an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.
gocco from elise blaha on Vimeo.
Above is a video (about 8 minutes long) of how to make a gocco master screen and prints. It's un-edited so there are some awkward parts (like the freeze frame it chose) but at least it shows how quick the process can be. Here is a great site with more info about Gocco. Here is an online store that sells Gocco inks, screens & bulbs.
Hope you enjoy!
So, I spent the morning and early afternoon looking for coincidences, but all I found was a whole lot of irony. I am on the hunt for three outfits for three bridal showers this spring. And nothing. Nada. All I found was a hot pink shirt (from j.crew, but not on the website yet) that is not quite right for anything. Isn't it ironic that when you don't need to buy anything you want everything and when you actually need to buy something you can't find anything you want? Man, it's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife.
To celebrate my failure, I am going to post a video tutorial about gocco. Look for it by tonight.
And I promise I already have my permanent post ready to roll for the morning.
And yep! The rings look great. I won't be wearing it again until April 24th, but I'm happy to report, it fits!
Nothing to share yet : But I am hoping to post photos and such from throughout the day. And if that doesn't work, I'll figure something else out. I don't know what I'm looking for or thinking about yet – maybe for a coincidence to happen. I have some fun errands to run though – my 15% off birthday coupon from Anthro is burning a hole in my pocket and Paul got an email yesterday that our wedding rings are ready for pick up. Now I just need the snow to not start again and the roads to be cleared.
Have you seen the giveaways happening on Kal's blog this week? I had to join in and am offering a new gocco print – my first experiment with two colors – to a commenter today. Tell me anything to be entered to win.
SO. Check back. Look for more posts.
AND. Tomorrow's prompt is PERMANENT. We have a cool group of people lined up to join us. I'm excited.
I like the idea that even when you are invisible, you still leave a mark. You leave footprints. Or fingerprints. Or hand prints. You still exist when you're invisible. But I don't like the idea that when you are invisible it's easy to think what you say or do doesn't matter. You don't feel connected to your actions and therefore don't worry how they are representing you. It's easy to be be hurtful when you're anonymous.
I think people and actions should be seen. Thoughts should be given a voice shared. I love non-anonymous and visible connections. I would rather be seen & heard.
I was all over the place with my plan for this challenge. At first I liked the idea of still leaving a mark when you're invisible. I traced and stitched my hand into paper. Then I took a photo of my hand print in the snow. I thought about continuing the trend and leaving hand prints on different surfaces but decided it wasn't needed to get the point across. In the end I made a digital collage by layering the photo and a scan of the stitched hand. I wrote and scanned in my thoughts and called it done.
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Kal, no doubt, has something fabulous to share for this challenge. Are you playing along? If you are, please post what you made to the flickr group. Tomorrow's prompt is COINCIDENCE. We'll be back then.
So I built a globe.
Which really wasn't the plan, but after dropping Paul off yesterday it seemed like a good idea. I felt like thinking of the world as small.
In general, I am not a big fan of wandering. I take pride in knowing the shortest distance from A to B. I like having a plan, a mission and a place to go. But for the next 15 years the plan is just to wander with Paul. We're going to be moving often and with little say over where we're going. In each town Paul will have a military doctor job and I will have an opportunity to try something new.
And I'm glad. This last move, this wander across the country was the best thing I ever did.
And so, I took a balloon, some maps, some flour and water and built a globe to wander.
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Be sure to go see how Kal interpreted the challenge today. And if you want to join in, you're welcome to add your projects to the flickr group. Tomorrow's inspiration starting point is INVISIBLE.
I had to get up much earlier than normal this morning to go with P to work and pick up my car from the metro station. It was all the fancy business people going one direction and me, in my sweatpants, going the other. Good reminder that I love being a work-at-home sort of person. Extra benefit – getting up early meant I got to see a pink sky. Pink sky, you almost made braving 18* worthwhile.
Next week is GO week around here. Kal and I are challenging each other (and YOU) if you want in, for another week of making stuff. We have picked a prompt for each day and are hoping to be inspired to do something NEW. Something different. I am trying to avoid paper and gluesticks and Kal is trying to put down the paint brush. No promises on that, but many promises that we are excited to GO.
The prompt for Monday is WANDER if you would like to play along. We have a flickr group for your to post projects to.
Kal, you are awesome. Thanks for agreeing to adventure with me again.
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Paul's is heading to Washington state for a month long rotation on Sunday so we have exciting things like getting coffee and stocking up at Costco planned for tomorrow. (Note to self : always plan big art projects when P leaves town.) I am hoping for a busy weekend, busy week and busy month. February is nearly here which if my calendar is correct means APRIL 24 is just days away.
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HOME KITS are back in stock I have about 30ish this round. I hope you'll grab one.
Have a great Thursday. I'm hoping to have more home kits available tomorrow afternoon. There will be a giveaway tomorrow morning and next week will be epic.
I love that they tucked us back into the corner table. I love that you don't think it's strange when I pull out my camera six times during the meal. I love ordering food to share. I love when our dinner conversation goes beyond what just happened on our favorite DVRed show. I love coming home and laughing at Always Sunny until we cry. I love you.
Cupcakes win out.
After all that. After alllll that. We are serving cupcakes. And not an intense cupcake tower. Not anything "wedding" special. Just three flavors (strawberry, chocolate and carrot) of little cakes. We are going to have the cupcakes come out on trays and be delivered to the tables. Guest will get to pick their fave.
As for the all important cake cutting, Paul and I are going to take a cupcake and split it apart. And then eat or smash depending on how the night is going.
I'm so glad we finally have a plan. I have chatted a lot about our adventures and failures in cake tasting and it's nice to have this settled. Multiple flavors for a variety of guests, carrot cake for us and most importantly, NO FONDANT. I want a cake that looks like cake and tastes like cake. Check plus.
Thanks, Ettore's. Your cakes are magically delicious.
Photo is from our trip to Magnolia Bakery in NYC last summer.
enJOY it 