Why Stories Matter

You are correct if you have already identified that I have a bit of a story bias. I was an English Major/Russian Minor. I didn't have a TV for most of my childhood - thanks to my brother, who stuck a fork in the one we did have during Frosty the Snowman, and caused a Tv-lessness that lasted from Nixon to Reagan. I read a lot until we got to Reagan. Then the world started again, with a bang, I might add - I woke up to MTV and "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."

Anyway, stories are an important part of all of us because they connect us. Backwards, forwards, to people we don't know, or don't know yet. :)

For all of us that use images every day, I bet each one of us imagines a story during most of our creations. I do. Especially if there are bunnies involved.

I picked up a stamp from Kodomo Monday night - I met the Kodomo people at CHA - and then did something I NEVER do. I read the package. It said this.

"According to legend, there were four most beautiful and significant women in ancient China known as "The Four Great Beauties." Each lived in a different dynasty hundreds of years apart. Each had her own uniquely human qualities. Xi Shi was the first and reportedly suffered from constant chest pains. But the face she made wincing in pain made her more distinctively lovely than ever. She was said to be so entrancingly beautiful that fish would forget to swim and would sink away from the surface when she walked by."

Whoa.

It completely changed my connection with the image in the stamp set. All the sudden it became a little haunting, a little more sad than it was when I first looked. It reminded me of a song.

Why don't all stamp companies give us a story from the designer? I love the connection.

So here's what I did with it.

I stamped the main image in Versamark and clear embossed it on Pacific Point Blue. Then I painted the image with Golden (brand) Interference Blue paint. I love this stuff. I wiped off the embossed parts with a wet Kleenex while the paint was still wet. It makes her glow. I cut her out.

When I was at Half Price books buying the comics, I bought some sheet music and waited for the right moment. I used that at the bottom of the card.

I stamped the branch and bird from the same set on Bashful Blue in black, and accented them with my white gel pen. I used Pacific Point Blue for the card base.

Please, Shelli - let us keep Pacific Point Blue. Please. Please.

Oh wait - did you want a story? Remember how I told you to be nice to waiters? Here's a great story about why you should...

Britain's Got Talent 2009 - Greg PRITCHARD
Uploaded by glide64 - Explore more music videos.

If you don't see the player - click here for the video.


Do you have a story for me? Do tell....


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