All My Art

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Thursday, February 11, 2010

"Years" Cards

These cards are made for my ongoing 'years' swap.

To participate, the trading partner sends me a card based on any year from 1900 to 2010.

I will then send them a card made depicting an event from the same year.

Then I will also send a card from another year of my choice.

This trade goes back and forth as long as the trading partners are interested.

My trading partner sent me a card from 1935, the year Monopoly was introduced.

I sent her this card. 1935 was the year "Snow White" first debuted.

I am challenging my partner to make a card depicting an event from the year 1977.

1977 is the year that "Roots" first appeared on television

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Nobody reads anymore...just you

There's a story behind this card. Last week I was browsing through the childrens' books at my Goodwill Store. Two young boys were browsing, too. They appeared to be brothers - one a few years older than the other. Apparently, they had a limited amount of money to spend that day. The younger boy wanted to buy a book he had found. But his older brother was discouraging him, saying that if they looked further in the store, they might find something REALLY cool. The older boy said, disparagingly, "Nobody reads anymore...just you."

Unfortunately, the older boy won the arguement and they left without the book. This was unbelievably sad. When I think of all of the marvelous reading adventures I had as a child - visiting far away and mysterious places through the pages of a book, I feel sad for anyone who thinks reading is a waste of time.

Lady of the Vineyard

Valentines! Valentines! Valentines!

I went on a Valentine-creating jag last night! All of these Valentines are covered with transparencies. I got a beautiful pad of paper as a gift and scanned it to make the transparencies.

The first Valentine is made with a tissue-paper background. This couple is one of my favorite Harrison Fisher drawings.

This couple from the lat 1800's is such a beautiful, earnest looking couple! When I see old photos like these, I long to know who they were, where they lived, what their lives were like. This picture also used a tissue paper background.

Now, this picture is a REAL mystery! Click to make it larger and check out the wedding attire that the happy (?) couple is wearing. I know it was the mode not to smile when being photographed, but the groom in this photo looks utterly devistated! But the most interesting thing about the photo is the groom's 'boutinniere.' I have seen a couple of wedding pictures from this period showing grooms wearing this sort of decoration. I have no idea what it is! Does anyone know? The bride's dress is just lovely!

I call this Valentine "College Sweethearts." This couple looks young and starry eyed - especially the girl, who looks almost giddy with love!

Ah, Love's Passions! The image of this lovely couple from over a hundred years ago still can touch our hearts!

Blue-Themed Inchies

Wild Blue Yonder - Blue Moon

Blue Collar - Blue Blood

True Blue - Blue, Blue - My Love is Blue

Bluetooth - Blue Hawaii

Blue Plate Special - Got the Blues

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Valentines for a Valentine Lottery

Imaginative

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Some New Cards

These four cards started out with the Glorious Brayered Paper.

She Put it All Behind Her

The Eyes Have It

Spring Fairy

Hearts Afire

Valentine Tag Card for Secret Pal

with goodies inserted into the flaps.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Glorious Brayered Paper

The ATC for Beginners Group is having a swap using Glorious Brayered Paper. This gorgeous paper is made using brown paper bags and acrylic paint. Some of my papers use spray webbing as an additional textural element. We will be trading one embellished ATC with our partners, and also sending them a few blank atc cards for them to have fun with. The wonderful tutorial for this method is found here.

I also experimented with using bond paper for this technique. For some of my papers, I added a layer of white gesso to minimize the brown paper bag color coming through. I used the brayer for most of the papers, but used only my fingers for some.

I have given each of these twelve papers random names. Please let me know which ones you like, or don't like. Scans do not really do these papers justice. They are much more vibrant in person.

Starry Skies