be wonderful!
(hey)Jude
www.strawmountainblog.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Neat stencils... do you happen to know what their copyright rules are? I need to get off my duff and create some stencil designs and then send them off to someone who can Thermofax them for me. Something always seems to leap into the line ahead of that task, though...

Tiggy Rawling said...

Hi Rayna, Thanks for dropping by my blog. Hey, you travel all over the States! Those stencils look fab, a must have.

I lost my 'seeing' glasses and reading glasses en route to Marrakech. Managed to buy reading glasses at the airport, but had to take a dim view both day and night with prescription sun glasses.

Rayna said...

I have phone numbers for The Crafter's Workshop:
toll free 877-272-3837
international 914-345-2838

or just hit the "contact us" button and e-mail Ted (they are a small family-owned business) craftersworkshop@aol.com and send him the #s of the stencils you want.

Jaime Echt said...

Hi Rayna, love your blog! And thank you so much for giving credit to our little company. To answer Jude's question - the stencils are made of "mylar", a type of plastic. And yes, they work well with bleach (love it on jeans) and sun-dyeing and all sorts of inks. Just wash the stencil as you'd wash your countertop if you got bleach, ink, paint or whatever on it.
As for copyright: feel free to use them on any handmade items. Just don't mechanically reproduce please.
Keep on creating awesome stuff!!
Jaime - The Crafter's Workshop

Debra Dixon said...

those stencils are too cool! I am hurrying to get my current piece done for its deadline so I can return to some more experiments,

Vivien Zepf said...

Oh man I am definitely going to check out this place! Thanks for the referral; the stencils are so cool!

Anonymous said...

Great stencils! The fabric you made is beautiful.

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