Okay, going public again with the feedback forum. I tried this before once and it seemed to cut down on the amount of feedback I got. But now I don't care, so here we go again.

You need a dowell sharpened to a point, so the glue going through the funnel can be stopped before the jar gets full. What do you use for a solvent to clean up that mess?

WOW! Changes! I like the archives. And am glad to see you go back to a "public forum". Are you the topic administrator and if so, why did you delete messages?

The first 9 messages were from a couple years ago, when I first started this topic. It didn't seem relevant to leave them there. I don't use any solvent with the contact cement. If you let it dry just enough, you can peel it off most surfaces, especially glass. I got most of it off the Glue Hopper, but some paint came of with it.

Concerning your blog of May 4th: Looks like an unusual ceramic vase to me...I rather like it.

"Concerning your blog of May 4th: Looks like an unusual ceramic vase to me...I rather like it."

dittos

          Just caught up on your latest blogs...what fun. So glad your macro lens arrived on time...great pictures.

Gluing sheets of rubber to cushion is not too hard but to attach the cushion to the peg try super glue or super glue gel. You only need a very small amount coated over one surface. Press firmly and it is done.

Edited by author 06-05-2005 06:11 AM
Just saw your blog for the first time. Love your images. The May 22nd pic of the cat with your reflection/shadow in the window is awesome!!!! You should definitely submit it to the mirror project! I also love the penny & the daisy picture. Thanks for sharing your view of the world.

Sorry to read about the burglary--hope the bad guys are caught and strung up by their thumbs!
Your 6-8 crossbill photo is fabulous!
PVM's suggestion re the pointed dowel glue stopper has all the landmarks of brilliant--simple, effective and "aha!"
Your blog is a pleaure--I check almost every day.

Thanks, Annie. Yeah that PVM guy is pretty smart. I think he got the dowel idea from the donut batter hopper thing he used in his bakery. I like the crossbill photo too, but I wish it were sharper. I'm using an adapter to connect my Canon camera to our Celestron spotting scope, and it just won't focus very tightly.
Anyway, glad you like the blog, every now and then I loose interest but then get reinspired.
~SvM

On 6/9/05, QuickTopic daily digest <qtopic+23-FNbEbbUaibf@quicktopic.com> wrote: >


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     What do you do with a whole crop of garlic? I know someone who mashes it up and freezes it.

 Well, now that we know what a ketuba is, what sort of project is it? Do you have Jewish friends who are getting married?

I chop the garlic pretty fine, then store in a jar full of olive oil. I keep that in the fridge to be handy, but you could freeze it too I suppose.


On 6/14/05, QuickTopic daily digest
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    I really like the ketubah. Can you make a stamp from it? Just the way it is? One could fill it in with all sorts of other stamps.

  I have 118 of your tiny peg stamps. Does that replacement offer still stand?

I was hired for the ketubah job, by a friend. It's for his son who I used to work with a long time ago, making bagels. The kid turned out to be a particle physicist.

On 6/16/05, QuickTopic daily digest
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    It was fun to see the garlic from planting to pizza. Loved the pulp plume photo. And the badges are impressive. I have a badge you made with a real leaf several years ago and it still retains it's original bright color...that must be some special kind of plastic covering?

That looks like reverse psychology to me.

Stink bug!!!

       I was going along catching up on the photos and thinking what nice pictures...(especially liked the one with the snail filled rock)...and then I came to that chicken!...shocking!
       I can't figure out what body part that green beetle is perched on?

That green beetle, I guess it's a stink bug?! (according to Becky), anyway he's perched on the heel of my left palm.

Oh, those strawberries...I'm jealous.

     The Gunnera looks very healthy this year...kind of scarey actually..as does the mosquito.

Hi--Re the 7-10 moth--has anyone identified it for you yet? My Field Guide isn't helpful--the closest I can come to is a Peach Tree Borer and the picture of the female I have doesn't have the red head. Thanks! Enquiring Minds...

I was hoping my brother in Montana would tell us about the moth, but he doesn't check the blog all that often.

On 7/13/05, QuickTopic daily digest
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Steve,
            When you answer someones question from the blog, there is a space for their question, but it's not there. Is that the way it's suppose to be?



At 06:54 PM 7/14/05 +0000, you wrote:
< replied-to message removed by QT >

That is pretty cool, but are you sure he wasn't mooning you rather than posing? :-p

I believe your moth may be a Ctenuchid moth - but I'm not real familiar with West Coast insects.

Love your little frog. Right now we have baby toads (~ 1/2 inch long) out the wazoo in Indiana.

You are a great photographer, Steve!

For Becky--I'm sure you're right! I googled Ctenuchid after reading your entry--lots more than I thought I wanted to know! Thank you!

Re the 7-22 photo--the mantis IS a good omen! How fortunate to find one! Here's a (another)plug to please change your mind and join the Heirloom Production show in Spokane WA in Sept--please! Thanks!

Hmmm, Spokane in the Fall.... wonder what that's like.

On 7/23/05, QuickTopic daily digest
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    Just caught up on the blogs of the last couple of weeks...great photos. Where did you ever come up with that nick-name for Euro? Europodzinskytoonces?

Spokane WA in the fall is fabulous! Sunny, 75-80*F days with 15-25% humidity (DRY heat!), and pleasant evenings of 60-70*F. There's a Centenial Trail that's right between the show venue and the Spokane River that keeps going to Coeur D'Alene ID--great for walking, strolling,biking,roller-blading. The venue is within walking distance to Riverfront Park, the Expo '74 site, home of a Looff Carousel (hand-carved, lifesized horses)and an IMAX.
Lots of enthusiastic stampers and scrapbookers live in this area that draws folks from MT,ID,Canada, northern OR to western WA. Our motto is Near Nature, Near Perfect. We have more parks per capita than most cities. We have several micro-breweries and 10 award-winning wineries. We're within a 1/3 day's drive to Canada, the coast,many many lakes, mountains,rain forest, dessert, bigger and smaller cities, dense forests. I seem to be going on and on...but then,so do Spokane's attributes!
I think you'd love being part of a show here!

As the pungent aroma of garlic wafts into the open windows, I am reminded that this weekend is the annual Gilroy Garlic festival. I loved the picture you took of the garlic (June 17, 2005)! It's great!

The only thing I can think of that would make a difference in the size of the bulbs is the weather. It's probably MUCH hotter down here. Most days are in the mid to upper 90's. And also most of the harvesting is done in late July and early August. Are you saving some of the bulbs to try again for next year? How did they taste?

In the meantime, have you ever considered doing a garlic Rubber stamp? ;)

My garlic tastes great! The bulb size is not a problem, they are just fine - I just thought it was weird that a lot of them lost their outer layer of "paper". Not sure if I would do a stamp of "just garlic" but maybe.... hmm, how about a "goddess of garlic"?

On 7/27/05, QuickTopic daily digest
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Yummm… Sounds good to me!

Spell-check -- Spokane is near desert and has desserts. Both sweet in their own ways!

WOW, I've never seen Kabu look so handsome! Maybe he's just being imperial.

HUMBOLT BAY...THAT'S A FAMILIAR SIGHT.

She's a beauty. Glad you're back.

The hops look great. Are you going to have enough for a batch of home brew? Mine aren't quite ready yet, but there will be a ton of them.

I think it is a Woodhouse's Toad. American toads have mottled grey spots on their breast.

It's a small hop crop, may be enough for a batch but we're not doing a lot of brewing around here.

On 8/23/05, QuickTopic daily digest
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  You Two sure covered a lot of territory on your trip...wonderful photos!

Would you ever plan to come to the Milwaukee Rubber Stamp Expo?

Laughing couple: I can see why...

How foxy!

Just caught up on August's blogs today--your photography is fabulous! I especially like the insects (and arachnids) you find and capture so beautifully on film. Re the 8-23 blog of a calendar--aren't you looking at a 2005? Another plea (if mere begging doesn't work; what bribes you?!)-- please consider Spokane WA in 2006 (and 2005 if last minute decisions can be made.)Thanks!

That is indeed a 2006 calendar I am looking at. The post-it notes indicated the various shows that are available. So far I don't see any indication that there will be a show in Spokane in 2006.

Hi Steven--thanks for the quick reply--I'll ask the Heirloom folks when they're here next month (soon!)--they may be testing the waters this year.

   In regards to the box bonfire...very impressive, but I hope you had lots of water nearby.

Hot seats!

Trinacria - too detailed? That's like when the Emperor told Mozart there were too many notes!

When are you going to tell us more about the Fox from August 26?

The fox thing - I'll show the entire logo when the client goes public, which should be early 2006.

Early 2006...that's a long time....most mysterious...

Love the 20? rocks with lines...had a good laugh...so typical!

Most, if not all, of your photos are gorgeous, but the one of the rocks is poster worthy. On the upper Skykomish River I found some wishing rocks, some imbedded in the sand and others lying loose. They formed a beautiful arc.

    Like the added necklace on the Milagros Mermaid.

The self portraits are very interesting...is there a competition in this show?

Save me one of those pear jelly beans...I'd like to try one.

Mystery circles...merry go-rounds?

I don't think they would install 3 merry-go-rounds, plus they are outside of the playground area. Carol thinks they will be concrete slabs for picnic tables.

On 9/30/05, QuickTopic daily digest
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re the bread sticks--they were eaten, all right; my experienced guess is that they were gobbled up with glee by the employee(s)! They look deee-licious!

This opens a whole new Halloween idea---imagine her stamped many times, enlarged, cut out, and articulated with brads or grommets.

Here's a question for stampers. Woman Writing is a large stamp (4 X 5 inches). If you owned this stamp, would you do your own writing on the lines? If so, should the design be reversed - left to right?

Woman Writing is shown here (it's a brand new design, not made into rubber yet so there is time to change it):
http://www.meerimage.com/blog/2005/10.16.shtml

As a right handed person, I prefer her as she is - otherwise she would be writing "into" what I write - plus, I would be afraid of smudging the staped image if she appeared on the same side I was resting the edge of my hand upon.

About the woman writing....I agree with pip.

About the nude watching...am really glad to see you are thinking about the person useing the stamp...making it easy to cut and mask.

Edited by author 10-20-2005 06:36 AM
I love the woman lying down watching and the coffee goddess and the woman writing. I would definitely use her the way she is, being right-handed. My only question is when can I buy them. All.

Had you given any consideration to the dearth of good stamps depicting coelacanths?

I immediately looked up the words coelacanth and latimeria. You can learn something everyday if you want to. The description of the fish sounds like something that would appeal to Steve.

Seemed like a natural fit to me :-)

There are concrete drill bits for that purpose. :). Perhaps it will be a circular, rotating picnic table!

      In regard to the ennead series...am wondering if you have them all figured out ahead of time or do you think up a topic like "mirth" as you go along? I think I might try guessing what some of the next six will be.

I've been sketching these out for the past couple weeks, but I didn't want to blog them until I had each of the ideas worked out. Each of these rough sketches is the culmination of 4 or 5 earlier roughs. I will begin the final drawings soon.

   This ennead business is getting more interesting all the time, but I'd sure like to know what is going on in your head when you come up with some of the illustrations...especially the wealth one! The sleuth came across as very sleuthy.

      We're looking forward to the new printed catalog.

Wow Steven, your mom really loves you. Cherish that!!!

Concerning the current design in progress - the mermaid starfish - I am actually a bit further along than the blog shows, but figured it might be interesting to show all of the stages. So, that means these doodles and sketches were not drawn on the very day they were posted. Same goes for the previous batch of drawings for the Nth Ennead. Usually a photo or drawing on the blog is from the day it is posted, or at least very close to the day.

  The polygon is looking good...

The pentagon is beautiful, but the nine sided version was intriguing.

      That's a fantastic mushroom...am looking forward to getting one of those cards.

As poisonous as it is, I've always wondered why the Germans think it is a good luck symbol. You see it around Christmas in paper and plastic versions. You've been very good educating us on how a rubber stamp is made, but how on earth is an etching made?

I was curious what type of camera and macro lens you use....i really enjoy all your close ups, particularly the insects and this mushroom is really beautiful...thanks.

I'd be happy to know what the resist is composed of and how the engraver applies it and what chemical is used to etch. So keep us posted if you ever do get to do the tour. Ditto with the camera and macro.

I use a Canon Digital Rebal camera, and for the macro shots I use a Canon 50mm EF compact macro lens.

I will see if I can find out more about the engraving process - it may be a while before I can swing an actual tour.


On 12/6/05, QuickTopic daily digest
<qtopic+23-FNbEbbUaibf@quicktopic.com> wrote:
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Steven Vander Meer
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Digital Rebel

    Well, if you are going to make peanut brittle a tradition, don't forget to brush your teeth.

That peanut brittle really looks good.

re the peanut brittle; was the weather particularly humid that day you made it? Did you bring it to the proper temperature before pouring it out on the marble? Keep trying and use lots of butter! :)

I had an expert helping on the peanut brittle (thanks Dad), and yes, it is always humid in Humboldt county. We got it to 290 degrees but will go for 300 next time.

Re: 12/18...Euro may be hunting FOR YOU. I once had a cat, Useless, who loved hunting in a nearby field. He was always dropping some poor dead or dying thing at my feet. I later read that many cats hunt for their people. It is...sigh...a gift.

Thanks for your articles on care of stamps and ink ticklers!

Get well soon!

I decided to carved my own coelacanth stamp so that's taken care of... /m79

Good!

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http://www.artyaya.com/

Is there a way to e-mail your blog pictures to people in my address book? Thanks!

For photographs that aren't from the current day, you can copy the URL into your email and send it to your friends. That way, they might look around the site while they're here and check out the rubber stamps!

Annie - Dusty is correct, the best way is to send them the URL so they can come and see the photo in it's natural setting (ie, within the context of my web site).

That little fiend might turn out to be a famous sculpturer someday. :)

Thanks for the "how-to" re sending blog images--and thanks, especially, for the blog!

Woohoo! The coffee lady is back at last!!!

The monotypes are lovely, I have read about to make them, but I still don't 'get' it. Maybe I just have to see it.

The coffee goddess has a sweet face, soft lips and I like the sweep of her bangs. Very nice.

Glad to see the Coffee Goddess has a set of fans already. Often I try to get a real resemblance to the model; the middle drawing on Monday's blog captures her really well - the challenge now is to make that translate into the final inked image, very tricky.

Edited by author 02-03-2006 07:14 PM

Friday, February 3rd, 2006 - observant blog watchers will have noticed the backward signature and date on the lower image. I wrote them backwards so that they would appear forwards on the finished print.

How about Your handprint--R/L-- and/or thumbprint as a rubberstamp? That way, when we use one of your designs, we can stamp your print somewhere to give it extra acknowledgement. Or handprints walking across the envelope.. The coffeegoddess is beautiful.

I'm ahead of you - I printed my hand just the other day for a new Tiny Peg Stamp, and my feet too. Also, a customer suggested a "credit stamp" and what I have decided is to make "credit stickers" instead. They will come free with orders, and you can stick them on the backs of cards and things, it will include my web address.

On 2/4/06, QuickTopic daily digest <qtopic+23-FNbEbbUaibf@quicktopic.com> wrote: >


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If the top image on the monoprint is sitting on a plate of ink, why do some areas remain white? Why isn't the whole sheet covered in ink? That's what I never understand...

     That's a great ink splotch....are you sure you didn't manipulate it just a bit?
     Am glad you are finally getting around to a "credit" thing...I've been thinking about that for years...were you just waiting for someone to ask you to do it? (Thanks to the customer who suggested it)

Monotypes: the ink is very thick and goopy, and the paper is very light weight, so, unless you touch the paper with your finger or a pencil, the ink just doesn't stick to it. Of course, if you have too much ink on the plate it's a whole different story.

Ink Spot: yes, I did manipulate it thoroughly - that's my artistic license. It does resemble the real ink spot, but it's cleaner and more "balanced".

Credit Stickers: actually I never thought of that before, but it does seem like a good idea.

On 2/6/06, QuickTopic daily digest <qtopic+23-FNbEbbUaibf@quicktopic.com> wrote: >


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The Steven Show (AKA the cam): It could be fun for out-of-towners to attend special events via the cam, like open studios, or anything else that might be going on. Ooooo, I wonder if you could take it to shows! Maybe not.

Thanks for the explanation of the monotype. We have to wait a whole week+ for the new stamps? *sigh*

Aloha! Nice work!

Hmmmm...bears are warm and fuzzy. Contentious? Maybe its a grizzly.

Just happened upon your website this evening...
First of all - simply put - BRILLIANT work!
I love your stamps and will have to sell my house, and perhaps even my children, to purchase the ones I can't live without!
And, in regard to your January 31st blog - Coffee and Cigarettes, the movie - I LOVE it - I OWN it!!! Particularly fond of the sequence with Tom Waits, since I'm a huge fan...
(Can't find my sales receipt - what can I mail instead for my free stamp?!!)
Looking forward to seeing your new work...
Best Regards!
Traci

To Traci Blanchette,
Since you own the movie, scan the box or photocopy it and send me that, you sound like you deserve the stamp! I like the Tom W scene too, but I think my favorite is the opening scene shown on my blog with Steven Wright and... the guy who's name I can't spell.

Edited by author 02-11-2006 08:52 AM
I toyed with the idea of sending in a random rep ticket since I saw it in the rep theatre and I have the odd one sitting around. But a combination of laziness, honesty and the thought that someone else would get there first stopped me. I guess I saw it back when it first hit the rep theatres. Anyway, I liked the scene with Steve Coogan and Alfred Molina, where Coogan is trying to put Molina down and then the tables are turned. But Waits and Iggy Pop are pretty cool too...

Beautiful rose. I thoroughly enjoy your visual blog.

Sorry...just realized that there's another Dusty out there, so this is not the Dusty who has asked questions.

Just saw your latest ad in RSM...looks great.

Re: your new "teddy" peg stamp -- he makes me think that perhaps all teddy bears are only actors and in his expression you've caught him off-duty -- kind of like that cartoon character -- awful baby with the man-voice who is really a lecher and smokes a big cigar! hahahaha! I LOVE your Teddy! --Cybele

Hmmmm.... mixed feelings on Tiny Ursus Inexpectus - however, my faves all fit under the 'Weird Things' category, so perhaps it's just my odd taste. (How about a REALLY weird teddy?) LOVE Barn Swallow, Dead Mermaid... and of course, the Coffee Goddess is divine! Giving her a coffee bath - PERFECT!

Interesting that the seats appear larger than the table. Large rumpus', small servings?

The fist stamp I ever bought was sexy betty paige image. Since than I can't find any erotic stamps! Thank goodness I found your site. Why is the stamp world afraid of erotic stamps. Keep up the good work. I would love any links. espically of nude men.

I love the new bear! He looks so expressive and alive, I can almost hear him talking. The belly button is a great addition too. Most teddy bears I've seen don't have that.

uh, I'd love to know the inspiration/story behind the dead parrot sketch.

I hope this is not too morbid, but the dead parrot sketch made me think that it might be cool to make a stamp based on one of your "documenting dead things" photos...there's a sort of sad, lonely, beauty in them that i think would be interesting to try and capture. i would definitely use a stamp like that!

Cybele, thanks for the encouragement, I don't think it's morbid, at least not compared to a blood-soaked human body with spikes through the hands hanging from a post, now that's morbid!
Elaine, afraid I can't help you, the dead parrot came out at the end of a long and twisted tangle of doodles that I couldn't begin to explain.
Traci, I am sending you the Coffee Goddess today.

WoW!!!!!I just linked to your site from Violette's blog! Your artwork is fabulous!! Beautiful! Incredible! It's gonna take me a while to decide on which ones I have to have first! Although the Raven is an immediate choice! I really don't do much stamping..at least not til now!HA! Thank you! Pam Aries

I don't know who Violette is but she's okay in my book!

On 2/24/06, QuickTopic daily digest
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Whew! Thought I was seeing things when that bear blinked at me! LOL I too find your photos of dead things interesting - that little frog is beautiful. And I love the coffee goddess. Her face is lovely.

Beautiful rose...it looks like it's glowing from within.

oops, sorry I forgot to mention the date....the rose I meant was from Monday, Feb 13. Also don't know how to edit a post, thus a second one.

"Found Object" is creepy. It looks like an evil doll from some strange movie from a while back. What are you doing in Gold Beach,Oregon?

I agree. I think she would look creepy even if she were cleaned up...pity the poor children! Great photo!

About the doll, it looks like "Chucky" to me.

Yes...Chucky...that's what I was trying to remember.

     Sounds as if you had an exciteing time with your high school kids doing life drawing.
     We (actually Dad...I was just along for the ride) were out today with a bunch of 11 and 12 year olds, to put up bird houses in Oak Grove Park. It was a class outing for them and they were typical for their age...running and jumping all over the place. I'd forgotten how much energy that age group had.

Love the photo from the airplane window of Platt River! When flying I spend all of my time with nose pressed to the window; my heart soeared when I saw this.

Its official then! We are two different people: I hate flying. That is a very lovely photograph. Hope the birdwatching goes ok!

        That's a great mirror project photo...love it!
        Also, we had a good chuckle over the crane girl.

re April 1 doodle entry. April Fools? If not, what did the customer want with the table and chair?

       Well, that's a good April 1 fool/doodle and I wouldn't be surprised if you somehow manipulated that plane that appears to be flying directly over northwest Iowa on the 767 map. Good blogs from Allentown trip...glad you are back safely...although evidentally delayed.

That was totally an April Fool's, HA!

On 4/4/06, QuickTopic daily digest <qtopic+23-FNbEbbUaibf@quicktopic.com> wrote: >


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No manipulation on the airplane pic - that's really where I was!

On 4/5/06, QuickTopic daily digest <qtopic+23-FNbEbbUaibf@quicktopic.com> wrote: >


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   That is a fantastic picture of Euro....you've got to frame it!

I was thinking about the crane girl yesterday when I saw a swan nesting...she looked like a ballerina from Swan Lake. Well, vice versa, really, but I saw Swan Lake long before I saw a nesting swan.

        That Gunnera looks like something from science fiction...does it do that every year?
        About "enough rain"...your photos get better all the time.

Yes, your photographs are really something else. I keep e mailing friends and relatives to check the latest. Is that Gunnera also called Devils Claw? If it is, don't disclose its location.

The gunnera dies back to the ground every fall, and grows huge leaves again in the spring, leaves up to 5 or 6 feet across. The "blossoms" or whatever you call them get to be a 2 feet tall or more, and are very heavy. I've never heard it called Devil's Claw, but I've heard it called Umbrella Plant. This one is in our yard, in a ravine, but I've also seen them on the Arcata Plaza, and for sale at a local
nursery.

On 4/12/06, QuickTopic daily digest
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