June Lay-Over

This June is kind of a lay-over on the this amazing metaphorical art trip I'm on.  I had a VERY busy May, with lots of custom orders.  I was very pleased, and I got a ton of stamps done for happy customers.  However, I need a little break in June because I have some other events going on.

First, let me start with the stamp pictured.  This is a custom logo stamp I made for Jessica Cole in New Hampshire.  She owns Sumner Brook Herbals and they live on Sumner Brook Fish Farm (a trout farm) in Ossipee, New Hampshire.  Her shop there is called Sumner Brook Landing, so that is what is on the stamp.  When she was describing the design she wanted she said:

I am also an herbalist, so the theme of our shop is a mix between trout and herbal medicine! I would love it if I could somehow incorporate both things into the image, and also have our shop name, and perhaps address if it all fits. I always thought it would look neat if I had a trout jumping out of the water and blowing a dandelion, with the little seeds blowing away. It'd be nice if a dandelion leaf was noticeable too, as they are very medicinal!

I thought this was a great vision, and based on where she was, I thought an Arts & Crafts style frame would suit this vision well.  The mountain was an afterthought that Jessica had, and it fits GREAT in the image.  This is not a small stamp either!  It measures around 5 inches high by 4 inches wide.  This is probably the second or third largest stamp I have done for a custom order.  Sadly, this design fell to the bottom of pile of orders I was doing, and so I had to apologize to Jessica for not getting to it for over a month!  I'm hope she likes it, I think it turned out really nice, and I think she intends to stamp it on some of her shopping bags.

As for the rest of June, I'm finishing up a few stamps for friends, and some stamps for a letterboxing gathering I am hosting at the end of June.  This event has over a hundred letterboxers coming from all over the area to seek out hand carved rubber stamps hidden all over the woods, so I need some time to finish carving, planting boxes, and getting clue books written up.  I'll be back at the carving table in July to work on more custom orders.  
Thanks for all your love an support this past spring!

Jackbear Get's Interviewed!

I found this great new podcast a few weeks ago when looking for something new to listen to.  It's called the Etsy Conversations Podcast.  I have been looking for a long time for a podcast like this one, and was excited when it popped up on my search a few weeks ago.  After catching up on the three episodes that were already posted, I emailed the host, Angela Holden, to see if she wanted me to be a guest.  Actually, I pitched myself as a "dude" since we are a bit harder to come by on etsy.

She was excited, and I was excited, so we "skyped" last week and laid down the tracks.  It was really fun!  I was excited to share my story.  I wish I had mentioned all the things I had thought of saying (like how awesome the teams are I am involved in), but maybe I'll remember it all next time.

Anyway, the episode gets posted on Sunday (May 13).  You can listen to it at the Etsy Conversations Podcast site, or you can subscribe to it in iTunes (or whatever other podcatchers you use (I like Downcast app on my iPod)).

OR, and this is what I REALLY want to mention, is you can join other like minded listeners on Sunday, May 13th, at 9 pm EST and listen to the episode and chat along.  Yes, we are having a little "listening party".  I have set up a Ustream feed that you can click on, and we will listen to the podcast together, and we can chat along in the chat box.  I hope you can drop by and listen.
Free desktop streaming application by Ustream

Mayday Wrap-Up and Shop Overhaul

Mayday Underground Arts+Crafts show is now over for another season.  I met so many great people at the show!  I am working on a stamp for Dark Horse Coffee who are located in the Village Gate where the show was, also for Badfish Consulting, and a few others I am probably not at liberty to discuss just yet.

I also met an amazing man named Chet who gave me a loaf a bread.  Yes, he was a complete stranger, and he gave me a loaf of bread.  It is a very tasty loaf of white if you must know, and he made it himself, along with hundreds of loaves he makes each week.  He gives them away.  No, he doesn't fancy himself as Jesus, in fact, he told me he is a bit of an atheist. So if you want to learn more about this mystery man, check out Breadtime Stories.

Now that the dust has settled from the big show of the Spring, I am focusing on my etsy shop.  Dick Beery of 3 Oaks Enhancements, and my wonderful father-in-law, has helped me ENORMOUSLY by helping me with photographing some of my stamps.  I have been wanting to change the look of my pictures for some time, and he was kind to took at a bunch of ideas I had, then help get a good background, good light, and help me take some photos.  I am very pleased with the direction this is going.  Thanks so much Dick!

Mayday Underground this Saturday!

Jackbear Stamps will be set up at the Mayday Underground this Saturday, April 28, from 10-4 pm at the Village Gate in Rochester.  This is one of the shows I look forward to the most.  Amanda and Casey are the organizers, and they take great pain to find some of the most fun and different art/craft around.  There will be 50 vendors to shop from, and the first 50 gatebusters will get free swag bags.

In the swag bags will be a hand stamped postcard from yours truly.  Don't worry, if you are a late sleeper, you can still get a free postcard at my table.  You can just ask, say "Hey jackbear, I read your blog, can I have a postcard."  I'll saw, "awesome, thanks for stopping by."

Oh yeah, don't forget Mother's Day is just a few weeks away, this would be a good place to find your mom/wife/grandma/etc. something.

Hearts and Crafts for Valentine's Day

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!