Postcard #8 - Recycling & Re-purpose ETC

I love using a "lowly" kitchen "utensil.  I don't normally association cheesecloth with art!  It is a fibre that I use in the preservation and the making of jams and jellies; then you throw the cheesecloth in the green bin (long with lots of other garbage)!!  However, I think that cheesecloth can be used to make lovely mixed media art projects. 

My next favourite household cast-off is the "used" dryer sheet!  I like to recycle so I painted the old dryer sheet with some fabric paint that I found at a charity shop (I don't usually use this sort of stuff!).   The purple dryer sheet became the simplistic yet abstract flowers in my postcard.  I added some beads and then some Gutermann star-shaped sequins that I purchased at the creative sewing show I went to in Toronto awhile back. 

I attached the floating flowers and sequins to some cheesecloth backed with organza.  Then I applied light molding paste and topped that off with the glass bead texture gel.  I don't know if you can see the beads here as I had hoped but it was pretty cool looking!  If you click on the picture it will bring you closer so you can see the bead textures better. 

I painted my "frame" a bright blue and when I look here in the cold light of the camera's eye; I'm not so sure I chose the correct colour.  I think that a pale lavender might have been nicer but it is "done" now and I need to get them mailed away so it will remain as is.

I am glad that I chose to do something different on each card.  On this one I then applied some interference paint in Interference Violet by Tri-Art paint (made in Canada).  I see that it looks blotchy in the lower right corner.  Honestly, this picture does not do it justice at all.

Postcard #6 & #7 - More Needlefelting

This next postcard is another needle felted image with glass bead embellishments.

I have been so involved in trying to get this card made that once again I have little "before" pictures save one.  I am trying to get all of these done by the end of the month so I can get them mailed off by March.

I really like this card as well.  My photograph here does not do it justice really.  As you can see, I also decided to change the card background from the snap above.  I made another needle felted image and had a hard time deciding which one looked better on the two different cards.  Although you can't really see it here the background does look "worn" in places.

I let the needle felting process just take me where it would and I did not have any pre-conceived ideas really other than the colours I used.  The same goes for the beading as well.  I especially like the way the glass bead texture gel took to the paper.  It has all resulted in a "vintage" feel that really appeals to me.

For both cards I used:

-recycled card from junk mail
-wool roving
-hand needle felted image on organza
-glass beads embellishment
-acrylic paint
-glass bead texture gel
-Strathmore watercolur postcard


Postcard #7 - Is the same but different from #6!  Each of my postcards are individually made and therefore each are different in some way although the process may be similar.

I should add to the list above:  I crunched up some brown tissue paper I got from a gift and applied it with matte medium.  I was going to paint over it but decided that I liked the transparent nature of the paper.  Again, I used the glass texture gel to create a "frame" of sorts for the needle felting.

So far, I really have enjoyed experimentation!!!

Postcard #5 - Needlefelt and molding paste

Here is the next postcard and I started with brown organza and I attached my handmade needle-felted wool-roving image.  I wanted to sew the beads on to the image and I needed a substrate that would allow this to happen.   I have not tried needle felting since I took a workshop several years ago.  I kept the image simple but added beads for interest.

The next part of the "experiment" (since my postcards are based on experimentation) was using the molding paste.  I used Golden light and heavy paste.  The hard past is very difficult to manipulate so I decided to use the light paste to make the process easier due to the small size of this project.

Again, I seem to have forgotten to take pictures but I have one of the card part way through the process.  It shows the molding paste while I was applying the burnt umber acyrilc paint.  I used some bronze paint as a highlight. 

I do love the juxtoposition of fibre and polymer!

 To finish this off I used some glitter glue around the inner edges between the fabric and the paste.

I really do love this card and hope the recipient does too!

Okay for this card I used:

-recycled postcard from junk mail
-Strathmore watercolour postcard
-brown organza
-wool roving (three colours)
-glass beads
-acrylic heavy and light molding paste
-acrylic paint
-glitter glue

Postcard #4 - Passion for Purple

This working for a living is really cutting into my creative time!  However, it does allow me to make purchases of art materials so it is a happy marriage!

This next card I did using mostly fibres.  I laid on a coat of dioxazine purple acrylic paint, then applied the slightly dyed household cheesecloth and sewed on the purple organza flowers with the wool roving centres.  I stitched it all together using the matching coloured beads and applied glitter glue to the edge.  I didn't do anything really special with the flowers; just squished up some fabric and chopped around my finger and thumb to make the "petals".  I like the nature of fabric because it does fray and I have to say that I like that effect.

Another aspect of the card that I like is the nature of household or kitchen cheesecloth.  Most often it is used in the preserving of fruits or jams.  I am trying to other area where I can "re-purpose" this lowly household product.

Again, I must stress the fact that I love not just the visual nature of this postcard because purple is a favourite of mine.  As I have said before I love the tactile nature of fibre!

I hope the recipient of this card appreciates the creative process even if she does not like purple as much as I do!

I realized with this card that I had not taken any step-by-step photos.  I will endeavour to do so in the future.

Postcard #3 - Winter Scene

This card started out with an image I cut from some junk mail that keeps arriving here.  Some of it actually belongs to my dearly departed Dad but I continue to get rid of as fast as I can.  I did find some income tax receipts in some of the letters he gets but most of it is junk mail from charities wanting money.  I must remember to not allow my name to get on any of these lists otherwise I too will be inundated with their requests.

I really love the process of "image transfer" using gel medium!!!  When I saw the picture, I didn't really have anything in mind but knew that I had to use "mixed media".  I belong to a fibre arts group (kinda sorta really since I can't go to many meeting due to my shift work and therefore I am not involved in their current project).  I like to add fabric and other fibres due to the tactile nature of fibre.! We can not help ourselves; we just want to touch it!!!  I think that it is a natural human response.

I started by placing the small gel transfer in the centre of the postcard and painted around it using artist acrylic paints.  Then I covered the postcard with sheer curtain fabric that I had in my stash and placed the image transfer overtop.  Then I added silver lame` fabric and glued it and the gel image down with gel medium.  I used some acrylic paint to take the shininess off of the metal foil I used to keep the card together and the fabric from fraying.  I surrounded the image with thin bead of glitter glue to insure that it doesn't get caught on something and separate it from the card.  I think it would survive a trip through the mail as is but I'm not so sure so I think that I will pop it in an envelope.

I can see now that I need to a add some more charcoal glue to meet the edges.  Hmmmm, I seem to have forgotten that.  I think that taking a picture of you art helps to see flaws that you can't see with your own eyes.  The camera lens is very unforgiving but helpful in this way!

I can't for the life of me figure out what has made the gel discolour so!  When I first completed the transfer process it did not have the greenish-sepia tinge on it.  So I just can't fathom why it has done so here.  None of the other gel images that I have made for this project have discoloured at all.  Strange, but it is what it is!

For this card I used:

140 lb watercolour paper
acrylic paint
gel medium - gloss and matte
curtain sheer
silver lame`
glitter glue
matte 3D glue
metal foil

While I was half way through the process, I was reminded of a photograph that I had taken a few months ago!  I was driving home from town and got a few snaps from the dash of my dear Dad's old Sonata.  I have to say that I am diggin' my new used Camry though!  I totally appreciate the heated seats.

Postcard #2

I have been trying to get all of my postcards made within a reasonable amount of time and I do try but life does get in the way.  I don't feel bad because I got to go and see my grand-daughter again and help my daughter out by being there for her.  Bottom line I enjoy "grandma duty"!

So postcard 2 is similar to postcard #1 in that it was made using the same process.  This time the image is taken from a publishers clearing house brochure.  I like to recycle! It represents a Sherlock Holmes novel and the tiny image depicts the dark nature of the times.

I think that I could have a better job with the dark side but I didn't realize that until I had put the sparkled netting overtop and glued it together with the metal foil.  I had to paint over it because I thought it was way to "bright" and not in keeping with the mood of the image.

In this postcard I used:

4" x 6" watercolour paper
gel medium for image transfer
acrylic ink
acrylic paint
eye shadow
sparkly netting fabric
glitter glue
metal foil

I really enjoy using this process of image transfer - gel medium and an image from a magazine.  My postcards are experiments and therefore there will be errors.  It can't be helped really especially since this is a "new" project and I don't actually have a "how-to" or any instructions on what should be or should not be done.  I don't really think that my hindsight deters from the beauty of the project as it is.

I have 6 more done but I'm not sure if they are actually done, done!  I just finished to that have needle-felting and again I wonder if they are complete.  I will need to look at them a bit more before I make that call.  Therefore, you don't see any of them here quite yet.  Soon though!  I have to have them mailed out by the end of the month (I hope to that is!).

Postcard #1

I'm on night shift tonight so I don't have too much time that I can spend on the internet.  I had tried to get through my e-mails but then I clicked on Facebook and wow! - one hour gone!

I want to show one photo of my first completed postcard for the mixed media postcard swap!  I really enjoyed doing this one because I love the colour orange!  I love its' warmth; I love the fact that it has such warmth without the overpowering nature of its' cousin red.  Indeed, autumn is a favourite season and I never tire of the colours that nature produces when the season begins and ends

I found the image in a piece of mail that my husband receives that was relegated to the recycling bin.  So I grabbed it and cut out the image.  I found a site somewhere on the internet that had a tutorial on "image transfer" using gel medium (it might have been Golden paints actually).  I used that product to smear matte/satin/gloss gel medium on the image.  I applied multiple layers - I think it was a least 6 thin layers or more.  Then I submersed the image in a flat bowel of medium warm water to removed the paper.  Remember you don't want to soften the polymer gel too much.

Once that was done! I painted my postcard and applied the appropriate background image.  I looked around my fabric stash and found the right colour of organza to put over the postcard but under the image transfer.  I squeezed out some glitter glue to ensure that the image was adhered to the card. I finished off the postcard using some scrap-booking foil (I'm not a scrap booker myself but thought it would do the job) that I painted since I don't like the overtly shiny surface.

All of my postcards will have experimental elements to them which may work well and then may not.  The one area that I need to work on with this card is my alignment; the image is slightly crooked and when I realized it, it was too late!   I think that I could have darkened up my tree trunks a bit more too but overall I am happy with the results.

I used:
140 lb watercolour paper (a paper pad I had at home) cut into 4 x 6 cards
recycled magazine imageorganza
gel medium (satin)acrylic paint
acrylic ink
glitter glue
metal foil

So there is my first completed postcard that is finally ready for mailing!!