Quintessential entrepreneur and pillar of the paper art community, Jennie Hinchcliff sends in this delicious sheet of IUOMA Artistamps (International Union of Mail Artists) celebrating it's 25th anniversary. Notation at the bottom of the sheet indicates that the stamp design is by the dynamic duo of Kerr and Cohen (The Sticker Dude) - Meanwhile, the perforation was accomplished by Jennie (Red Letter Day). I have learned a bit more about the fine art of perforation since the super AARPEX 2012 Philatelic Exhibition and the Grand Opening of the MOA (Museum of Artistamps), both in Seattle last November. Perforating is difficult and can be quite challenging. I asked a few of the Artists about their perf. techniques and found that machines like the one below are still currently the best method of perforating stamp sheets. In fact, all of the artists (5) I asked owned similar vintage machines, all older than 1890, and use them exclusively. "How do I get one of those?", I asked - knowing the answer. "You can't", came the grinning unanimous reply. So you see, there is a sort of mystique just in the perforation alone. I am still seeking a way to perforate my own stamps and am still unsure about how to do it properly. I was speaking with Artistamp wizard Jas Felter about the difference between making postcards and creating Artistamps. He smiled knowingly and sage like while saying "Stamps are a little more esoteric". Yeah, I think he is right about that.
The antique Rosbach Pinhole Perforator apparatus information stamp sheet (which is perforated - look closely) was given to me at the AARPEX show by Jennie when I met her in Seattle.last November, in the midst of a perforation conversation.
I meant to mention it before: if you ever need anything perfed, just gimme a shout!
ReplyDelete--JH