The Portland Stamp Company The Portland Stamp Company

Stamp No. 046Nancy Kers

Nancy has been a children’s illustrator since leaving art school in The Netherlands some twenty years ago, enjoying working on lovely projects with great people. She tells us “it never stops being exciting to receive something with my illustrations in or on it.” We are so glad she reached out to us and started a conversation about stamps, sewing, and life.

 

Have you designed a stamp before?
Yes, I have designed make-believe stamps before.

 

How was this different?
These are actually printed!!! Very cool.

 

What was the most interesting or fun aspect of designing a poster stamp? What unique challenges did it present?
I sort of had an earlier version of the stamp designs ready and I was looking for a way to have them printed. After some searching I came across The Portland Stamp Company who actually produce ART stamps the old-fashioned way. I am from the Netherlands and am so grateful for the Internet, how else would I have found The Portland Stamp Company? Together in conversations with Josh and Niko I made the final designs and we made the sheets better using Josh’s suggestion of adding real thread. Each sheet is hand sewn by me, and every one is slightly different. I am most thankful for this collaboration!

 

Tell us about the art. Did you create something new for this stamp?
The art is very personal, I know it could sound strange, but I feel sentimental about sewing. I leaned from my mother as a little girl and have never stopped. My weekly sewing class feels like therapy. Over the years it has always been a constant in my life. When you sew, you don’t have to think much about your worries, you are just focused on fabric and thread … in the end you have made something you can actually wear … off to ‘sewing-land’ for some peace of mind!

Recently I went through the worst period of my life. Our eleven month old son passed away and still … there was sewing. I made more than ever, stitch by stitch, sewing my way back into some sanity. And started to draw sewing inspired things, combining my two artistic loves.

 

Anything else? 
Of course I talk to myself when I sew. Sometimes I need expert advice.

<

The Artist Series


An ongoing collaboration with invited designers, artists, and writers who create original work for an unusual form: the poster stamp. The stamps are printed on lickable, gummed paper and pinhole perforated by hand on our vintage machines. The sheets are signed and numbered by the artist, and released in editions of 100. Suitable for framing. View full series.

Upcoming releases include Ka’ila Farrell Smith, Bwana Spoons, and Hilary Pfeifer.