A few things I have used for texture and/or shading that have worked
with varied degrees of success are:

* sandpaper (easier on larger areas)

* needles -- use different sized sewing needles (paper clips and
other pointy objects also work) and poke closely spaced holes in the
carving material in the area you want shaded. You need to
experiment with the effects -- size of needles, how deep, how dense,
etc. but this seems to work well for me in most cases.

* cross-hatching -- I learned this one from Ruthann Zaroff, a very
talented carver and veteran Michigan letterboxer who has kind of
dropped out of sight the past year -- using the Speedball #1 blade
(small "V"), lightly drag the tip over the area to be shaded in
closely spaced rows first one way and then perpendicular to these
lines. This works best if you work the technique on the area you
want shaded before you carve away around it, and the effect is
dependent on the amount of pressure you apply while dragging -- too
litte and it is not very distinct, too much and you risk taking out
pieces of the carving material. But it is a nice look when you "get
it" just right.

Good luck!

SpringChick


--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "greycrazy1"
wrote:
> Hey folks!
>
> I'm working on a series of boxes that need a 'rough texture'
carved
> into portions of the stamps to really make the most effective
> image. I've been playing with the idea, and so far haven't really
> come up with a good solution. Most of the time, of course, it's
> either 'ink or no ink'. I realize it's a natural limitation of
the
> art but that's never stopped me from experimenting before. LOL
>
> If anyone out there has accomplished this, I'd be grateful for a
tip
> or trick. I'm looking for a technique that makes something
> look 'gravely without direction', for lack of a better term, like
> sand as an example.
>
> Just trying to expand my technique. Any suggestions would be
> appreciated!
>
> GreyCrazy

I used a tack and roughed up the face of the stamp, it worked great.

Joel
----- Original Message -----
From: greycrazy1
To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2004 2:44 PM
Subject: [LbNA] Carving textures?


Hey folks!

I'm working on a series of boxes that need a 'rough texture' carved
into portions of the stamps to really make the most effective
image. I've been playing with the idea, and so far haven't really
come up with a good solution. Most of the time, of course, it's
either 'ink or no ink'. I realize it's a natural limitation of the
art but that's never stopped me from experimenting before. LOL

If anyone out there has accomplished this, I'd be grateful for a tip
or trick. I'm looking for a technique that makes something
look 'gravely without direction', for lack of a better term, like
sand as an example.

Just trying to expand my technique. Any suggestions would be
appreciated!

GreyCrazy


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