925 days was how long my first pair of campers lasted. over two and a half years of inconspicuous comfort in all kinds of weather – and of never having to stop to tie the shoe laces! 
yet with holes threatening to open on them, i knew that the end was near. so last week, we walked down to the camper store, and finally got their shiny replacements. long live the new campers! :)
so, on my second time at stempel-medina earlier this year, i wanted to do something with postcards. it’s the perfect format for a small project, and being that i am immersed in them everyday, i thought they might be useful. i had a huge amount of gifted stamps at hand, many of which were art-related, but i wasn’t sure how to use them… until i saw these tourist rubber stamps. i grabbed them, and got to work on these little museum scenes:
i rubber stamped the little guys, watercolored them, and then used my super sharp scissors to painstakingly cut their shapes. then, i assembled them in the little scenes, adding the stamps and some background paper. it took way too long, but i quite like the results. :)
twice a year, in a quiet isolated hostel in the middle of germany, a group of 50 women comes together for a long weekend. they drive in from all over the country and have been doing this pilgrimage for years, way before internet and facebook-organized events. some heard about it on local shops, others through ads posted on newspapers… they responded to the initial call and just kept coming back. in their daily life, they quietly nurture their common passion on the side of their jobs and family life. but on these special weekends, they load their car trunks to the brim with all sorts of magical tools and drive here, for uninterrupted me-time with their hobby. they’re passionate rubber stampers.
i received an invitation from the meeting organizer earlier this year, and have attended two of these events now. on the first one i was stumped… so baffled in fact that, despite being familiar with the concept of stamping, i did not touch a single rubber stamp the whole weekend. instead, my mind reeled with questions… who were these people? and what universe was this, filled with speciality inkpads and ink sprays, textured paper, calligraphy nibs, embossing tools and sharp scissors that cut through glue without getting ruined? my mind was overwhelmed, as if i had stepped into a different world altogether, one i knew nothing about. i felt like richard discovering london below for the first time.
they welcomed me, the stranger with bulging eyes and raised eyebrows, and told me it was normal, and that i would come back someday. sure enough, a few months later, i was packing my own suitcase with my meagre stamping possessions and taking the train down to bielefeld. this time, i came prepared – i had questions, ideas, and a better grasp of the german language. and so we stamped, we talked, we crafted, we laughed. i’ve learned a thing or two about rubber stamping, but especially about how life is about these smaller moments when you get out of your comfort zone and embrace mysterious new worlds. now, i guess i’m a rubber stamper myself :)
doing a calligraphy class had been on my plans (and list) for ages. i’ve always been attracted to nice penmanship, so it seemed like the next logical step. last week, i found one class by accident through gidsy and enlisted right at the last minute.
the class was great, and we learnt how to draw most letters of lowercase english copperplate script. it’s a relatively simple script, but hard work nonetheless! by the end of it, my hand was hurting from all the tension i was putting on my nib, but i felt like we were all more confident and ready to start practising on our own. i certainly intend to! :)
i got a present on my birthday which made me go awwww… it was so simple, yet so sweet. it’s called vale+ amor, and it’s a book of vouchers, for me to use whenever i want…
… an unforgettable dinner…
… a weekend without schedules…
… or whatever love wants today :)
there are 10 different coupons, all brilliantly illustrated, ready to turn any day into a great one. isn’t it the sweetest thing?