Creating Process for Shaped HMPC’s

 

I am hosting a monthly Shaped Handmade Postcard swap and thought I would share how I create them.  These would also be fun to send as a RAK to brighten someone's day.

Process

u   Cut out several book pages or scrap papers 5x7 (or larger).

Draw shape onto one of the sheets, keeping it as true to the dimensions as possible. I am working with 5x7.

Cut out the shape.

You can proceed one of two ways:

• Glue the cut out shape to watercolor paper/cardboard.  I used a glue stick and a brayer to adhere the cutout.
• OR: Trace the cutout onto the watercolor paper and cut out the shape.

Get creative and use whatever means you want to color and embellish.

Note: I stipulated that for this swap that the shape doesn’t have to reflect the theme/design of the PC. i.e.: you do not have to portray a house on the house shape.

The Heart 

 Drew heart on 5x7 watercolor paper

 Adding paint.

 Mixing silver metallic paint with glass gel medium

 Haphazardly covering the heart with the glass bead gel, allowing the paint to peek through.  Allow to dry.

Embellishing.  

Note: I use Beacon's 3-IN-1 or Mixed Media glue then roll over with a brayer to ensure embellishments are tightly glued down for mailing.

If you have any suggestions please leave a comment below.

Transforming a decorative napkin into art.

There are so many fun projects using decorative napkins..  I use them in my art journals, tearing images from them to add color and interest.  I often use them for backgrounds, especially when creating handmade postcards.  Transforming this:

Into this:

5x7 watercolor paper base

Using stamped ink and embossing to add layers and texture

This HMPC is for a swap requiring a book page be used somewhere on the PC.  I used it for the flower and as a layer under the photo (from the Simplicity Desk Calendar).  This is the flower before I painted it.

Ready for mailing.  Hope my partner enjoys it!

Today I am joining in at Microblog Mondays and Mixed Media Monthly Challenge: Altered Embellishments.

Get up. Get dressed. Paint.: Distressed heart

It’s been a tough week and I find myself feeling down in the dumps, distressed, lost.  My thoughts trying to get a grasp on things without much luck.  This page transformed into something totally different than how I wanted. Partially because of the week I had but mainly because I was trying to mimic another artist’s journal page and rarely is that a successful undertaking.  Yet it reflects exactly how I'm presently feeling. Distressed heart is fitting figuratively and artistically. 

Hearts cut out from white card stock with glass bead gel haphazardly added. 

Heart after painted and distressed. You get a glimpse of where I used Tim Holtz new Distress Oxide ink in wilted violet on the edges of the page.

Decorative napkin decou-paged to journal  with messily embossed butterfly.

 Bits of the background peeking through the layers: tissue paper base painted over with distress paints, stamped over with Tim Holtz mesh background stamp then modeling paste pushed through a stencil.

Using Tim Holtz Linen background stamp to diffuse the brightness of the hearts and distress oxide ink in wilted violet to diffuse some of the white.

Coordinating postcard made for a swap.  It is easier to see the Tim Holtz new Distress Oxide ink in wilted violet around the edges of the card.

While this page took a disappointing turn,  it is exactly as it is meant to be, a reflection of the healing my heart needs from the daily stressors of teaching.

What are your art journal pages telling you?  Are they a reflection of how you feel as you create them or are you one of those fortunate artists who can change the course of their feelings as you create them on paper?   It's something to think about and I would love to read your insights.

Creating in my Listen to My Heart Art Journal using dylusions 8" x 8" creative journal while working on my painting and layering techniques.

WOYWW: Valentine's Day Tags

A Valentine’s Day ephemera explosion!  Creating tags this weekend.  Painting, cutting, and gluing in pink and red is not my usual preference but I found myself in the mood as of late to have some creative fun to celebrate the holiday.  The pink rose ribbon is newly purchased for 50% off.  I love the texture it adds and it matches perfectly with Dylusions bubble gum pink paint.  The plastic bag is full of Sari ribbon which I am newly addicted to.  I found THIS great seller on Etsy.  She has every color imaginable.  The Spirals art box?  That is for a wonderful project I found on Pinterest.  I am giddy with excitement and  looking forward to sewing and painting on it this weekend.

Joining up with What’s onYour Workdesk? Wednesday where desk snooping is not only allowed but all part of the fun!

WOYWW: Card making deligh!

I wanted to create a card for a photography swap and that's how this delightful, painty mess came to be.  I am still wrestling with how to incorporate my photographs with my passion for mixed media.    Last week I stumbled on SuZe Creations via Pinterest.  Inspiring!  While I usually do not incorporate many flowers in my work I looked at her cards as a springboard to get me started.  Many of you may recognize the photograph of the flower from the tag swap.  I had a couple extra left decided to use it for her card.

On my desk is the bin of Distress paints which they have outgrown. These are by far my favorite paints to use.  Admittedly, I do not follow the directions well in using them.  You are to "dab unto surface, do not drag tip."  But that's how I use them the most.  Bright colored flowers, textured trims, my favorite trim, Offray, in olive green,a torn tea bag, my go-to Mixed Media Glue, and UHU stic.  Pure delight!

Pandora decided I needed assistance and plopped down center stage making it difficult to get the envelope done. I am working my way into mail art, creating envies that are more colorful and fun to find in the mailbox.

The card

Adding a touch of pearl metallic paint to each flower petal

Using the olive green Offray to offset the straight line of the photo

A tough of metallic gel pen to the cutout words

A peak at the envie; painted with a touch of glitter glue and an embossed stamp.

I enjoyed the creative process but still struggle with how to deal with the straight edges of the photograph without it looking like I'm trying to cover them up.  A work in progress.

Joining up with What’s onYour Workdesk? Wednesday where desk snooping is not only allowed but all part of the fun!

WOYWW: Struggling this week

This desk shot represents struggle although Pandora seems to think it is all about her.  I’ve been struggling to complete an overdue journal spread in a friends journal.  It sat on the shelf for several weeks, waiting to be opened and worked in.  Last Saturday, realizing I was putting it off, but not knowing why, I opened it and forced myself to begin.  Here I am laying down a background of newly found tissue paper. I was trying to figure out how to incorporate this fabric.

It dawned on me that I’m struggling because I’m in that spot where I just haven’t found my own painting style.  I’m still painting using what I learned following Rae Missigman’s 15 minutes of  Mixed Media with hints of myself showing up here and there.  So the struggle to work in this journal was not fear of creating something awful, rather a feeling of frustration of not knowing how to create something that is me.  I read somewhere that this place where I am, this frustration, is actually the first step in finding one's own style.

The completed spread

Adding the fabric and stitching

Using crochet thread to add textrure

Pushing modeling cream through a stencil for more texture and contrast

I came home from work yesterday to find a much anticipated package in the mail, all the way from Australia:

I won the drawing for the needle keeper over at Judy's Paper and Textile Creations!  I was so excited as I rarely win any of these drawings.  And she made this gorgeous tag which I added to my tag journal.  I am in awe of her work and have added creating a fabric journal to my list of creativity projects for 2016.  Many thanks Judy and I will be sending you a little something soon.

Swapping

I have greatly limited how much I swap, instead focusing on creating for myself.  I host a monthly tag art journal swap and participate in postcard swaps but that's it these days.  I stopped making ATC's altogether, although I will participate in the WOYWW's swap (I even have it on my calendar so I won't procrastinate).

 New Year's tag

Joining up with What’s onYour Workdesk? Wednesday where desk snooping is not only allowed but all part of the fun!

WOYWW: First day of Christmas break!

My desk has seen a rapid turn over of projects this week.  One day it is covered in Christmas reds, 

Early Saturday morning painting session I call Get up. Get dressed. Paint.

then in paint, 

Allistair hoping I will walk away so he can play with all that ribbon.

then with all sorts of blue ephemera, paper and ribbon for my Winter Blues art journal.

My lack of focus is mainly due to stress but happily today is the first day of Christmas break!  With the constant barrage of fear mongering gone, I hope to find some organization and inspiration to begin the new year.  

Texture journal

Christmas tags

Happy Winter Solstice!

However you celebrate this week, my wish for you is it is full of family, friends, health, and joy! 

Merry Christmas!

Joining up with What’s on Your Workdesk? Wednesday where desk snooping is not only allowed but all part of the fun!