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?

birthday art

I've been busy working on a gift for Dan's 60th - I gave him a book of memories and notes from 60 friends and family but since it was a secret, it was hard to find time to do all the emails, design, print, and assemble the book.  But it was worth it!

Here's the finished product.... I made the cover - covered chipboard with scrapbook paper...not too hard.  I was out of time to really make it more....

The lighting makes it look yellower than it is, but you get the idea.  I used the rings so I could add any late-comers that might show up :), plus it was easiest.  I used digital brushes etc for the page decor and then used an occasional splash of washi to jazz things up.  The best part?  His smile and chuckles as he read through memories from his childhood, college and working days.

365 collages

Checking in with my collages for the week - these are #22-28 - hopefully I'll be totally caught up by next weekend.

#22 Voices Spelled  (oh yeah, decided to try naming my pieces...we'll see how long that lasts)

This was made on a piece of chipboard from a file folder box - it's perfect....easy to cut, strong enough to support paint or glues, neutral color background.  I want more of these boxes!

#23 Mayan Cookies

Black gesso on my chipboard back, a couple of pieces of wood veneer, tiger ribbon and 'cookies' cut from a cookie wrapper.

#24  Switcheroo

I pulled papers from here and there in my art room, and when it was done, I wasn't lovin' it. Started turning it upside down, horizontally, etc and decided I liked this orientation best.  

#25 Gifted Circles

Circles cut from all the gorgeous papers I received in the MMSA swap over a black gesso base.

#26 Get Wild

Another black background - I love the drama it gives. Although the scan doesn't show it, most of these papers are reflective or glittery; the text is from ephemera Jo sent me.

#27 Pretty in Pink

Pulled out my pink grab bag of bits and had fun making this one.  My homage to Hanna, who started this whole journey and who loves pink.

#28 In the Woods

Again on my file folder chipboard, 3 layered wood veneers, drywall tape, cupboard shelf liner and a bit of patterned tissue paper.  I'm wondering if the black circle is too high contrast for all the neutrals?

So there ya go.  I have several that I really like this week....I feel like I'm settling in and finding my voice (a bit.....).

The other project I'm falling woefully behind in is my ALAW.  I think I've finally decided on both the display format and my lettering so I might actually get busy on it this week.

APR theme

The Artist Playroom (APR) theme this week is mail art....I can't let this one pass me by since I LOVE sending and receiving mail art of any kind.

I made two postcards to go out (one to Jane to help save her post office!)  I'm finally letting myself use pieces of decorated papers I received in the MMSA swap months ago.  It's SO hard for me to cut them up, but when I saw how beautifully Jo used papers I sent her in some of her recent collages, I decided it was time.  The bottom one is all pieces of papers gifted or swapped to me!  Also, note the use of hearts for my own personal 'motif of the month'.  :)

Mail art opportunities abound so if you'd like to fill your mailbox with something other than junk mail and bills, this is the year to join in!  A good place to start is MMSA (mail me some art) - Karen hosts weekly themed swaps and makes it so easy to participate....