Finally some more post cards

Clearly I missed out on my own challenge:( Since my busy-ness was caused by a great new job and my master's thesis, I'm not surprised my art has dropped off. But I do have some new post cards and some new good news. My master's thesis . . . . (drumroll) passed with flying colors and rave reviews! Whew! NOW I can look forward to some work from the Stitch Alchemy book - I had to put that on hold with the thesis. So, here's a thank you post card to a friend who had me over for a lovely Thanksgiving dinner. There is a picture passed on via internet from another artist, the earring bling is from Somerset Studio magazine, some blue glossy paper with some interference Pearl-Ex on it, and if you look really close, a special Hersey's candy wrapper.

Watercolor wishes and anticipating Stitch Alchemy

So my self-challenge has become a bit sluggish, but to be fair, it is because of a very wonderful new job. So I'm adjusting to the routine of the new job with my other activities of weekly knit club, church activities, keeping up with friends and family, writing daily, and making art daily. In the past at this point in a project I've dipped into beating myself up about being behind . . . and then I just get more behind and stop creating all together. That's not productive, so my goal is to keep going. I'm going with the Stitch Alchemy book study on the mixed media art yahoo group that starts Oct 4th (already ordered the book CAN'T WAIT!) so I think continuing the post cards is a good plan until that starts. I decided to put a little more effort into this postcard, for a friend who has been extremely supportive and is just an all around great gal. I firstwatercolor painted this card (just red from a Crayola school paint tin - a freebie from a retiring art teacher years ago). But then I used some art masking tape (which removes easily) to create some different areas. I then overpainted some of those areas in light turquoise. The words are stickers and gel pen, and one clipped from a magazine. Of course some heart punch outs from some handpainted papers and scraps of other papers. It was really fun to see how the masking would turn out. This was all done on a large piece of watercolor paper, and then I cut it down to postcard size. I hope she likes it!

a bit behind in the challenge, but still DOING ART!

I'm still going at it. And there's a good reason I'm behind - a new job has gotten me a bit more busy. I'm very excited about it; it's a great opportunity. But I can't forget the post card challenge - even if it's just one that I've set myself. I want to keep going so I can keep the creativity flowing. Not every card is fabulous, but the point is to keep creating. And, as I sent happy back to school post cards to every niece/nephew but one, I can't forget the last nephew! The blue card is wishing him "MORE fun in this new school year," though I don't know if he sees it as an opportunity for fun, exactly. But I'm a school teacher, so I'm sort of a big nerd where school is concerned. The blue paper on the right side is handpainted. My background hand painted papers kind of come down to scraps at the end, so it becomes difficult to remember how they started out, but I think this one was part of the series of papers I had fun making when I was reading Traci Bautista's Collage Unleashed book. I did have a lot of fun making those papers. The pink card is a thank you to a dear friend of mine, with scrapbook paper background, and scraps of handmade paper (some from fusion dyed paper towels). So the post card challenge continues. The goal of this, as I said is to keep me creating even when the rest of life intervenes, so that I get in the artistic habit. Also, by the time this challenge is finished, I hope to have some new inspiration for other projects. The fact that this is a good idea was confirmed for me when I began reading Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones. She talks at one point about the importance of writing practice, by which she means writing every day, even if some of it, or a lot of it, the writer looks at later and thinks it's garbage. The importance is getting the writing flowing. I've begun doing this with writing, too. This kind of activity is not "practice" in the sense that it's not the real thing, it doesn't matter. In the sense of this work, I think practice means literally "doing the craft" and, well, I like it because it doesn't mean I have to commit to great writing or great art or I'm a failure. I just means I have to commit to doing writing and doing art. So . . . think about challenging yourself to just DO ART. And give yourself permission for it to not be fabulous.

fun with lacy paper

I got the blue lacy paper with white slotches in a package of a bunch of papers - don't remember when. The dragonfly punchouts are from watercolor paper. One has Dr. Ph Martin's watercolors dropped on them. This post card is for another one of my nieces wishing her good luck in school. The face is a stamp I have and the crown is from an Artchix Studio collage sheet. I love their stuff!

2 new cards and good news

I got home late last evening so I am posting 2 cards today. One is a happy back to school/good luck for my nephew. The orange colored pieces are tissue paper that was dyed and then layered and painted with a glue or PPA- check out Traci Bautista's work (look for old Cloth Paper Scissors article) or her book Collage Unleashed for fusion dyed collage. I think she also uses paper towels for this technique. It is a totally fun and easy technique for making some cool background papers. The pink post card is for a friend of mine struggling with chronic illness, and this one contains yellow and pink paper towels that were dyed and layered. You dip dye the paper towels or tissue paper, then layer it with watered down glue or PPA. When dry it will form a paper that can be cut and layered on to other papers. The blue-ish hearts and the dragonfly punchouts are also from this paper. The pink heart is cut from a special Hershey's chocolate wrapper. I am having a bit of a creative surge because . . . I was offered a job!! It needs to be wrapped up on Monday, but I don't anticipate any problems and I am delighted and extremely thankful!!

Post card 6

The top post card from my last post and the one in this post are going to my nieces, very creative young ladies themselves. The base card here is a real rich gold, and I have a bunch of these shoe stamps. The red stripes are from card stock of artists' paper I got from a Somerset Studio magazine. I am having a LOT of fun doing these as they force me to create, and I do enjoy taking a break from writing (or trying to write) my graduate thesis. I have found myself putting some of these in envelopes because I want to protect some of the items on them, but I think that's ok. I may keep doing that because it will allow me to put some heavier pieces on the cards. Well - now it's off to watch the Project Runway premiere and hopefully get some more creative inspiration!

revised post card, new post card, giveaway winner

Thanks to all who've commented on possible improvements to my card. I'm adding the new version here - I decided to add more of the color that is on the heart punchout to other areas of the card. This one is going off to Stephanie. Thanks for your encouraging words! And the ephemera giveaway winner is Cindy B! Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments, Cindy. Email me with an address and I will send you your ephemera package. I'm also posting here a new post card. This was originally off white, but I used direct to paper application of some Ranger inks to get the warm brown colors. (I love that these ink colors are called butterscotch and caramel, but then it just makes me hungry!) I'm really into this heart punch, as you can tell. Thanks again to all those who have checked in on the blog and commented.

New post card

I see I've got several comments on the last post card already - thanks to everyone who's checking it out and commenting. I really appreciate it. Sorry for any confusion: this post card is a paper one, no sewing involved (although I know you can sew on paper with the machine, I'm just a bit wary of doing it). So far the comments from other artists have been helpful - thanks! I heard from the person who received the fabric post card and she really likes it:) Here is a post card I am sending to my sister- my hero! She has been such a wonderful friend to me on this journey of life. The cool paper background is some neat scrapbook paper. Please keep commenting on the previous card!

The challenge continues

I have not forgotten my self challenge! I was dog sitting for the weekend at a friend's house. This post card includes some of my favorite things: my swirl stamp in blue, my sand dollar stamp in tourmaline dream embossing, and use of the dragonfly punch out. This one is going to a new internet friend who has encouraged me in this challenge. But I still think it needs something before I mail it. Hmm. . . I'm off to mull it over and hopefully find some inspiration. Check this image out and tell me if you have an idea about what it needs : another layer, another color, words, etc.

Quilted post card

Here is my final quilted postcard. It is still a bit floppy, so I will mail it in an envelope. I appliqued some pink hearts and gave Angelina fibers a try for the shiny blue heart. The Angelina turned out very cool (color: Blue Calypso). I hand quilted lines across the post card and then machine zigzagged around the outside. Finally I zigzagged around the heart. To melt the Angelina fibers together I turned the iron on medium and placed the fibers between parchment papers and ironed. Then I folded the piece over and cut out a heart. Not perfect, but it turned out better than I imagined. So here it is.

Continuing the post card journey

So as promised I'm posting my quilted postcard in progress here. The fabric is white that I hand painted with . . . like I can remember. I think it was paints from Dye Na Flow sampler pack. I know I dropped paint on and sprayed with water to make it bleed. I used iron interfacing for one side, but it seems to light for me - the post card may still be flimsy. So I'm thinking I can add a little bit of batting I have - it's not to heavy, and I can cut it smaller than the 4x6 shape. That added to the interfacing I think will give the card more strength. I haven't gotten very far on this card yet, but I will post more tomorrow. Also posted here is an anniversary post cards to some dear friends who are missionaries and are back in the States for a furlough and possible change of direction. Years ago I met them when I was looking for a church small group that was located nearer to where I had moved. Most of the other group members were married with kids or planning to have them, and single me showed up on their doorstep. They welcomed me into their home with open arms and never made me feel out of place. It's been great to watch their family grow with new births and it is good to have them back in town. The red hearts on this card are from cardstock that I painted yellow, then crackle painted, then over painted with red.

Off and running - post card challenge

So here is the first postcard as promised. This one is a get well for a friend recovering from an accident. I'm not totally delighted with it, but it did get me working. And of course my friend could use the get well wishes - it's not all about me :). Now I did realize yesterday that I have signed up for a quilted postcard on the mixed media art yahoo group, so that will fit great into this self challenge, although I'm a little nervous about making it. But I will plan to post that one tomorrow in whatever stage of creation (or destruction???) it is in.

Happy September and Paper towels for all

As a teacher, I've evolved into really considering September as my new year. With some job uncertainty, I was worried that this September was the first one in a long time that I'd be without a classroom. Opportunity knocked and my prayers were answered. It is not absolutely perfect, but very few jobs are, and the first week has been quite wonderful. With a separate part time job and an graduate class coming up, things are going to get quite busy. But I want to take time to make art! So here are some post cards I made with some fusion dyed paper towels. See Traci Bautista's Collage Unleashed for instructions on these. Her book is really fun; losts of techniques to play with. Play being the operative word.