I
stumbled upon stamping being demonstrated at a Johannesburg calligraphy exhibition.
I saw it as a great way to decorate my little boys’ clothes but as I
did not care for the designs available I hand carved my own. I still do a
lot of hand carving as relaxation and still have this ‘thing’
about fabric printing.
1992 I started my
business ‘Stamp-a-Doodle-Doo’ in South Africa selling hand carved
stamps (later ‘real’ manufactured ones) and hand inked stamp pads.
I designed my own stamp pads that were sold under the Stamp Africa label and
were made by Tsukineko in Japan. Eventually I had about 50 agents selling
party plan around Africa.
I design my own
range of stamps. My early designs were manufactured and distributed in South
Africa as Acorn. (Sadly some of this range is still being made there without
my permission or approval.)
Some of that original range and all of my more recent designs are now called
My Stamps and are made out of clear polymer and sold unmounted or mounted
onto clear acrylic blocks.
In 1996 I wrote my book ‘An introduction for fun rubber stamping etc’.
I self published the first three print runs. It is now in its fourth printing
and is published and distributed by ArtNSoul Pty Ltd, Melbourne.
February 1997 we
left South Africa. We now live in Melbourne, Australia.
I have guest tutored
at 19 Stamp Camps in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney, Tasmania and Northern
Territory. I have taught classes in stores, stamp clubs and craft shows in
Dampier (WA), Geraldton (WA), Adelaide (SA), Perth (WA), Rockingham (WA),
Melbourne (Vic), Sydney and Newcastle (NSW), Brisbane (QLD) and Darwin (NT).
I have done large public and trade demonstrations and taught classes at most
of the Australian SDU Conventions (Stamping Down Under)
I have traveled
to New Zealand 4 times and have taught classes in Christchurch, Auckland,
Hamilton, Tauranga, Hastings, Wellington, Hokitika and Nelson.
2003 I revisited
South Africa and taught classes in KwaZulu Natal and Johannesburg. I was invited
to talk to a primary school about rubber stamping as an art. (That was fun…)
I am an enthusiastic
member of the Victorian Calligraphy Association and have taught numerous classes
for them on Phillip Island, Torquay as well as here in Melbourne. I was honoured
to teach at the ‘Summer School in Winter’ at Melbourne Uni in
July, 2004.
I have been published
in Woman’s Value (South Africa), TRG (Aus), Stamping & Papercraft
(Aus), Paper Arts (now Crafts) (Aus) and Somerset Studio (USA)
Apart from writing
my own book I have contributed to a couple of American ones as well as being
a co-contributor to a Design Originals ‘can-do crafts’ book ‘Metallic
Wearables’ (USA)
In September 2001
I attended my first ‘Wearable Arts’ in Nelson. It is now and annual
inspirational pilgrimage.
I prefer to support
the businesses that sell my stamps but try to do one retail event a year to
stay in touch with the ’buying’ stamper. Since 1999 the annual
event that I have taken part in has been the Melbourne Paper Arts show.
I
have done 3 stamping segments on TV in South Africa and hope that I never
have to do another one.
