Goodbye, September

Hello, my friends--

September came to a close yesterday. I can hardly believe it is October, one of my favorite months. October is the month when the geese fly south, the trees put on one last show before their winter sleep and the squirrels run like mad, gathering food for their winter store. October is the time to savor the last warm, sunny days of the year, and to enjoy things like apple cider, apple dumplings and pumpkin seeds.

October also brings me to the end of the ICAD project. I'd still like to continue with a daily art project, but I am not sure what I will do. No matter--I know it is good (maybe essential) for my soul to make some art every day.

Some of my cards from September are private rants that I won't be showing to anyone. I'll probably include them in my stack when I bind it together, though, since rants are part of me. (Perhaps a too regular part of me, but that's another story).

I have truly enjoyed both making the ICADs and sharing them with all of you. And I want to thank every one of you who has made a comment on my cards, either here on my blog or on my flickr account (see my sidebar for a link). I also look forward to sharing my next art adventure with you as well.

Here are some of my cards:

Little Sisters. Materials used: Scrapbooking paper, image from flickr.com, transparency, die-cut.

Turquoise. Materials used:  Paper Whimsy image, acrylic paint, assorted papers. 

Watercolor. Materials used:  Frisket, Caran d'ache Neocolor II watersoluble crayons.

Dragonfly. Materials used: Hand-carved stamps, Chalk Inks, Faber-Castell Big Brush pens, Distress Stain, background papers from 7 Gypsies, Glaze and Gelly Roll pens. 

Masking Tape ICAD. Materials used: Tim Holtz stickers, Paper Whimsy image, die cuts, Glaze Pen, acrylic paints, and background created with masking tape.

Tiny Little Houses. Materials used: Portfolio water-soluble oil pastels. 

It Takes a Village. More tiny little houses, this time done with Bic Mark-It Permanent Markers.

Have a wonderful and safe weekend! And, Happy October 1!

Till next time,

New month, new ICADs

Hello, Friends!

Seems like the past week just flew by! I've been busy with a few things here and there. There's something about September that says "busy," isn't there? Pretty soon we'll be seeing the squirrels all over the place, gathering up acorns and nuts for their winter stash.

In addition to doing my own artwork, I signed up for a class in graphic design at our local community college. I've done some design in my past jobs, but I really feel I could use a brush-up and some real, formal training, which I have never had. So far, I am enjoying the class and I like the teacher. And, the woman who sat next to me in class turned out to be the daughter of longtime friends of my husband's! How's that for "a small world"?

I also took part in Lenna Andrews' Summer's Day Postcard Swap, the deadline for which was yesterday. If you'd like a peek at my cards, as well as all the other beautiful postcards that are going to be exchanged, visit Lenna's swap blog here.

Tammy Garcia's ICAD project was originally going to end as of August 30. However, Tammy decided to continue with it into September, and so did I. This time around, I am using 4" x 6" index cards. I'm rather used to working in a smaller format, whether it's 3.5" x 5" index cards, or artist trading cards, and it's definitely a challenge to work larger. I am enjoying it immensely. And I'm finally using those supplies I was saving for a "really special project." You know what? Today is the day for that really special project! Grab those supplies and make something!

And so, without further adieu, here are some of my larger ICADs.

ICAD for Sept. 5. Materials used:  Various art papers, Starbucks stickers (thank you, Barbara!), washi tape, old dictionary text. 

Faux Quilt.  Materials used:  Leftover scraps of fabric on batting from Conversation Hearts, lovely fabric collages I learned to do from Tammy Gilley last year. I just glued them down onto the card. 

Sept. 7 Card (a/k/a the Pear Bird). Materials used: 7 Gypsies paper, waterproof pen, Caran d'ache Neocolor crayons, colored pencil. 

ICAD for Sept. 11. Materials used:  Found image, faux postage from Artchix Studio, paper tape, background papers, gold faux pearls.

ICAD for Sept. 12. Materials used:  Gouache. I don't use gouache much, but I find I love its deep opacity. It's also easy to write over, unlike some acrylics. 

ICAD for Sept. 14. Materials used: Transparency and egg image from Artchix Studio, faux postage, mulberry paper, paste papers, painted papers, Faber-Castell Gelatos.

ICAD for Sept. 15. Materials used:  Rub-ons, flower image from mail-order catalog, butterfly and background papers from collage box set featuring Maryjo Koch's artwork.

 What I've learned about myself thus far in this project:

• I am surprised to find myself working with colors I thought I didn't like, such as brown, orange, and red. 
• Everything doesn't have to be a "great work of art."  Sometimes I just stick things together and see what happens, and I'm surprised that the result isn't repugnant!
• I really can commit to doing some art every day, something I have not been successful with earlier. Somehow, doing just one little card isn't too daunting. 
• Having something to show everyone inspires me to blog more often. And it doesn't have to be something wonderful (see second bullet point above).
• I found that I missed the project when it was ended. Kind of like missing having a daily walk (I am working on that one). 

I wish you a Happy Rest-of-the-Weekend! We will meet here again, soon, I hope.

A Little Late Posting

Dear Friends,

I've gotten a little behind in posting my ICADs for the past week.  I finally finished up the seaside paper bag books I was making for my mother and a friend, and am trying to take photos (or rather, get my husband to take photos) of some Somerset Studio back issues that I will be selling in one of my Etsy shops.   I'll be sure to let you know when they are ready to be sold, in case you are interested.

Also had to deal with a dead mouse in the kitchen and sadly, a dead egg in my front yard, which was the inspiration for the August 16 ICAD.  I always cry when I find dead animals and I feel sorry for road kill.  What can I say?  I am a true softie.

The poor little egg was cracked, and I could see the dead baby bird inside.  We've been having some storms lately, and it must have blown out of a nearby nest.  Hubby and I buried it in the front yard.

Numbers.  Materials used:  vintage text pages, Tim Holtz stickers, Heidi Swapp decorative tape. 

Butterfly.  Materials used:  Vintage text page, Ranger Distress Stain, transparencies. 

Black Background.  Materials used:  Black ink pad, Sakura Gelly Roll glitter pens, Sakura Glaze pens. 

ICAD for Aug. 14.  Materials used:  Scrapbooking paper, Faber-Castell Gelatos, transparency.

ICAD for Aug. 16.  Materials used:  Watercolor with salt effect , ephemera, Glaze pen.
The text on this reads: "These birds are very sad. Their egg fell out of the nest and broke.
And their baby died." 

We are expecting another big storm (Irene) and I hope all the little creatures out there are safe!

Till next time--have an artful day!

The Newest ICADS

Hi, Friends,

This will be a quick post, with my latest bunch of  ICADs.  I confess that I have not kept up with them every day.  I do try to make up for the days I've missed.

I've had some rough times these past few weeks, mostly about my struggle to find a job.  I've had a few interviews, but nothing has worked out.  I try not to complain on this blog about my personal life.  I want to keep it focused on my art.  But at times, I am very, very afraid about the future.  I don't qualify for any further unemployment compensation benefits, and I do not qualify for public assistance.  I'm overqualified for most clerical jobs (I was a secretary for 13 years) yet I don't seem to be qualified for a "better" class of jobs.  I can't lie about the fact that I earned a bachelor's degree--in fact, I'm damned proud of working through night school to earn one.  So, I feel rather stuck at the moment.  There have been many tears and hopeless thoughts.

But I keep trying.

Art is one of the only things that is getting me through it all.  That, and my pets, friends, and family.

So, without further adieu, here are my cards.

Le Lapin.  Materials used:  Pencil

Bubbles.  Materials used:  Rubber stamp, Faber-Castell Gelatos and Big Brush Pens.

Green.  Materials used:  Stickers, mulberry paper, paper leaves, sewn scrapbook paper.

Map.  Materials used:  Scrapbooking paper, transparency, image from my collection, postage stamps.

Stripes.  Materials used:  Images of Jack and Meg White (a/k/a The White Stripes), UPC code, various ephemera, PaperMate Permanent Markers. 

Owls 2.  Materials used:  Scrapbooking paper, ephemera, image from Alphastamps, faux postage from Artchix Studio, tissue pattern paper. 

Patriotic.  Materials used:  Vintage postage stamps, Faber-Castell Gelatos, vintage text from atlas. 

Postage Stamps.  Materials used: Vintage postage stamps, Faber-Castell Gelatos.

Pear.  Materials used:  Colored pencils.  This is a freshly picked pear, one of a bunch my husband picked.  Our pets have really been enjoying slices of these fruits of summer (as well as the branches and leaves from the tree). 

You'll notice I've been using a lot of postage stamps in my ICADs.  I plan to do a post on postoids, or faux postage, very shortly.  I've been creating some of these stamps in Photoshop Elements, and having a lot of fun.

Until next time, take care and stay cool--

The latest ICADs

Dear Friends,

These past few days, I have been feeling as though I want to run away from home. My leg pain is still here, I've been having troubles with some nutty neighbors, and the unemployment blues are ever-present.

One thing that's helping me cope are my ICADs. The challenges are getting to be a bit more difficult, but if I don't find any of them inspiring, I make up my own composition. It's all about freedom.

And so, without further adieu, here are my latest cards.

July 12:  Materials used:  vellum cutout, found text, scrapbook paper, various scraps. 

Pink and White:  Materials used:  Washi tape, Japanese paper, scrapbooking paper, postoids, postage stamps, punched shapes.

Documentation:  Materials used: Actual documents from package from Japan (I ordered washi tape).

Ruler:  Materials used: Tim Holtz stickers, British postage stamp, vintage text, Tintz walnut ink.

July 8:  Materials used: Background from B-Muse, found image, vintage text. Walnut ink background.

Window:  Images from Paper Whimsy and from flickr collage image group; Faber-Castell Gelatos.

Library Card:  Materials used: Found image; vintage library card.

July 13:  Materials used:  Punched leaves, vintage sheet music, image of child, background papers.

Hope you enjoy them! Here are some links to others' cards. As the summer goes on, I am being wowed by so many others' work.

• Cornflowerblue17 on flickr.com: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27791499@N08/sets/72157626872897064/
• The Handmade Amoeba's cards:  http://amoebahandmade.blogspot.com/2011/07/half-way-celebration-with-zig-drawing.html
• And, Luthien's cards: http://www.luthien.org/wordpress/?p=3487

Also, you might want to check out this swap from Lenna Andrews. Since seashells and the ocean have been on my mind a lot lately, I'll bet you can guess what my postcards will feature! There are still spaces available in the swap (limit is 50) so head on over to Lenna's blog and sign up.  Her swaps are a lot of fun and you will receive lovely, quality artwork in them.


Till next time--have a wonderful day!