Thank you card!

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.

Postcard Swap #4 Prototype

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!  

Tagged and Swapped

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.

Green postcard - What was I thinking?!

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.

Handmade eraser Stamp

I am hoping that you noticed the wonky marks on the handmade artist tape that surrounded the postcards.

I used a cheap white eraser from the dollar store to make this one. They come in a package of four usually so they are extremely economical! 

It was really fun to make and although you can't see it there is a different pattern on the opposite side"

Music and more about Postcard Swap V.3

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!!

Two of Hearts and Postcards

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!!

I have always been a camera bug!!

I have been spending a lot more time on Instagram and I have enjoyed it very much so far!  I joined or follow POPYACOLOUR challenge so it will make me take and post daily!  I need routine and at least all the photo's I take then have a place to be instead of being schlepped over to my external hard drive never to be seen again!

For some of the challenges, I have made some art.  Simple things but artful expression nevertheless.

I drew this with pen and then added the oil pastel afterwards.  Not sure if I like the result all that much but it is a drawing and I posted it anyway!  I find that if I don't do some sort of art for a long period of time then I get what one might call "withdrawal pains"!    It was fun to complete something in my sketchbook!

Pen and Ink Sketch

I am a bad, bad, girl!!!  Try as I might, I seem to be having some difficulty keeping my own pledge to write here often!  The month of September seems to have gotten away from me somehow!

I haven't been doing too much with my art these days either but I have a couple of drawings that I have been able to complete!  Pen and ink is quick and easy!  I have left all of the marks that if I had drawn it in pencil I would have erased much to keep the drawing "pure" and error free.

I would like to "redo" this and see if I can improve my drawing.  However, I have to say that I like it for all of its "imperfections" too.  I think that often we shy away from drawing or even from posting one's drawings because they are "perfect".  I fall into this category too even though I try to espouse the fact that I am free from self-doubt!

This is a very small drawing....but it in fact, for a "sketch" it took longer than I had thought it would.  It is hard to get the shading that I wanted so that the hat would look like a hat and not have that flat look.

This drawing was created using my Strathmore Mixed Media journal and a Sharpie pen.

I am so happy that I did take the time to make some wild Oro grape jam from the fruit that grows wild around our house!  I had fun and I loved taking snaps of the results!

More Postcards

I found two more postcards photo's...although I still don't have all of them.  Oh well, such is life!  I just received another comment from one of the recipients of the swap and I think that I enjoy getting the comments in my e-mail box as much as receiving the postcards.  Well, I shouldn't go that far, I really do love receiving the mail better!  Now, there is nothing much in the mailbox but boring nasty bills and junk flyers.

As below, I used many of the same elements except that on this piece I added dyed household cheesecloth as an accent. and the paint chip sample were cut into squares and glitter glue added to secure them.


This FUN postcard has the words "highlighted" of You....sparkling!!  I think that anyone involved in this swap would have sparkling creativity and it should be acknowledged!

I was happy to see that these two cards are quite similar, so it would be easy to put them here together.

As you might expect by now....I used:

• Paper slice from an unwanted book
• re-used and painted dryer sheet
• paper punch cut outs from an old magazine
• sticky glitter paper
• purchased lacy stamp
• handmade white erasure stamp from the dollar store - FUN
• handmade "artist tape" in yellow
• used for mark making: soda pop bottle cap, the end of a paint brush and hot coffee sleeve
• sliver of a paint chip sample
• washi tape purchased from Etsy

Most important of all.....I had FUN!!!!  Summer is all about fun since our summer is so short!

Postcard #5

I can't believe it but I found some extra photographs of the postcards that I mailed away.

I really do need to "get on it" and follow through on photo taking.

So here is another rusty orangey one:

• I used a recycled junk mail card
• painted and glittered used dryer sheet
• old unloved book page
• magazine image
• paint chip sample
• other bits of distressed magazine
• punch cut pieces from old magazines
• washi tape purchased on Etsy 

I took a pen and cancelled a bunch of the text and was left with "clapping her hands"!  I love that image!  It is what my little 7 month old grand-daughter does! 

Hmmmm, the magazine image rippled somewhat when I pasted it to the card.  Not happy about it but it looked better in person that in this photo!

I love the theme.....it was FUN!!!!

Postcard Swap Envelopes

I just received a very nice comment from one of the recipient s of my postcards.  I just realized that I have not been very diligent at taking photographs of my cards.  I was so intent on getting them out because I was sending them out "past due".  Oh well, I don't think the recipients will be upset over that!

 I love mail, or at least, this type of mail and love going to my mailbox to look and see and be "surprised"!  I am so happy that I have just received my tenth and final card yesterday!

Here is a snap of some of the envelopes.  I didn't want to send out the usual morning white type and really enjoyed making these out of stuff from around the house.  I have way too much gift wrap so it made great envelope material.  I also got to use up some of the brown paper bags that I seem to be accumulating.  I found some cheap tape so I trimmed the paper bag envelopes with that!  So much fun!

I especially enjoy the connection of other people from around the world.  I hope to get a comment on here from Germany.  Now that would be very cool!!!

Postcar #3 Part 2-Rose Collage

First, there was a bunch of rose flowers on our florabunda rosebush!!!! My hubby has the green thumb in this family.  I like to take photographs and that is about it!!!

I had a chance to grab some petals that had fallen off in the wind.  I put them on a release paper sheet, actually re-used the wrapper that our photocopy paper comes in at work.  I often drag them home to use for art projects!!  The girls at work think that I am odd, but that is okay with me!

I didn't wait for the petals to dry; I just applied gel medium on them right away.  I think I used fluid matte medium to be exact.  I coated one side and then the other.  I did dry some others that I had picked and I will see how them are in a similar project.  I think I rather like the petal this way since they are not exactly flat and creates visual texture.

You can see them on the right edge of the photo below.  I just used more gel medium to apply them to the postcard.

So for this rest of the postcard I used:

• applied black gesso to a re-cycled junk mail postcard
• re-used a sewing pattern and seam binding from past projects
• bingo sheet
• paint colour swatch
• painted and glittered dryer sheet
• stamps made from around the house items

I also used one purchased lace patterned stamp that is in behind the sepia coloured dryer sheet.  In addition, on the top left you can just see a piece of paper cut from a magazine of something looking like  zebra's.  The image was distressed so not much of the image is really left but just the right amount for this project.

Although it had been my intention to stamp FUN on each postcard; because they were fun to make, I decided to omit that from this one.  I like a bit of busy or should I say "organized chaos" but there is a point of no return.   I just knew that I wold not be happy.

Oh, I just wanted to mention that I got a nice comment from a woman out in the worldwide web!  Nice comments are always great to receive.  Who know that a woman from the U.S. would  1. find my blog and 2. take the time to comment!!!  Thanks to all who do, I appreciate it!

2nd Postcard Swap - #2

I love making these little pieces of art!  I love to see how I can mix different and disconnected things and put them together in a pleasing manner.  Well, I guess that really is in the "eye of the beholder"!!!!

I especially like to recycle, re-use or re-purpose from around the house:

For this FUN postcard I used.

Again, I tried to lay it out to find a good design or at least see what "pleased my eye"!!!!  I like things that are busy; it might be my ADHD coming out in me even after all this time.  I like to have lots to look at and try and figure out how it was accomplished.  It always makes me laugh when I start I have a vision of what my "right side up" will be but in the end that changes.

I used a recycled card from our junk mail!  I applied layers of gesso; black on the one side and white on the writing side!

My embellishments are: slice of old unwanted book, leftover seam binding from my sewing days, paint chip card, purchased washi tape, cut tissue paper, and my absolute favourite - painted dryer sheet with added glitter!

I also added punch out flower shapes from some unwanted magazines, and painted orange bandage "paper" tape.  My around the house stamps were soda pop bottle lid, a piece of corrugated cardboard from a hot coffee sleeve and the "not so pointy" end of an old paint brush to make the dots.

Yes, this was fun to make!!!

2nd Postcard swap #1

OMG! I haven't blogged for over a month! Wo what the heck have I been doing??? First, I went on holidays in the Thousand Islands with some old time friends (lots of fun!), then I was recruited by my union to get back on the Executive to assist with bargaining our next contract with our employer (hard times are a'comin"!)  Now...I'm working night shift and there has been lots of overtime in the mix - past, present and future!

I think that this is one of my favourite pictures from the Thousand Islands and it is all about the juxtaposition of the people and objects - the very large objects, those ocean going ships.

I had to laugh when I saw that I had taken the above!  When I took it I was only actually "seeing" the ocean freighter; when I saw the snap on my computer I then saw the couple fishing on their little boat and the people on the white speed boat almost overtaking the ship.    As it turns out, there was much more going on than I had initially realized!  Love when that happens, when the composition of a photograph makes itself!


Below is a snap of some "artist tape" that I made.  I do have purchased washi tape but it is expensive and I live in the boondocks and it is not always available!  I have to drive an hour to find some and that just doesn't happen very often. I used "paper tape" that you find in the bandage isle in your drugstore, dollar store or department store.

I painted them up with acrylic and used some glitter paint on some of them as well.

I tried to set up a n appealing design prior to glueing everything down with gel medium.

I have to admit it!  I am a recycler, re-user and a repurpose type of gal!  I still think that you can make lovely creative things regardless of the tools that you use.




I used some found lacey ribbon, a strip of a page from an old unwanted book, paint chips, painted dryer sheets, left over netting from another project, around the house mark making stamps!!  I used a corrugated cardboard from a hot coffee sleeve, the not-so-pointy end of an old paint brush (from my university days) to make dots and a cap from a soda pop bottle to make the circles.

This postcard for the postcard swap really was fun to make!  I do enjoy experimentation.  Each postcard I make I like but then when I make the next one; I like it better.

This and That

I'm home alone!  I love having the house to myself!  My old guy is off fishing with the boys and I am on holidays.  Sweet!

I woke up at 0300 hrs this morning and I tried to lie down again but I got up to see who had sent me a text message.  It was from my daughter of course!  We had a good chat and a plan was made for me to go south to see the family on Tuesday.

I wanted to take this time to do some art.  It was my intention to get quite a bit done on the postcards for the next postcard challenge that is about to begin.  I don't really have much to show for myself yet but these to pictures.

The first is a drawing of a male face that I found in a recycled art journal that I started some time ago.  I just liked the green and blue colour and finally after looking at it for a time; I saw what looked like a face. I just followed the lines and this face formed.  Fun!  Not a lot of effort but fun nevertheless!

I hope that it isn't similar to the face that was found in the toast.  It isn't meant to be anything serious, it as just kinda cool to actually see something on a gessoed page that was just plastered with leftover paint.

The next picture is a postcard that I am making for a friend who has cancer!  I thought I would do up a "thinking of you" card.  Just because - just because I can!

It is a mixed media piece using a re-cycled mail card that I keep getting in the mail.I gessoed it too and slapped on some paint.  Then I doodled on it with a Sharpie.  Cut out some images from magazine pages along with some text that I hope she takes as a positive message.  There is also one piece of a National Geographic that I had treated with CitraSolv for it didn't really cut through the ink (I must assume that I didn't apply enough liquid to the paper).   I will pop this into a gift wrap envelope that I have cut yet and mail it out on Tuesday before I head to Toronto.

Dreams are Free!

"DREAMS ARE FREE!" I heard this phrase in a song from a popular television show N.C.I.S.; it is called Genie in my Dreams and sung by Sharon Little. "When you can't take the living, remember: dreaming is free". I remember my mother telling me to stop "day-dreaming" and she said that she could tell because of my eyes. I do understand what she means by the way one's eyes often become "fixed", "glazed over" or a person just looks "far away". I wasn't thinking really, I was "day dreaming". I still day-dream and when I can't sleep, I night dream before I finally just say the heck with it and get up.

These dreams come in many forms; some continue to be day-dreams or "I wish" thoughts, some are thoughts that are attempting to conjure up a solution to a problem. More often than not, I do "dream" the answer to whatever pickle that I am in. It could be a workplace issue, or an artistic technique one (since I often do not have a set of instructions follow I need to think through to the next few steps).

Then there are always the "I wish" dreams but when one gets to a certain age, these rise to the top very often and must be stuffed back in the box because they are pointless, the past can not be changed. The future is the only thing that we have and we need to make the most of it! I consider myself lucky that answers do actually "come" to me in my day and night-dreams. I wonder if this should actually be called "lucid" dreaming? To answer my own question, yes, I think so.

A friend of mine told me about this incredible internet sale, Interweave had a sale on some old videos regularly priced at 19.99 for .10 cents (imagine that!). So, being the cheap type that I am I couldn't help myself. I had a ton of fun making some stamps from cheap dollar store vinyl erasers (4 for a $1). The DVD I downloaded was originally designed for use on fabric but I gave it a try and paper is also a suitable substrate.

This really fits in my my "childish" self; that self that still daydreams, daydreams about making time to "make art". This doesn't really take too much time and it really is worth the effort.

I love the results because it is so simple and close to "immediate" gratification.

Print on a piece of paper your word (making sure it fits on the eraser) and pressing hard to get lots of graphite on the paper (so a softer 2B is preferable to a 2H). Then rub hard over the word you have printed and once you have then fill in the "rubbing" so you can see your work clearly. Yes, it will be backwards when you are cutting it out but remember it will be "right" again when you stamp on your page or on your fabric.

The only other piece of "equipment" one needs is an x-acto style knife of utility craft knife the type that has the triangular shaped blade with a long skinny point. The point is used to pivot in the eraser to get a really great circle.