Jackbear Stamps

Hearts and Crafts for Valentine's Day

2012-02-01T16:40:00.003-05:00

Looking forward to setting up some stamps for sale at the Hearts and Crafts market at Java's on Gibbs Street this Sunday from 12-6 pm. This is a cool small scale show that is truly a local display of artists and craftspeople who are doing what they love. This is a handmade heaven! Hope to see you there!

Twas the Night Before Craftmas

2011-11-29T11:03:00.002-05:00

Craftmas is coming!

What is Craftmas? Craftmas is a season of events from the Rochester NY Etsy Street Team (RNEST). RNEST received a grant from the amazing folks at Etsy.com to host a series of FREE events for the community this December. Check out one, or all of them over the next couple of weeks. All are welcome to attend!

Craftmas: Etsy Style! First Friday Holiday Craft Sale
(Friday, December 2nd, 5pm-9pm & Saturday, December 3rd, noon-4pm)
A Handmade Holiday hits the Hungerford Building! Come shop from a selection of quality items made by local artists. Give the gift of handmade this holiday season!
Clothing Swap
(Monday, December 5th, 7pm-9pm)
It’s time to clean out that closet! Bring in your unwanted clothing and take home some new-to-you pieces for your wardrobe...all for free! RNEST artists will also be available to teach demos with techniques for altering and upcycling your clothes into fun, new items!
*Any clothing left over at the end of the night will be donated. Nothing will go to waste!
Creative Play Session
(Saturday, December 10th, 7pm-8:30pm)
Creativity boosting activities and exercises to spark your artistic inspiration and get out of a rut. Come with an open mind and leave with ideas for new projects! (For ages teen and up)

Open Craft Night: Etsy Style!
(Thursday, December 15th, 6pm-9pm)
Demos: glass pendant soldering, knitting, bead weaving and MORE! Everyone is invited for a handmade, fun-filled evening of simple planned projects and unstructured time with RNEST artists. Bring your crafty works-in-progress, share our supplies, experiment with provided tools, and ask about tips and techniques. A small sampling of work will also be available for sale.

Giveaway! Get your Giveaway! (yes, that means FREE)

2011-11-16T11:15:00.003-05:00

Hop on over to the RNEST blog, and you could win a Jackbear original. I created this cute little ACEO (Artist Card Edition/Original) that is the size of a poker card, and printed from two hand carved stamps. Click on the picture below to learn how to win!

Craftmas is coming !

2011-11-09T15:19:00.004-05:00

Merry Craftmas everyone! That's right, mark your calendars, text your friends, post on your facebook, Craftmas is coming!

Craftmas is a month of great activities hosted by the Rochester NY Etsy Street Team (RNEST), and sponsored by ETSY!

Here are the details:

Stop on by the Facebook events and join us at the First Friday and Saturday Art and Craft Show or Open Craft Night.

Halloween Treasuries Galore !

2011-10-20T09:03:00.001-04:00

Wow, I have been featured in a ton of creepy cool treasuries on Etsy in the past week. I guess the Halloween spirit is now in the air! Here is a sampling:

Halloween Treasury

Nevermore Nevermore

Keep Calm and Zombie On

Fire Walk With Me

Purple, Orange and Black

2011-10-10T16:29:00.001-04:00

Here is a treasury on Etsy that features some of the fine works of the Rochester NY Etsy Street Team (RNEST) created by yours truly! You can shop in it on Etsy.

RNEST Treasury on Etsy.com

Winning

2011-10-05T08:16:00.005-04:00

I won the RNEST team September Challenge! The theme was "vampires" and I carved a cool classic image of the godfather of goth, Dracula, as represented by the face of Bela Lugosi for my rubber stamp. I can see this stamp used on trick or treat bags, Halloween postcards, on envelopes of Halloween cards, party favors, or all over a blood stained t-shirt (no, haven't tried this one myself).

I had some gory competition from FrancescaDeCaire and Sculptress Link but I will admit I really wanted to have my monster stamps at the top of the RNEST blog for the month of October. So what do you do when you want something? You call up your friends. So I harassed my letterboxing comrades and they responded in droves! Thank you my inky brethren!

Hope you have fun this Halloween season, and be sure to check out all my Halloween themed stamps at my etsy shop!

Drinking Blood

2011-09-27T16:27:00.000-04:00

I have been working on some stamps for Halloween. I am very attracted to the classic movie monsters. I think these are so iconic that people know right away who they are! Here is Dracula, as portrayed by Bela Lugosi. I entered it in our RNEST Challenge for September with was themed "vampires." Voting is going on now. If I win the vote I get the prime parking space on the RNEST blog for my etsy shop mini. That would be cool going into October, because I'm adding new monster stamps each day.

Artist Row 2011

2011-09-14T13:44:00.003-04:00

I'll have my stamps at Artist Row again this year! This is an AWESOME event. Over 150 artists with wonderful arts and crafts. It all goes down at the Public Market in Rochester on Sunday, September 18th from 10-4. I'll be in booth A37. My father-in-law Dick Beery will have his incredible photography across the isle from me. Some other folks from my RNEST group too! See you there!

P.S. I will have some limited edition "Greetings from Rochester" hand stamped postcards as a giveaway when you make a purchase!

Staff Infection 7

2011-08-08T21:39:00.004-04:00

At the University of Rochester, they have had a gallery show called "Staff Infection" for six years for the staff of the IT Center and Rush Rhees Library. This year, they opened to all staff university wide. I submitted my "Rochester in Rubber" exhibit that I premiered at ArtAwake this year, and I'm proud to say it was accepted. The showing opened today (8/8/11) and continues through the end ofAugust.

The gallery is in the Art and Music library on the ground floor of Rush Rhees library (in what we call the Tunnel Level). There will be a closing reception on August 30th from 4-7 pm.

As part of my exhibit, you can make a postcard with my stamp that says, "Greetings from Rochester".

I hope you can drop by and see Staff Infection 7.

Mayday Underground April 30th

2011-04-26T08:30:00.002-04:00

This will be my third "Mayday Underground" event! The first two have been smashing successes that I am really looking forward to this one. It's April 30th, from 10 am - 4 pm.

What I love best about this arts and crafts show, is the wide variety of artisans at the show, and the knowledgeable crowd that frequents it. Amanda and Casey do an incredible job organizing and executing this show, and this time around we will be at the Main St. Armory at 900 E. Main, Rochester, NY.

I have lots of my usual correspondence stamps (Air Mail, Snail Mail, Owl Mail), as well as some of my "LOL stamps" (brb, h8r, omg, etc.), "man stamps" (tools, westerns, beer), horror/goth stamps (Vincent Price, zombie, Creature, Godzilla, etc.), as well as a big selection of bird stamps.

Did I mention this is going to be the biggest Mayday yet? Around 90 vendors! I doubt it will be this big again. This is going to be a fun day of shopping. I'm going to have a hard time not trading all my stamps away for other great art!

See you all there!

ArtAwake: "Rochester in Rubber"

2011-04-11T15:04:00.006-04:00

ArtAwake is another one of those shocking events for me. Let's role play for a moment. I am pitching an idea to you. Here's the idea: I want to have an art event that shows fine art, interactive art, and musicians, all from the Rochester community, and I want to find some old abandoned spaces in the city to use for the event, and I want to get dozens and dozens of student groups to sponsor it, some that have very little to do with art, and I want to throw this incredible party. Oh yeah, we'll throw some food and drink in there too.

Sounds crazy. Sounds unlikely. Sounds brilliant. This is Artawake.

This is the fourth ArtAwake. I was a spectator at the first, and I have to say, I was blown away. I couldn't believe how many people were there. And not just students. There was a real cross section of the Rochester Community there, wandering around this old warehouse, looking at art, dancing to music. It was nuts.

So when the idea floated my way to enter some art this year, I got kind of jazzed to do it. I got accepted, and "Rochester in Rubber" was born.

What is "Rochester in Rubber?" I tried to take some images that are iconic to Rochester, and capture them in a rubber stamp. I have created a display of those images, and some of the stamps. Images include Susan B. Anthony, the Kodak Tower, a lilac. To go along with the visual, we have an interactive component. We have a big rubber stamp of a front of a postcard that says, "Greetings from Rochester: ArtAwake)." You can stamp this yourself, and take the postcard home with you as a souvenir of the night. Attach a stamp and mail if you want.

When I heard about a week ago that I couldn't mount anything to the wall, I rushed to make a display that could be self standing, and luckily my savior and friend Brian came up with a design and helped to execute it with his Valhalla of power tools. Of course, this took hours and hours of time to assemble, and I owe the luxury of this time to my wife Laura for helping keep everything else a float last week. Big hugs and kisses!

So, I hope you can come and check out ArtAwake on Saturday, April 16th, from 3 pm to 1 am in the Alliance Building, 183 E. Main St., Rochester, New York.

Review of Bears and Brews

2011-04-07T15:10:00.001-04:00

First, I should start by saying that Bears and Brews was truly AMAZING! It was held on April 1 at Crocus Clayworks in the wonderful Hungerford Building in Rochester, NY. It was part of the First Friday series, an ongoing tradition of artist galleries and studios staying open late on the the first friday of the month for special exhibits and showing. I was selected by the amazing potters known as Sabre, Jennifer, and Marie at Crocus Clayworks.

I am taking a guess that we had over 200 people, but it was hard to count, since there was people coming and going the whole night. I stayed busy talking to people and explaining how I make rubber stamps, and taking custom order inquiries.

Lucky for me my sisters Ellen and Angela, from St. Lawrence Chocolates, and my wife Laura, were there to help pour beer, wash dishes, and keep the supply of goodies on the table!

We had beer from Custom Brewcrafters, Rohrbachs, and Rogers Pale Ale, as well as A&W Root Beer (which used to be made in part in the Hungerford in its earlier life). Ellen and Angela made Guinness Truffles, and Maple Carmel Creams, and my mother-in-law Sandy made six dozen mini Guinness cupcakes with Bailey's frosting. Needless to say, all the sweets were totally gone by the end of the night, and only a little beer was left over.

Big THANK YOU's to all my friends and family who attended. It was a real special night and I really couldn't have pulled it off without everyone who helped me out!

(Photos by: Dick Beery)

Review of Shreve Migration Sensation 2011

2011-03-28T13:36:00.002-04:00

What I love about Shreve Migration Sensation is that you always get more than you expect. Shreve is a small rural Ohio town where things don't change too much. If you go to something in the elementary school gym, you might not expect all that many people or extraordinary events to occur.

Shreve Migration Sensation defies expectations. This was my second time displaying and selling stamps here, and it still surprised me! The weather was cold, but sunny, so the participants came out in great number (early estimates were 1200). I noticed a lot more activity in the vendor market place than two years ago. I had increased sales, and met some really wonder people.

Dick Beery of 3 Oaks Enhancements again shared a booth with me. I can't say enough about Dick's work, and I am a huge fan of his bird photos in particular. It is really wonderful sharing a booth with someone too, because you get to hear some great compliments from complete strangers, which is always a feel good warm fuzzy. You also have someone who can watch the table when you want to check out the work of others, or go get of slice of Pecan Pie.

I was very impressed by BeeOlogy. David and Ellen are real class acts, and my wife got some of their products and was raving already about them. I'll be working on a custom stamp for them, as well as some other custom orders from the show.

Greg Miller was on hand, and I got to get his autograph. Greg is a local of the area (Holmes Co.) and was featured a few years back in a book called "The Big Year". This October, the book is being made into a movie, and Greg will be played by Jack Black.

I don't usually eat much at a show, but this wasn't the case when the best amish restaurant in town is the booth across the aisle from you, and the boy scouts are doing a chicken bbq outside. Cinnamon roll and pecan pie are not part of the approved diet, but sure are good.

Well, these are just a few of the highlights (did I mention that there are birds to see!) and I hope I can do it all again next year.

Bears and Brews

2011-03-02T14:03:00.000-05:00

When I sit down to have a cold beer, I want one that is different. I want one that is crafted in small batches. I want one with unique flavor.

This is how I look at my hand carved rubber stamps too. I want to have different stamps, that are unique, and made in small batches. I want to make them with my own two hands.

What better way to celebrate them both than at "Bears and Brews" on Friday, April 1 at Crocus Clayworks studio in Suite 225 in the Hungerford Building at 1115 E. Main Street in Rochester, NY, from 5-9 pm.

I got an email in January from the fine potters at Crocus Clayworks asking me if I would be interested in being their featured guest for one of the the First Friday openings that they have each month at their studio. A one man show, now how could I say NO! I met with Marie, Sabre, and Jennifer and worked out the details.

What can you expect when you come to the show? First, you get to explore and shop. The Hungerford Building is an amazing place of artist studios, and just wandering the halls is an adventure in itself. But at Crocus Clayworks, you will find me, all my stamps for sale, all of the wonderful pottery from Crocus Clayworks. Secondly, we will have beer! I'm a big proponent of trying to buy local, and I try to drink local beer when I can, so expect different beer from a local brewer (no Bud for me). There will also be some light snacks, something sweet and something salty, and a raffle for a prize basket.

Those who have been to one of the craft shows I have been at know that my stamps range from a flock of birds, to portraits of historic Rochester figures. This year, I'm putting a real effort into making stamps with masculine qualities: Man Stamps! I think "Bears and Brews" will be the perfect place to debut some of these new designs.

Can you tell how excited I am about this event?

Back to the swamp!

2011-03-01T15:29:00.000-05:00

I am quite excited to be back at the Shreve Migration Sensation on March 26th, 2011 in Shreve, Ohio!

I set up with my father-in-law Dick Beery two years ago, and we had a great day of meeting birders from the area, and getting a chance to talk about our passions.

I got to carve lots of bird stamps, and will be doing the same this year! Dick (3 Oaks Enhancements) got to display his wonderful photography and he has even more bird photography to share this time around. Dick won some of the photography contest categories last time around too. We will be sharing a booth, so we will have a blast no doubt.

If you haven't heard me talk about Shreve Migration Sensation before, know this, it is a great day to watch birds, or people! The fine people at Shreve Elementary school help to sponsor the day with many other outdoor organizations. They have workshops, speakers, and experts set up at viewing areas all around the area. The draw is migrating birds to the wetlands of Killbuck Marsh and nearby Funk Bottoms. This year, Greg Miller, who was one of the birders featured in the book, "The Big Year" who will be played by Jack Black in the movie of the same name this year, will be the keynote speaker.

The only part of the day I don't like? That I'm inside and not watching birds! I'm sure Dick and I will sneak out on Sunday morning to see what we can see!

Mayday Underground Nov. 6th

2010-11-01T14:54:00.003-04:00

Do not miss Mayday Underground Art + Craft show on Saturday, November 6th, from 10 am - 4 pm at the Village Gate in Rochester, NY. Packed with cool indie artists. Any why not...a Luau Theme!!! Awesome.
Mayday Underground Website.

Halloween Giveaway!

2010-10-13T20:54:00.002-04:00

I'm giving away a spooky halloween inspired Owl print this week as part of the Rochester NY Etsy Street team's Trick or Treat Halloween Giveaway.

I wish I could participate myself, because the other items that are also part of the giveaway are wicked cool.

All you need to do is follow the RNEST blog, then go to the participating shops in RNEST and look for shop listings that have a picture of candy as the last photo. So for example, if you go to my shop and start clicking on some of the items, you will see one of them has some swedish fish hiding in the photos.

Then you post what you find in the blog comments, and you have a chance to win one or more of these great items.

Happy Halloween!

Next Show: Red Tail Days at Braddock's Bay

2010-08-15T22:54:00.002-04:00

Jackbear Stamps will be at Braddock's Bay Red Tail Days on Sunday, August 22nd starting at 9 a.m. This is a great event for the whole family. Here's the details...

Join BBRR for this festival that celebrates the majestic Red-tailed Hawk and other raptors. There will be a variety of activities for all ages to enjoy. A full schedule of events is now available here. Highlights will include LIVE Raptor Presentations, Nature Arts & Crafts Show, Banding Station Tours and Demonstrations, Hawkwatch Tours, the Seneca Park Zoomobile, Storytime and a Coloring Contest for kids. Admission to the event is a $3 suggested donation for adults, kids are free. Food will be available from 2 Guys and a Grill all day long.

The coloring sheet for the contest can be downloaded here.

The following vendors will be participating in this year's craft show:

Peaches Products - Felted Goods and Fibercraft

The Birdhouse

Beadwork by Amanda - Bead, Woven and Circuit Board Jewelry

Jack Bear Stamps - hand carved stamps, custom orders welcome!

Quilted House - quilted handbags, bookmarks, coasters, and more!

My Kitty Empire - whimsical ink drawings and kitty and critter inspired goodies

Beauty In the Eye - handcrafted jewelry and accessories

Shakedown Surplus - Finger Lakes Beach Glass Jewelry

Mayday Underground Arts+Crafts Show

2010-03-26T16:34:00.003-04:00

I am so very excited about my next art show!

The Mayday! Underground Arts+Crafts Show is going to be held on....wait for it....Mayday (May 1), from 10 am to 6 pm.

It is going to feature some of the coolest artisans and craftspeople in the Rochester area. I have a lot of friends setting up from RNEST, and am looking forward to getting pumped up from all the creativity.

The venue is going to be this old warehouse type joint on 416 St. Paul Street. Here's a map to get there! It's going to be a cool vibe there with tons of crafts people and live music performances also.

Here's a coupon you can use to get $2 off any purchase over $20. Also, the first 30 lucky folks in the doors are going to get a sweet swag bag with stuff from the vendors. I'm carving a stamp of the "mohawk owl" logo that's getting printed on the bags.

This is going to kick a$$, hope all my dope friends can come!

Overlapping or Layered Stamps

2010-01-30T11:05:00.008-05:00

I have wanted to try this technique for some time now, and finally got around to trying it! I carved this ladybug, but the image that is created is actually from using two stamps that are stamped on top of each other.

Let me explain...

First I carved a background stamp that would be of the red wing covers of the ladybug. This stamp gets stamped first. Next, I carved a stamp that would be all the black parts of the ladybug, the spots, head, legs, etc. This stamp gets stamped on top of the first red stamp. Get it!

What an image it makes! So bright and vibrant! This ladybug is pretty basic.

Here is a link to some instructions if you every want to give it a try.

Mail Art

2010-01-24T11:09:00.009-05:00

Mail Art, or Correspondence Art as it is sometimes called, is hard for me to define, because it can be so many different things. Wikipedia says it is, "art which uses the postal system as a medium. The term mail art can refer to an individual message, the medium through which it is sent, or an artistic genre"

But what does that mean? Well it couldmean you are altering an envelope with art, or you are stamping faux postage on the envelope, or maybe you are trading an ATC, or making a collage on a postcard, or sending a zine, or even shipping a form of naked mail. It is really art that uses the postal system, and not just art sent through the mail.

I have been doing this since my Etsy shop opened. I always decorate my recycled envelopes with my bearpaw stamps. I have also been creating stamps, like the ones pictured, for the use on letters

and packages.

To me, there is so much negative space on an envelope or box. Why not fill it! Not only does my recipient of the mail get something that looks neat, but I secretly hope that there are some postmen and women who see it and get a little smile at it (or curse my name). It is the emotional response from art, after all, that we seek to invoke.

I have plans to increase my selection of mail art stamps in the shop. I recently relisted my snail mail stamp, another air mail stamp, soon to be followed by a "fragile" stamp, and in the future, some faux postage stamps. Stay tuned!

RNEST Winter Fest

2009-12-08T17:00:00.002-05:00

First of all, RNEST stands for Rochester NY Etsy Street Team. I am a member of this group of artisans in the Rochester area who all sell on Etsy.com

We are having our first joint craft show on Sunday, December 13th at the RIT Inn and Conference Center.

We really hope you can join us, because we are going to have lots of variety at our show: jewelry, quilted items, pillows, stamps, felted animals, and LOTS of gifts for the Holiday.

See what my teammate Carol wrote about buying local at our show.

Hope you can join us!

Mother of All Giveaways

2009-11-07T19:22:00.002-05:00

I'm part of the Rochester NY Etsy Street Team.

We are doing a giveaway each week on our blog, and this week, I'm up!

So head over to the RNEST Blog and see what I'm giving away for FREE!

It's ALIVE!

2009-10-22T17:12:00.003-04:00

How fitting. No, not because it is the Halloween season, but because Dr. Frankenstein's monster was his creation...his first attempt at life. And this is my first attempt as selling an ACEO!

So let me back up. An ACEO is an Artist Card: Original or Edition. Perhaps you have heard of an ATC (Artist Trading Card) or a LTC (Letterbox Trading Card). These are miniature works of art that are 2.5 inches wide, by 3.5 inches high, the dimensions of a poker card, or a baseball card.

Artist love to make these little gems, and I got into making them through my letterboxing addiction. We call them LTC's there, and the point is to use a hand carved stamp to create the card.

So, my Frankenstein card is technically also an LTC, in the fact that I made it from two hand carved stamps, but I'm going to sell these, so they aren't really "trading" cards anymore. So many definitions!

I created this for a couple reasons though. I am part of a team on etsy called the Mad Scientists of Etsy. They have monthly challenges, and for October was to make something about an upcoming holiday, and put a science twist on it. I can't think of a better mad scientist than good old Doc Frankenstein, so I carved a stamp of our favorite creepy monster. I liked the stamp too much to part with it, so I decided to sell a limited edition of it's print, in the form of ACEOs.

The great part about these, besides being small and collectible, is that they are cheap for Art! I called this one "Mad Science: Frank" because I might do other ACEOs based on the Mad Science theme, so keep checking back.

Keep you eyes out on my etsy shop for more, I have another already done and ready to post called "Danse Macabre"!

Bring on the Birds

2009-10-16T09:09:00.004-04:00

Fall migration is fully underway for most birds in our area now and Jackbear Stamps has lots of rubber bird stamps to go around! Not that the birds here are big migrants in my area...but since I don't get to see them in Rochester, NY, I get to see them in my etsy shop!

Puffin Stamp

Tern Stamp

Loon Stamp

RNEST Profile: Buenahelena

2009-09-23T21:34:00.003-04:00

Check out the great profile of my friend Buenahelena's Etsy shop!

She sells vintage and reused items, like these He-Man coasters she made!

RAD!

Red Tail Days

2009-09-23T21:22:00.003-04:00

My first outdoor show! My crafty friend and owl lover Casey of Peach Products invited me and my father-in-law Dick, of Three Oak Enhancements to a craft show at Red Tail Days at Braddock's Bay this year. The event held during Red Tail Hawk migration is a great way to learn about these amazing raptors.
I got to use the new canopy tent I purchased, and the new rustic display that my friend Brian helped me make. I thought they worked and looked wonderful, and I could hang all my best stamps from them! Dick got to display all his amazing wildlife photography around the outside. We really had a great time talking to all the nature lovers.
I was able to get some carving done during the slow times. I have lots of birds carved now too, so be sure to check out my shop at Etsy to see some of the cool bird stamps I carved.
Oh yeah, I got to meet the Incredible Hawk too! HA!

RNEST Profile: The Quilted House

2009-08-19T08:08:00.006-04:00

Over the next several weeks I want to profile a few of the members of the Rochester NY Etsy Street Team. As a member of this team, I have to say that the quality of craftspeople in this group is pretty impressive. These creative people are worth seeking out on their etsy shops, blogs, craft shows, facebook, twitter, and where ever else you can find them!

Today I want to feature The Quilted House, owned and sewn by Michelle.

Now when I think of quilts, I immediately think of some big old garish patterned blanket on grandma's bed. Well....not at the Quilted House! The patterns are hi and the colors are bright. Take a look.

Greeting cards made of quilt blocks.

A tic-toe-boards. ------------------------>

<--------------Bags.

Bookmarks. ---------------------->

I guess you could say this is not your grandma's quilting shop!

To learn more about Michelle check her blog called While the Cat's Away.

Way to go Michelle! We love your work!

Next Show: Braddock's Bay Red-Tail Days

2009-08-03T09:33:00.002-04:00

Jackbear Stamps will be among a select group of artisans set up at Braddock's Bay Red-Tail Days on August 22nd.

I'll have lots of bird and nature stamps on hand for purchase. Dick Beery of 3 Oaks Enhancements and his amazing nature photography will be joining my tent.

There will be lots of activities for kids, a silent auction of prizes donated by the craft vendors will be held to benefit BBRR, and lots of chances to see live birds in migration, and rehabilitated birds on hand.

If you are not familiar with Braddock Bay:

Braddock Bay is a migration "hot spot", located on Lake Ontario just west of Rochester, New York. Millions of birds migrate through the area every spring as they head north to their breeding grounds. The hawk counts conducted at Braddock Bay number in the thousands with the highest recorded count of 140,000 raptors in 1996.

Braddock Bay Raptor Research (BBRR) has been in existence since 1986 working towards preserving the areas natural resources by focusing research and educational activities on the spectacular raptor migration.

Hope to see you there!

Meme 4 U!

2009-06-19T14:24:00.007-04:00

I think one of the funniest things about the 2000's is the "text" abbreviations. I mean we all say them now...LOL, OMG, etc. Some of the stuff that has come off the internet as viral messages and memes has been funny stuff. I wonder if this is going to be one of those pop things that defines the decade.

Anyway, in our high tech society I think it is funny to take the "text" off our computer screens, and put it back on good old paper. So I took a few of those "text" and "meme" phrases and put them into rubber. These stamps are available on my Etsy Shop.

Don't know one of these?
Here are the links:
O RLY? : http://www.hjo3.net/orly/
FML : http://www.fmylife.com/
FAIL Blog: http://failblog.org/

Ornithology is for the Birds!

2009-06-02T15:07:00.006-04:00

The monthly challenge for the Mad Scientists of Etsy for the month of May was Ornithology. I was super excited for this theme because anyone who knows me knows that I am a birder. That is like a bird watcher on crystal meth. Birders like to count birds. Birders like to compete in birding competitions. Birders like to go to birding festivals. Birders like to post their sightings online. I am one of these crazy people.

So I was excited to participate in this challenge and join two of my hobbies, hand carving rubber stamps, and birding. So I should confess, it wasn't a "challenge" because I had a good backlog of bird stamps I had carved for the Shreve Migration Sensation this past March, so I have a good number of bird stamps done, and some more I will be posting to my etsy shop in the coming weeks. It's not cheating, it's more like being prepared ahead of time. Right?

Anyway, ornithology is not just for scientists anymore. There is lots of "citizen science" going on, like Project Feederwatch, and The Christmas Bird Count. Many familiar birds are now in decline, and organizations like the Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are leading the way in helping to preserve our important birding areas.

So celebrate the birds with me and the Mad Scientists with some great items from amazing artisans.

T-Rex: Not so bad.

2009-04-30T11:16:00.003-04:00

This is my newest stamp set for the Mad Scientist of Etsy monthly challenge themed "Cretaceous Period."

Tyrannosaurus Rex was one of the last king of the monsters. According to Wikipedia, "Fossils of T. rex are found in a variety of rock formations dating to the last three million years of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 68 to 65 million years ago; it was among the last non-avian dinosaurs to exist prior to the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event." The KT extinction wiped out 70% of life on Earth. Not like Mr. T-Rex had a chance.

This two stamp set is available for sale at my Etsy shop.

If you are not familiar with the "Fail Blog," this might not make sense to you right away, but I after reading some of the hilarious post there, you will see how the "fail" meme has taken off.

Stamps at Shreve Migration Sensation

2009-04-21T13:40:00.012-04:00

Dick (my friend and father-in-law) and I had a blast at Shreve Migration Sensation. It was a great day for birding, so traffic by the table at the Birders Marketplace in the afternoon was a bit slow, but we really enjoyed talking to all the birders, and kids, and other vendors. You can see that we shared a booth area, me in the front with stamps, and Dick in the back with his photo's from Three Oaks Enhancements.

With the help of my wife Laura, we made some really cool bird journals! These are the kind that you can keep track of your sightings for the day. I made the data sheets so you could record data you might need to enter into eBird. Laura decorated the covers, don't they look great! Some of you might recognize old National Wildlife Federation stamps on them.

Dick got lots of great compliments from his photography. He entered several photos in the contest, and won many prizes. I can't remember them all now, but he really did well! I was so proud. He really pulled together a great collection of photos.

I worked hard to do lots of bird stamps, some that are left I will be adding soon to my etsy shop, so if you are looking for a particular bird stamp, let me know, I may have one carved, or if I don't I can do one for you. I really enjoy combining these two hobbies of birding and stamp carving.

First and Last: Arts and Crafts

2009-03-30T11:38:00.009-04:00

I'm super pumped to be selling Jackbear Stamps on Saturday, April 4th, from 5-10 pm at SPoT Coffee on 200 East Ave. in Rochester, NY at the First and Last: Arts and Crafts show.

This artisans show is held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 5-10 pm at SPoT, on the first and last weekends of the month. It is free and open to the public. You can grab a cup of joe, or have a sandwich, and then drop over and check out the craft/art vendors.

I dropped by it last night just to get the lay of the land and the folks set up were super friendly and had some amazing work! Jewelry, art prints, bottle cap magnets, felted animals. It was really cool. This coming weekend, April 3-5, Becky (the "First and Last" organizer) will also be raffling off a basket full of donated works from the crafters! It is going to be really cool, so don't forget to buy a raffle ticket for this treat (great Easter gift!)

For the Birds...

2009-03-03T10:12:00.004-05:00

I'm very excited to announce that I will be selling stamps at Migration Sensation in Shreve, Ohio on March 28th, 2009. I will be sharing a booth with my very talented friend and father-in-law Dick Beery. Dick is a budding bird photographer, but has been taking candid portraits of people at events for a long time. It has been a great pleasure to go on birding adventures with Dick, and I'm so excited he is getting great bird photographs of some of the birds we have seen, as well as many other great nature shots.

I hope to have many bird stamps ready for the show, as well as some hand crafted birding journals for sale next to Dicks amazing photographs. I can't wait!

It's Greek to Me!

2009-02-23T16:27:00.003-05:00

For the vendor at the University of Rochester last Christmas I made a bunch of sorority stamps of the greek letters. I still have some left, and I have posted them in my Etsy shop. These are easy to carve, and I can carve any sorority or fraternity's letters, in any size as a custom item as well.

I think these look great on a letter, envelope, card, t-shirt, or any other craft item you can stamp on! The sky is really the limit on uses.

Each stamp is individual, and comes in a set. I made each greek letter separate so the stamper can decide if they want a horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or random pattern when stamping.

Dandelion

2009-02-12T12:06:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note, I was selected to be an etsy treasury. Check it out!
This will only be active a few days! That's my Dandelion stamp in the first box!

Mycology

2009-02-10T10:14:00.002-05:00

Mycology is the study of fungi. Fungi aren't plants, and aren't really animals. They serve a key role in decomposition. Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus. Yeasts and slime molds are also fungi.

The Mad Scientists of Etsy monthly challenge was themed "mycology." For my entry I carved three stamps of mushrooms, which are available for purchase at my Etsy shop. I wanted three mushrooms that were different in shape. The button mushroom, which I love to eat, a morel, which I love to hunt, and I'm not entirely sure what the thrid one is, but I liked the shape! Ha!

Working through the Winter

2009-02-05T11:19:00.002-05:00

Wow, we started winter earlier than normal this year in western New York, and it is not letting up! Here we are in February, and I am already tired of it. The good news is I was able to get to Florida for a few days and enjoy some great weather. Also, I have been getting a constant diet of custom carvings to work on, so these long dark days of winter have been fruitful at least!

I would like to get the shop filled back up with some original designs, its starting to look a little picked through. I plan on some more nature themed stamps. I've got a nice dandelion stamp to list that I've completed, along with a portrait of John Muir. I'll be getting these listed in the Etsy shop shortly.

Stay warm everyone!

The Art of Flickr

2009-01-07T11:12:00.004-05:00

I have been posting most of the stamps I have been carving on my Flickr photostream. I have a great little slide show on the main page of this blog, but it only goes through the first page of my photostream, there is lots more on my Flickr site.

Business has been good! I can't imagine how busy I would be in a better economy. The holiday rush is over, and it was a rush. I expected a big slow down, but I am still getting plenty of orders for bookplates, logos, portraits, and more. I am still on schedule, and the production line (me) is running fine.

I will be getting some new stamps up on my Etsy shop soon, probably when the custom orders slow down a little and get more time to devote to specialty stamps.

Monograms

2008-12-31T09:46:00.002-05:00

Monograms. What are they? Wiki says, "A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol." You find them embroidered on luggage and bags, or maybe on a piece of personal stationary.

I've carved some monograms for a few custom orders, and like them so much I have decided to offer them as a regular custom item in my Etsy shop. I love the way that some simple letters can create the perfect logo. The sky is the limit of course, with so many fonts out there, and so many different ways to organize the letters together.

There is some monogram etiquette also. In the three initial monogram above, the middle letter is actually the first initial of the last name, or surname. The first letter then becomes the initial of the first name, and the last letter in the trio is the middle name. That is convention for an individual, but a married couple might combine there names, and keep the middle (largest) letter as the last name, but use their first initials for the flanking letters in the logo.

Whether you use one, two, or three letters, a monogram is a great way to mark a letter, envelope, or card as something that came from YOU! I can't wait to carve more of these little treasures.

The Holiday Rush

2008-12-11T14:10:00.003-05:00

On December 5th I participated in a Vendor Fair at Wilson Commons at the University of Rochester. This was my first real show as a vendor of Jackbear Stamps. I really had a great time, and did well. I sold a few stamps I had made from the table, but more importantly, I made a lot of custom sales for Christmas that I am now working on. It was great to meet face to face with people and talk about the work I do. I worked on a UR themed bookplate all day and managed to finish by the end of the day. I got enough custom orders that I took my custom orders sign down in fear I would take on more than I could handle. But the carving is progressing nicely, many are already done, and many are in progress. I should be able to get them all done on time for the Holidays. It was a great experience I hope to repeat in the future! Thanks to anyone who stopped by!

Exposure

2008-12-04T10:56:00.002-05:00

So, I don't think I will be at this site for long, but this week, I'm the featured artist at Cafe Handmade. This it out!

I am also selling stamps at my first show this Friday, December 5th at the University of Rochester Vendor Fair. I'm working hard growing my inventory, so I hope it pays off. Wish me luck!

There Be Treasure!

2008-11-24T09:14:00.002-05:00

Yaaargh! So ye be lookin' fer me treasure ye be? Well ye be needin' a map. A treasure map!

I love maps. I love looking at them, exploring with them, I even like folding them! So when the Mad Scientists of Etsy selected Cartography to the be challenge theme for November, I was excited. I decided to create a hand carved rubber stamp set that would allow a young (or old) pirate to make his/her own treasure map.

Treasure Island and Lord of the Rings are two of my favorite books. Probably because they both have maps. I guess I'm a visual person. So the idea of carving nine rubber stamps that would make up key parts of the map sounded educational and fun. I used to teach an orienteering course to kids, and part of the lesson was learning the different parts of the map: title, key/legend, scale, compass rose, etc. So I knew I had to have those. Then I decided to add some good pirate map symbols, like a rock, palm tree, waves, a dash for making a trail, and of course, an "X Mark the Spot."

So, if you be wantin' to make yer own treasure map, check out this stamp kit at my Etsy store.

Little Brown Packages

2008-11-20T14:16:00.003-05:00

One of the things I pride myself on is using padded mailers that are made from recycled materials. I also take delight in decorating each one with my "Jackbear" stamps, which are bear tracks. I package each stamp I sell carefully in a small ziplock bag, with a business card stapled to the top. I also include an index card with the stamp's image on one side, and a personal note to the buyer on the other side.

I have not been including invoices because I believe if my buyers on Etsy need a hard copy, they can print that off of the Etsy site. I don't want to waste another piece of paper if the person doesn't need it. This fits with my efforts to reduce the amount of waste in the mailing process. I hope that my buyers understand and appreciate these efforts, as we all try to do our part.

Electric Mayhem

2008-11-17T10:08:00.002-05:00

I worked on a couple custom bookplates this weekend, and managed to squeak in some time to do this little set of seven stamps of transistors, capacitors, diodes, and chips. I think they would look great on a card for an electrical engineer, or computer geek.

You can purchase these stamps on Etsy.

Coming soon, a set of cartography stamps...think "Make your Own Map."

Read all about it....

2008-11-13T10:58:00.002-05:00

...in the new Holiday Gift Guide at KidsOutandAbout.Com a Western New York website for families. Jackbear Stamps gets mentioned in the scroll down, and a stamp of ours appears right at the top of the page too! This is a wonderful website will lots of great information on things to do in the Western New York area. Thanks to Jackie Perrin and Debra Ross!

Got an Idea for a Rubber Stamp?

2008-11-07T14:27:00.003-05:00

You need a stamp? Well do you....punk? Make my day.

Seriously though, I hand carve custom stamps, but I'm always looking for input for rubber stamp ideas. I got started in carving rubber stamps because I needed a stamp of a bear track, and couldn't find one for sale. So I'm hoping there is an idea for a stamp that you have had, but can't find at the craft or stamp store.

So here is my CHALLENGE to you!
1) Post in the comments of this post an idea you have that would make a good rubber stamp and why.
2) Please make sure the idea is a generic one, like "spaceships", not "an X-Wing Fighter" (since that would be a violation of copyright.)

[Please note, the Clint Eastwood stamp pictured was never a stamp for sale, it was only used for my personal use! I don't sell copyrighted work!]

If I like your idea, I'll probably carve it!

Let's hear you idea!

Indiepublic

2008-10-30T14:20:00.003-04:00

Indiepublic is a social networking site similar to Facebook or Myspace. Indiepublic describes itself as "an independent art and design community." They advertise that, "if you're an artist, designer, retailer, blogger, or just someone who gets giddy when they buy indie" then you will feel at home at Indiepublic.

Like my Facebook promotion, you can sign up to be my friend on my profile page. I will contact my friends from time to time with special discounts and promotions!

I'm a member of a couple of groups so far at Indiepublic that you might enjoy looking at, which include the Western New York Etsy Team, Carvers United, and the Land of Etsy.

Become a Fan on Facebook

2008-10-28T16:36:00.007-04:00

I am a member of Facebook, and if you are also on Facebook (because lets face it, it isn't EVIL like some people think, its fun and very useful to contact others) you can become a fan of Jackbear Stamps!

On my fan page, you can connect to by blog, see listing for upcoming special event, see my photos, and this is key...I will be contacting my fans through Facebook with special discounts and promotions!

Don't wait...become a fan TODAY! Yeah!!!

Holiday Orders

2008-10-23T14:37:00.003-04:00

I am now taking pre-orders for custom hand carved rubber stamps for the Holidays!

My favorite gifts are those that I knew required some thought and effort. Sure, it probably is easier to walk into Walmart, pick up some plastic foreign made trinket, and stick it in a box, and call it a gift. However, when I get a gift that was handmade with love, I know that someone cares for me. I also know that there was an artist or craftsman who was not only compensated for their trade, but who felt good about selling a piece of their hard work.

There has been a lot in the news lately about sustainability. Which simply means supporting the things that we can replace as easy as we used it. Supporting artisans and craftspeople who do their work on a small scale, supports sustainability. I don't have to mass produce a lot of junk that will never sell. This way I don't waste resources, and don't make more trash. The environment is important to me, so I use recycled mailers for shipping as well.

But back to my point, why not this Holiday season, buy something handmade? I like this website where folks pledge to buy Handmade.

Also, I think when you give an item customized for the recipient, you know it will be a big hit! I can create a custom bookplate, a custom portrait, or anything else you can come up with, and carve it into a rubber stamp.

Things will be getting busy real soon, and custom orders take a little longer to produce, so contact me now so we can get your order going, and to you in time for the Holiday rush!

I do ship Internationally!

Geothermal Challenge!

2008-10-16T10:08:00.002-04:00

The Mad Scientists of Etsy have a monthly challenge that revolves around a theme. The theme for October 2008 was "Geothermal." Each artisan creates an item that is inspired by the theme. Some create soap, jewelry, plush creatures, you name it! Above is my contribution!

As you know, I'm a rubber stamp carver. I carved a rubber stamp of the image of Old Faithful, taken from an old Parks Service poster that is available in the public domain. I stamped it in black, blue, and then "photoshopped" the four color version in the middle. I can't decide which one I like best? Which one do you like?

This is a little sneak preview for my readers, this stamp will be offered for sale in the coming week in my Etsy shop.

Splitcoaststampers

2008-10-09T12:52:00.003-04:00

Why would you use a rubber stamp? At the mundane office, you might use it to save time, by stamping something instead of writing it. If you are a business owner, you might use a stamp to mark your packaging or merchandise.

The folks who participate at Splitcoaststampers take the art of rubber stamping to a whole new level! The folks here come up with AMAZING ways to use a rubber stamp, from cards, to scrapbooks, and everything else you can think of! This community of craftspeople has a very active forum, and galleries that they post examples of their work through. If you have never checked out this site, and you are into rubber stamps, this is the Nirvana of Rubber Stamps artwork. It is rated #1 in rubber stamp websites!

Carving Like Crazy!

2008-10-06T16:41:00.002-04:00

Wow! I have had a great day today! I have had multiple requests today for custom made stamps. I am working on three small portraits, a shop name logo stamp, and a cute little avatar. I also put a logo stamp in the mail today to Canada!

I have to give a shout out to the leather artisans of Etsy because I'm working on my third stamp that has come from that community, and they are so talented, you should check out their fine leather wares, namely RADCOW, sewlutionsbyamo, and leatherfromtheabyss.

I also got a couple more science stamps in the shop. The one pictured here, a cool little pair of vintage binoculars (because I'm an avid birder, and you need to have good optics for birding), and a cool old microscope!

Anyway, better go get carving!!!

WNY Etsy Team

2008-10-03T10:07:00.003-04:00

I have joined another team as well, but this time with a team that is local to me, the Western New York Etsy Team. This team is made up of artisans and crafts people from all towns west of Syracuse in New York State.

Lots of the sellers in this group are located in Buffalo, and participate in an interesting arts and crafts show each month called the Buffalo Indie Market. Buffalo Indie Market is open every second Sunday of the month from 12PM to 5PM. I hope to be able to attend one of these in the future, it sounds awesome! It takes place at the Pearle Street Grille and Brewery and it's indoors (smart move for Buffalo, right!)

Mad Scientists of Etsy Team

2008-09-30T09:41:00.005-04:00

I am very excited that I am now a member of the Mad Scientists of Etsy Team (MSOE)!

The Mad Scientists are a group that all sell handmade items on Etsy.com that are either scientists themselves, have a science degree, or are in some way connected to the field of science. They have banded together as a group to help promote science, and the science related items that some members sell.

The Mad Scientists also have a blog and website where they announce monthly challenges that group members can participate in. Challenges are based on a theme, and members try to create an item focused around the theme. For instance, the theme for August was microbiology and September is Copernicus. October is "geothermal" which sounds king of hard, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. You can see what other members have come up with on the Flickr site.

So I hope you check out what the MSOE Team has to offer, and you buy some items from these members for all your science type friends!

Stamps in Spaaaaace!!!

2008-09-30T09:30:00.004-04:00

Remember the Muppets, "Pigs in Space" soap opera spoof? Anyway, I'm doing some rubber stamp carvings of mankind's journeys into space. I'm starting off my line of space stamps with Sputnik, the first artificial satellite launched by the Russians, and with the Apollo 11 module that carried the first humans to the moon and back. The photo to the left here is my interpretation of re-entry for the module. I have plans to follow these up with some other stamps, including Yuri Gagarin and Neil Armstrong taking that historic first step on the moon. You can check in my space section in my Etsy shop.

I have taken most of the images from the NASA website, which the folks at NASA have made in the public domain (thank you!). I also have heard rumors that NASA and the folks at Etsy are teaming up on a special project. Maybe I'll get to send one of my rubber stamps into spaaaaace! More about that in the future though.

Blinded by Science!

2008-09-24T12:44:00.006-04:00

I have a new line of science stamps now available. More stamps will be added in the near future, but we get this line started out with the most famous (was he the most brilliant?) scientist of all time (OK knowing scientists we can argue this) Albert Einstein. I have also added hand carved rubber stamps of Charles Darwin, and Bill Nye.

I love doing portraits and plan on adding more. If you have a famous scientist you would like to see a stamp of, leave me a comment!

I have also added a set of some science symbols, including "radioactive," "biohazard," and "atomic" symbols. This is a fun little set that you could use to decorate up the portraits or to warn people of the dangers of atomic energy...muhhahhahaha.

I plan on adding some more sets, like a set of lab glassware, maybe some instruments, microscopes, telescopes, etc. I take special requests, so let me know if you have anything you would like to see!

Now back to the lab!

Custom Work

2008-09-22T11:15:00.004-04:00

One of the best parts of carving a custom made stamp for someone, is that the stamp is new and original. I've said before that carving the same things over and over again is a job for a machine. But carving a unique and different stamp for someone is a challenge (which I like) and keeps the task fresh and new each time.

I've made my first sale on Etsy (http://jackbear.etsy.com), and it was a custom logo stamp for another Etsy shop. There was a good deal of text, which is always a bit intimidating. However, I have found that I'm getting better at it, and I try to keep in mind that a letter is just a "shape." I've played around with font size a little bit, and have found that a font size of 20 is fairly easy in most styles of font. Smaller gets trickier depending on the font. As with anything, practice makes perfect!

I have a couple of orders in the works right now, both custom. I'm working on a design for a bride for her invitations and a stamp for the tables at her reception. I am also working on a custom bookplate. I'm looking forward to carving both after we work out all the details on the stamps (size, fonts, style, etc.).

I've added a custom bookplate listing on the Etsy site, and will soon be adding a line of "Science" themed stamps. I also updated the "look" of my previous listings so it was a bit more clear what I was selling.

Soft Opening

2008-09-10T16:35:00.006-04:00

Jackbear Stamps is now open:
http://jackbear.etsy.com

This is a "soft" opening, meaning not all my inventory is up yet, but everything is operational. I will be adding products over the next several weeks, so please keep checking in. I will do a "GRAND OPENING" when everything is in order. Thanks for stopping in!

Originality

2008-08-20T16:26:00.005-04:00

There probably isn't an original thought anymore. If you think about everybody who has ever lived, and all the thoughts they have had, it seems unlikely that we might have a thought in our head that no one has ever had. I hope that isn't true.

To this point I have carved lots of stamps to this date, but I can't say all of them have been true original works of Jackbear. It's clear from the slideshow you see to the right of the screen, that not all of the images are things I thought of from my head! Some of them are downright copyrighted! Gasp. Keep in mind however, I'm not trying to sell a stamp of a "Mountain Dew" logo, or a "Tusken Raider." These are examples of stamps I have carved for my own interests. They were never meant to be bought or sold. I post them as an example of what a hand carved stamp can look like.

The kind of stamps I want to share and sell to a broader audience will not be copyrighted or trademarked works. That's illegal. But more than that, to me it seems unoriginal. I want to be as original as I can be. I want Jackbear Stamps to be known for being quality hand carved stamps that are like no other. This is one reason I look forward to doing custom work. Someone gives me a picture, and I turn it into a portrait stamp. I'm not really interested in making 60 copies of the same thing. I like making each piece a bit unique in it's own way.

Launching Jackbear Stamps

2008-08-18T20:11:00.003-04:00

I am very excited to announce the launch of my new business, Jackbear Stamps. I am delighted to bring my talents as a hand carver of original and custom rubber stamps to a wider audience.

I began carving stamps as part of a hobby I got involved with in 2003 called letterboxing. This treasure hunt for hidden rubber stamps sparked a sense of fun and curiosity in me, and though some of my hobbies have come and gone over this time, letterboxing has only grown. My first challenge as a letterboxer was finding a stamp to represent me. I had already picked my trailname (my first name (John) = Jack, my last name (Ballou) = Bear (like in the Jungle Book. I started looking for a stamp in the craft stores. I wanted a bear track. I found lots of cats and dogs stamps, but no bears. That settled it. I needed to carve my own. I read lots of online tutorials, and found that I could carve a plastic eraser into a good stamp. After doodling and drawing for hours, I finally found the design that I liked. I traced it onto the eraser, carved away, and I had done it...my very first stamp.

Not long after, I started to carve more and more. These stamps were very rudimentary compared to what I like to carve today, but we all start somewhere. The pine cone pictured above is actually about 5 or 6 inches tall in real life. I carved it to stencil a border around my guest bedroom which I decorated in my favorite style, Adirondack rustic. Each new stamp I carve is a learning process and a challenge, and that is what keeps it interesting to me. Though I have updated the materials I use, the passion stays the same.

Recently I have started carving more portraits, and stamps of people. I have found this very rewarding, as it is a subject that many beginning carvers shy away from. In fact it was by a request of a fellow letterboxer that really got me thinking that I could start a small business carving stamps. She had requested a stamp be carved of her two children. She didn't want it for a letterbox, she wanted it to stamp on thank you cards, or perhaps holiday cards. I accepted a photo from her, and carved from there. This sparked an idea in my head....there might be people out there who need stamps carved. They might be scrapbookers, or card makers, or other kinds of crafters. I could sell hand carved custom stamp to them (I don't sell stamps for letterboxing purposes as this is a non-profit hobby, and is not the place for commercial ventures). And so Jackbear Stamps began.

I am putting the finishing touches on my shop as we speak, so I hope you will join me on my journey to bring amazing hand carved rubber stamps to the world.