IA tag swap

I participated in the Inspiration Avenue (IA) tag swap a few weeks ago.  I received 3 absolutely different and lovely tags.  IA is hosting a blog hop so we can all see the range of talented folks who swapped all these cool tags.  It was my first tag swap and I really enjoyed it.

Here are the tags I received.

On the left with all the party ribbon, the tag also sports a row of pearls, a feather and a dimensional heart - this lovely is from Kim P.  In the center, the blue tag has a beautifully drawn image hiding in the layers of paint - on the other side (also decorated) is the quote "A light heart lives long", and is from Maggie N.  On the right is a card of stamped goodness in a bright deep red (not the orangey red shown) with "Always follow your heart" on the back and it's from Nancy G.

Thanks so much ladies for making my first tag exchange such a rousing success - I love each and every one!

greatness

Just a quick note today.  I came across this on Pinterest and had to share.  As I read this I immediately thought of the supportive and encouraging art community I've become a part of online.  You guys often "see greatness" in others (including me) when our faith falters or our muse takes a vacation.

I love that we encourage each other to stretch, to keep going, and most of all, to believe in our own ability and creativity.  I love that I've been able to surround myself with such a wonderful group of women - you're the best!

365 in 2013: 50-58

Still working to catch up on my 365 collages....this week has been particularly fun as I played and played with papers swapped with Lorinda and Karen who are also challenging themselves to make collages.

I worked only with papers from the two ladies and came up with these (the first few are using Lorinda's papers and the last two are using Karen's - a couple of mine last week used Karen's as well)......

#50 - Withdrawn

the black handwriting on the bottom is actually some washi tape peeled from her envelope - love that tape! stamped book page, map, hand decorated paper and wrapping paper

#51 - So Much Fun

The bold black/white background is from a tennis shoe ad and all the pods are from a calendar page that I just loved cutting up (I also scanned it so I can use it again!)

#52 - On the Road

Lorinda's envelope was a piece of wrapping paper or something covered with these fun animals, a great map and beautiful mulberry paper as well as more of that stamped book page.

#53 - Path not Taken

A simple composition that started with this postcard from Butchart Gardens, some beautiful paper, the calendar page again and a little stitching.

#54 - Misty Memories

Simple but I like it because it seems to highlight each of the papers.

#55 - Deconstructed Tulip

On white watercolor paper (5x7) I cut up the magazine photo of a big parrot tulip into random shapes and then reassembled them.  This is Dan's favorite.  Below is the original photo.

#56 - Tread Softly (using Karen's papers)

Magazine images and hand decorated papers, doodles & stitching.

#57 - Give me Silence

Monochromatic (there's still something appealing about these, though I think they're a bit difficult) - French book page, magazine images, circle stamped tissue, hand decorated papers.

#58 - Whisper of Spring

Starting with Karen's mailing envelope as the inspiration, I added magazine images, decorated papers and a photo of trees she took.

I definitely found myself in a groove with this series - I have lots of paper left over from both ladies so you'll be seeing it show up here and there as I continue sticking stuff together!  Hope you all have found time to be creative this weekend.  I can't wait to visit and see what you've been up to!

365 in 2013: #45-49

Last weekend I did find time to make some collages but didn't find time this week to scan and upload.  Since I'm off work today, it's catch up on all the details day......

I started by using my black gesso to paint over my cardboard/cereal box fronts.  I love the deep, solid black base it creates.  I kind of had it in my mind to work in black/white/tan and see what would happen on the black background.  Ended up going a different way......

Partly because Karen's swap package of papers arrived and I wanted to dip right in.....

#45 - Karen's Influence

I only added the diamonds and apple - the other papers are bits from Karen (you'll be seeing more since I didn't use it all up).

#46 - Quietude

Experimented with a square format (5x5") - two papers from Karen help form the background and then I'd received a promo postcard for something or other with this little boy on it and I've had it in my stash for over a year.  I finally found him a home.

#47 - Romantic Nights

Papers, washi tape, a paper napkin on black gesso.  5x5"

#48 - Goin' Round in Circles

This one developed entirely accidentally.  My fingernail scraped the black gesso and left a mark - paint over it or make more marks?  I scraped away and the cereal box colors under the gesso made such a cool random pattern!  Added some torn curved papers and called it done.  And fun!

#49 - Shadow Leaves

I have this sheer handmade paper with a big leaf pattern - I visualized the sheerness against the black background so covered the whole background with a piece of this paper. Then what?  I decided to play up the leaf colors with layers of tissue paper since I didn't want to obscure the original leaf pattern.  Turned out totally different than I expected!

Now it's a new weekend and I'm excited to get back into the art room and use more of Karen and Lorinda's  swap papers.....will share soon!

i'm a lucky lady

My weeknights are often a wasteland from art - I'm tired from work and lazy.  So I look forward to the weekends and this weekend especially.  I'm going to revel in collage making.  I'm a little behind in my goal of 365 and I'm excited to play catch up this weekend.  

My buddies Karen and Lorinda are also working on 365 projects and we decided to swap some papers for fresh inspiration.  OMG - I really can hardly wait.  Each lady included some of their own hand decorated papers, bits of ephemera, colorful pieces that I can't wait to play with.  Next week I'll show you what I come up with using this:

From Karen:

From Lorinda:

What I sent to them:

This is exciting, isn't it?  Thanks so much ladies for all the inspiration.

MMSA

Mail Me Some Art - if you haven't found this site yet, it's time.  Click the link and explore the wide world of mail art.  It's the best kind of participative art:  it's quick, easy, no-pressure art; it goes out into the world and brightens someone's day; it makes you smile when you check the mail; it can be as elaborate or as simple as you like; it connects you with other mail artists all over the world.  Many of us use bits and pieces from other projects so there's virtually no cost - how can you beat that????

Karen, the tireless, spirited, totally supportive hostess of MMSA continues to come up with creative themes to pique your interest and creativity each week.  Pick and choose the topics or timeframe that suit you.  Make one postcard per theme or make a half dozen.  You get back as many as you send to Karen.  I love that she posts a month's worth of themes at a time so it's easy to plan ahead.....

Green theme - due 3/18

Here are the 4 cards I'm sending for the green theme....

Jean's Collage Sheet - due 3/25
This is a challenging way to make mail art.....someone (in this case Jean) submits a 8x10 sheet of scanned or photo items and we're to create collages using ONLY images from the collage sheet (made bigger or smaller if you want). It can be embellished with mark making, but no more images.  I find these challenging, but that's sort of the fun of it too.

I'd love you to join in and discover the pleasure of mail art!  Visit the site to see the other themes for March.

alaw 2013

Well, I'm certainly getting a late start this year for ALAW (a letter a week).  It took me awhile to settle on a format and style - after much deliberating and sketching and fussing about, I think I've settled on this.  Here are the letters I have so far, drawn with pen on bristol paper....can't decide whether to add color to them - that's a pending decision.

As of now my intention is to mount them on a spiral book ala Corrine (a scroll)...we'll see.

Twining the letters is challenging and I'm not sure I have the best solutions here.....may change some up.

collages 34-40

I had a great weekend.  My best friend visited, we had another birthday dinner with friends (Dan believes in celebrating birthday month) and I found a little time to be creative.  I worked on my 365 challenge and got on a real role.

#34/365 - Open Heart

handpainted papers, corrugated cardboard, scrapbook paper and tissue hearts

#35/365 - In the Pink

a heart made of postage stamps on green tissue with a frame of my decorated papers

#36/365 - Flying Stitches

miscellaneous magazine pics covered with pattern tissue

#37/365 - Tissue

all tissue papers 

#38/365 - Lightly Gardened

only tissue paper til I found the magazine text that seems to define it

#39/365 - Gentle Heart

tissue papers layered over book text and a floral napkin as the focal heart

#40/365 - Text in Read

this one was fun - I looked for only red text in my huge stash (that I don't use enough) and as I hunted, it started to tell a story for me......starting with 'my kind of town - Seattle' and grew from there

Are you joining Hanna and others in the 365 challenge?  What are you making?

collages and mail art

I was so busy with Dan's book, my other art endeavors took a bit of a back seat.  But, the incoming mail didn't falter!  And I did get a couple of collages (using my motif of the month, hearts) and mail art collages made.....so here goes:

Collage #29, Purple Love:

Collage #30:  Crossed Hearts

Mail art out that I'm also claiming as 365 collages:

#31:  a postcard from a provided collage sheet for a MMSA swap.

#31 is the bottom collage - using just one element from the collage sheet enlarged and reduced for graphic effect.

I also sent out 3 cards for the AIB (Artists in Blogland) swap - all versions of this style:

Then, on the receiving side, my mail box is very happy - cards have been coming in from Shannon's international swap:

From Lena in Germany

From Zafaran in India - the leaves and bird wings are highlighted with a sparkle pen

From Karen - a mail art buddy....getting cards from blogging buddies is bound to happen every now and then as we all love to join in swaps.  Love her touch of whimsy....she makes me smile.

This beauty from Jean in Hawaii.

AND, the riches haven't ended.....I received these two from the MMSA blue theme:

From Amy (using a sun print of the leaves)

From Ellen ( a very time consuming mosaic)

I'm thinking I missed posting a few.....I'm sorry.  My piles got mixed up.  Know that each and every postcard is MUCH appreciated.  I even have Dan trained to say - anything cool in the mail today?