Project Do: Merci!

Since I don't have the money to buy a tabletop press (yet), I started exploring other ways to make beautiful things. Enter: Speedball Speedy Carve & Block Printing kit. Best investment I have ever made, and it is so easy! The tools are easy to use, and Speedy Carve is easier to carve than the classic linoleum block. It has the same texture and softness as those pink erasers, so carving them is pretty simple. Since I don't consider myself to be ultra-artsy, I'm ok with the smooth texture and feel of speedy carve versus the wood texture of a linoleum block. You may find that you like block better; all I can tell you is that the block irritates the heck out of me and I usually find a way to injure myself when I use the linoleum.

In the spirit of Project Do, I made thank you cards out of this beautiful font I found online. I printed "merci" out in several sizes. I found a size that I thought fit my speedy carve block best. Then I outlined "merci" with pencil, and imprinted it onto the block by turning it over and rubbing my pencil outline into the block. I carved out all the parts contained within the pencil lines using my carving tools and voila! Got myself some ink and printed away. I need to work on my carving skills and get my work to be more rounded, but I am very pleased with my outcome.

This is only the beginning of my adventure with pseudo-block printing. As I prepare to get married and start budgeting myself, I want to do as many DIY things as possible. This carve can be re-used many times, in varying colors. Maybe one day I'll carve out a border around it and make something new out of something used! The possibilities are endless, and it's exciting.