I was asked via e-mail by a friend from Australia if I had a blog. I have replied to her e-mail but I didn't mention this blog. Okay so I do have a blog but seemingly I am not a blogger with any sort of stamina. I find Instagram, Flickr and Facebook quick and easy (well that is a bit of a fib). However, I can surf through these platforms on my phone; it isn't so easy posting to blogger using a hand-held device. So, I just kind of got out of the habit.
Anyway, this post is for you Carol! I just participated in a postcard swap with Hanna Andersson from and we were to post our blog addresses. Felt a bit weird submitting my blog address after I checked some of the blogs of the swappers that sent me cards - they are avid bloggers. As I have said, me…not so much.
It seems strange but I retired from work in May of this year and I should have loads of time to put into this blog. Not true! It is a conscious decision on my part to not blog really. I tell everyone that I am as busy as I have always been and finding the time to blog just doesn't make it to the horizon.
So, I have been doing some different artistic endeavours and I think that I will pick up the gauntlet and give this thing another whirl.
I took an on-line experimental art course (if I could figure out how to put her badge/icon/thingie here I would but I don't find blogger easy) that I thoroughly enjoyed. She is a fab artist from the UK and her name is Amelia Critchlow. I now have a cool new mixed media avatar that I can use.
This is the first pencil selfie I have ever done and I enjoyed the process. I especially like the hair although this was not required for that segment of the course. I love the colour purple and so just started cutting shapes from a magazine. Although I don't have purple hair, I added the grey shapes to indicate that I do have them. I like the effect. It is more representative of what my messy curly hair looks like in real life so I much prefer this to a Bitstrips cartoon! I added some Derwent Inktense to cheeks and lips to add a bit more colour.
I couldn't believe it when a few days ago I received a letter in the mail and was the very happy recipient of a thank you piece of art. The sender was the recipient of my 4 X 6 postcard exchange that I did through the Sketchbook Project. How nice was that!!! Her is Rachel's watercolour and graphite postcard drawing! Isn't it lovely!!
I am very happy with my progress on my postcards for the swap. I have finally completed the blue prototype and have to just find some creative lettering that I like to add my message to the front.
I would like to find more washi tape around but decided to use what I have although I don't really think it "goes" that well. But really it will have to do as it is all that I have on hand in this colour and I might as well use it up.
The one thing that I learned from finishing this one is that I have to move the beads up more. I ended up having to cover the ones at the end with the washi tape. Bummer! That is the reason that I do a prototype. I am just not a very good designer/planner in my head; I have to use my hands and make one to find the flaws or make any changes that I think would look better.
I also decided that I didn't like putting the beads in the flower centres because there really wasn't enough symmetry for me. I decided to move them to in-between the hand stitched crochet cotton which makes a clear and clean line.
With the photo above, I just wanted to show that I painted a piece of cheap paper with the peach colour in the ribbon and then stitched the beads on. The soft gel was used as an adhesive and the ribbon attached to the postcard. Then the washi tape was added for the final touch before the writing.
I thought I should show what I mean by junk mail postcards. Here is one that I received in the mail last week. I can recycle them in the bin or I can use them in my art. And I am using an iTunes card to apply the first layer; gesso!
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Here is the finished prototype in pink! Now I just need to check the internet and come up with some creative lettering for my message! I don't have enough of the deep pink ribbon so I will have to make do with blue.
In the photo below, I am stitching the ribbon to a piece of paper that has been painted a peach colour. As the photo above shows, I stamped this postcard using the same stamp but some different ink. This time I used Staz On ink pad. The Staz On ink will go on "anything" and it actually does STAY ON!!
The thread I am using is actually crochet cotton that I got at a charity shop. I think it works well.
I think that I have got my next batch of postcards are all figured out. I made up a prototype and I think it will do just fine. I thought that I would change it up and not use my felting technique although it is still my very favourite!
I hand stitched the two pieces of organza together. Then, I applied some acrylic paint on to some paper and it is the backing for the hand-beaded organza ribbon strip and adhered them together with soft gel medium.
I then applied a layer of pan pastels and covered it using my homemade stamp (yes, it is the erasure that you can get from the dollar stores) with pigment ink. I made a pattern on the other side that I have used quite a few times but had not used this side yet. Next was a wash of thinned down gesso; not too much just enough to lighten the stamp images. I might even have to lighten it up a bit more. For this prototype, I think that I will just have to use different ink to but on my letters and words, my message so to speak.
There is only one problem, I don't have enough ribbon to complete the 10 postcards. So I guess I will have to figure out something else for the last few cards. The real issue here is; I don't want to buy anything else.
The last two stages are apply purchased washi tape and my message!
Oh boy! What to do!! I just never even thought about how small a 4 X 4 canvas really is! I always find that a blank canvas is kind of daunting for me. I think I am going to have to throw on some colour to get over that. I might try some of my pan pastels for now. Just not too sure what I am going to do; what medium I am going to chose. I would like to do something interesting so I think I should stick with my felting/beading mix. Regardless of my choice; I have until August 30th to submit but really I need to get this done sooner rather than later.
The people from the Sketchbook Project have very clear rules: no glitter or glue and nothing that will "fall off" as they sort them I guess. They are concerned about damage to other participants art work.
I participated in several other The Sketchbook Projects and I received a letter some time ago for the "50 Things" project. This project swap was about writing down 50 things that we plan on doing in the coming year. I received mine from a very nice lady in Alabama (I originally thought it was Alaska until I checked this morning!). She had been disappointed with the 50 Things list she had received and appreciated my e-mail and the fact that I included my own. We had many areas in common it seems! So that was a very cool project and I hope that this one will be too.
My new friend has received her blank canvas as well and was wondering what I was doing with mine. Nope not a clue yet, still pondering!
I love these because I am recycling what would normally be garbage and making these cast offs into something useful again!
These will soon be gift tags! I got this idea from Alisha Burke and you can find her blog on Google. She is always doing something fun!
The red cover sheet below the tags will be another envelope for the next postcard swap that I have joined yesterday. The swap is hosted by Shannon Ganshorn and you can find her on musingsonrealities.blogspot.ca to join up, there is still time left. If you check back on my blog you will see some of the examples of my postcards and envies.
I must get going because it is going to be a fabulously sunny day and I want to go for a walk and I have to get my junk mail cards painted up (you know that I like to recycle - right?!!) before I can start making my postcards for this swap.
I went down to the lake yesterday to see how thick the ice might be. It is looking pretty thin and it is moving sheets of it towards the shoreline.
I thought that the icy sculpture looked like the shape of a flower.
It was quite cold at the shore as well and the glare off of the ice was blinding! There wasn't much colour in the sky so the lens read the scene as grey and greyer than it was in reality. The black areas especially at the horizon really were black to the eye as well.
I have signed up to participate in another The Sketchbook Project challenge and I can't wait to receive my 4 X 4 canvas to paint. I haven't decided if I will actually "paint" it per se or if I will make my painting a collage.
I have a bunch of old dress patterns "from back in the day" when I sewed more. I got the inspiration to do this from a fellow Instagramer. She was using the packaging in her altered collaged journal pages. My IG friend Carol had some real "vintage" dress patterns from 1950's that were really cool. Since my patterns are not old enough to be cool, I decided that I would try and use the dress pattern tissue in a collage.
I really like the effect and I am seriously considering using the technique for the 4 X 4 painting challenge. I found some tissue tape that I had purchased at a local art supply in the sale bin. The reason it was in the sale bin is because the glue was dry so I just tore off what I could and applied it.
I like the idea of adding text, of having something to say in my journal page. I have to remind myself that it is okay to play like a child. We have to remind ourselves that children live their lives "in the NOW" all of the time. I think we need to return to that. I think it makes it easier for me to make art when I get myself into this "childhood memories" zone.
What I used to make these:
-recycled paper substrate (from the recycle bin at work)
-recycled dress pattern tissue applied with soft gel medium
-stencil that I had purchased some time ago and never used
-wooden puzzle piece
-magazine page cut out using paper punch from dollar store
-recycled foil gum wrapper dot applied
-Text (in a different language ) applied using Magic tape from a cookbook to make "artist" tape
-Micron pen and coptic pen
-oil pastel for smudging
I am planning on joining another postcard swap this month with Shannon Ganshorn and I think that I will use this as part of this next swap.
I worked nights last night and got up way too early this afternoon, early for me that is! It was shortly after noon and that means I only had four hours of sleep. That just isn't enough especially since I received a telephone call offering me another night shift tonight. Not possible, but thanks for the offer.
I have had a good day though as I have been surfing the net and playing with some mixed media.
I hope to have something better to show tomorrow before I head back in to work.
I stopped off on my way home to check the ice conditions on the lake and yup there is still a bunch of ice. Doesn't look like it is breaking up any time soon. We are going to need some really warm days for that to happen.
I stood for a while and contemplated the sunrise for a moment or two but most of all I thought about going to bed!
I am about ready to send out my latest postcard swap. This postcard was made for a friend who has cancer. It wasn't meant to be so "pink" specifically, it was just what I had "on hand" at the time.
What I had on hand is a bit of this and a bit of that. There is a recycled paint chip on the bottom edge of the card, a bingo card at the right side, and some magazine images and text for old magazines. I liked adding the page from an old book and used some paint to colour it up a bit. I added some organza to the card because I just love the tactile nature of fabric. I used purchased cut out stamps for some of the embellishment; the plain circles and flowers.
I am so disappointed that I missed the deadline for the free art project over at the sketchbook project.com
I thought it was March 22 (today) and it turns out it was yesterday. Regardless, I didn't have it finished so I would not have been able to submit it anyway. The project was called the "infinite scroll" - patterns. Basically I did a zentangle to fit the parameters that they supplied.
I found a really wide Coptic marker and made some squiggly lines on the page marking the fixed parameters and then I started doodling. It isn't a favourite with me but I am happy enough with the results that I might try it again. I like working the white pen on the black ink. Still bummed that I missed the deadline though!
I have another postcard swap that I am doing and I have to get it in the mail tomorrow as it needs to arrive in Oregon by April 5th. I was also involved in another music playlist swap and I need to get it wrapped up for mailing.
I am retired, but not really. Still working way too many hours but there is still snow on the ground so I might as well make some money!
I an beginning to get very nice messages from my fellow participants in the postcard swap; I had asked that my recipients let me know when they received my cards. I always wonder if they make their way and I am glad to get nice e-mails from my fellow swappers.
I should have posted this earlier but I simply forgot, so I thought I would rectify that today! Hmmmm, I'm just finding out it isn't so easy as I thought on mu iPad. I need to work on this a bit and figure stuff out. I guess I'll have to drag out my laptop to finish this post.
I thought I had taken lots of photographs of the postcards that I made and it would appear I was very much mistaken.
Bummer!
In this snap, I am just needle felting the roving to the organza. The addition of glass bead embellishments will be the next step.
I love to listen to music when I am creating my art and I came across this woman sometime ago from another artists blog. So here I am.....I am sharing the beautiful voice of this woman too. I don't use this video, I just went to iTunes and purchased several of her songs to appealed to me. Again, perfect music for making art; well, for me that is.
My next favourite song is Nadir (Synchronicity) and then Forrest Veil.
I must admit up front that visually posting these photo's of my art here, I find these postcards a bit too "hot", too visually over-the-top. However, in real life my eyes didn't see it that way at all. So, I will of course all be in the eye of the beholder. I hope everyone who receives them thinks so too.
The organza is a bit difficult to photograph because of the the nature of the fibre; the glare effects that it creates with the lens of the camera.
I don't know how the flower motif was created really, it just sort of "happened"! I really liked it.
I photographed this one sitting on it's envelope.
Here are the envelopes all in a nice neat pile! All ready for mailing! I hope to be able to get to the post office today to do just that. I hope all of my participants will forgive me but between work (today is my one day off for this week) and the stormy weather, I haven't been able to get there.
This is my constant lament though so bear with me for the next challenge! At least I hope that Shannon is willing to host another challenge. I love to participate but I am somewhat of a procrastinator and then of course I never chose something that is easy peasy either.
These are time consuming because I have to make everything from scratch, right down to the hand made "artist tape"that is the finishing touch. I don't have a cookie cutter process and probably never will because I would get bored doing that.
I am really glad to be able to re-cycle my drop sheets from other projects. I had figured that I would have to put them in the burn pile since I had hung on to them way too long. So, I hope everyone does appreciate the colour if not the oddity of the craft!!
A few months ago, I joined the 3rd International Postcard challenged hosted by a Canadian woman from British Columbia. She does a fabulous job of hosting the challenge! In fact, I am beginning to receive my postcards in the mail! So thrilling! I have had to send mine out late once again but with working and snow storms...I wasn't able to get them mailed out on time. However, I am a firm believer that late is better than never. One of my cards will be going all the way to Australia!
I made this years postcards completely using some hand needle-felting on organza. I hope the recipients will enjoy the tactile nature of the cards.
I thought that I should post about Valentines Day tomorrow! After I finished the postcards for the International Postcard challenge I began working on something for Valentine's Day. Just something simple again but with the theme of "two hearts beating as one".
I thought that I would show the "needle" that is used to force the wool roving into the organza fibres. I also decided that I would use some beads as an embellishment. Not too much, just a few well placed ones. I could actually re-do this photo so you can see the beads but I just don't have the time. I think the glare can be overcome enough that the beads are visible.
I need to continue working on my camera skills and I have added this on to my "50 things" to do list. It is a challenge that I joined via the Art House Co-op, and the Sketchbook Challenge. Currently, I am at number 33 on my list of things that I want to do in the coming year. I have to submit my "50 Things" by February 22, 2013.
This means that one of the items on my list are getting things done early or ON TIME!!
It seems that the new year has come and gone and it has all been a blur.
I think I had best post a picture from January 17th since the water is still open on Lake Simcoe. I should have posted this then, I have no excuse but I didn't.
I grabbed this snap early in the morning after working a night shift and the sun isn't quite ready to show itself to those of us who live on the west side of the lake. I just peeking around the point. I was so cold and tired, I couldn't wait. My bed was calling and I listened.
I am hoping to begin the finishing touches and then writing my message and signing my postcards in preparation of mailing them off. I will be a bit late once again but I am sure the recipients will be satisfied with the notion of better late than never.
The firs time I took part in the International Postcard swap, I was very disappointed when I only received 8 postcards. However, one participant sent me a postcard back as a thank you. What a lovely surprise! The second time I joined I received all ten cards and once again I was late sending mine out in the mail.
So, to that end, I had best get back to work on getting them ready for mailing!
