Tools and Materials

I am always on the lookout for new sources for tools and materials that are useful in my craft. Okay, I am always on the hunt for new stuff! At An Artful Journey some of the students had stencils I haven’t seen before.

They are from

http://stencilgirlproducts.blogspot.com/p/9x12-stencils.html

and come in two sizes. I especially liked the one of the gears and the river rocks.

When I was in the Bay Area last week after teaching at the retreat in Los Gatos, my friend Bonnie and I went shopping. Dangerous. Found more stencils we had to have. The ones by Delta called Stencil Magic Accents are thin and delicate but there are some beautiful patterns.

Lee Valley is being removed from my source list for Japanese screw punches. The ones they sell are pretty worthless. One of my students received hers with a rusty bit and a very stiff action which did not improve when we inserted a good bit. I had ordered 6 of them for myself and an art group and wound up sending them back to the company. The bits were not sharp and the up and down action of the punch was not smooth. This was one of those times when you get what you pay for. Junk.

The other news I have is good. Lois Barber sent me something I haven’t been able to locate in years. I mentioned in a workshop in Portland that I love my lightweight ruler that has a right angle and would like more but hadn’t seen one in many years of looking in various kinds of stores. She found them at Utrecht. They are called an L-Square and are made of aluminum. The one she sent me is 12” x 6”. Thank you, Lois, thank you. They come in two sizes but this is the one I use all the time.

Here is the link:

http://www.utrechtart.com/dsp_view_product.cfm?item=37443

If you have a favorite tool or source let me know so I can pass it on.