International Postcard Swap is in full force
@ this Izumi household!

I just can't believe how much fun I've been having creating these cards... They were supposed to be postcards, but the ones I've made are so special to me...they've become cards. See for yourself!

This one just adorns my desk

I luv Chinese parasols and have a few here and there at home...one happens to be a lampshade for a small spotlight in my bedroom. So what happens when the grand kids come to visit? Those cute little parasols break and get replaced with other cool colors like my very favorite one in PURPLE. 

But do you know what I did with the fabric??? I made a couple of cards for this cool project I'm involved in. The parasol that was falling apart was yellow with white flowers painted on it. I took the frame apart and brushed my favorite sticky-stuff Mod Podge ® on a cut piece of fabric and placed it on a blank yellow postcard and the other piece landed on a red postcard.

This is my floor lamp shade...it adds ambiance to my bedroom!

 And this is how the cards started to take shape!

<---This is the yellow fabric on red cardstock.








And the one below is on yellow cardstock: See what a huge difference the color of the cardstock made! I luv the results. After a quick trim and some Mod Podge ®... I was ready to really get creative.

 It didn't take me long to figure out what I was going to do... Last weekend when I went dancing a stranger surprised me with a pretty rose. Since I always see more than one use for everything I lay my eyes on...I quickly hung it up to dry. By the time I was really ready to work with these 2 cards, I figured that rose would come in handy. I experimented with the rose and my favorite shine...Mod Podge ® !! 


Guess what happens when you lather Mod Podge ® on dried rose petals??? They get moisturized!!!! Hahahahahaha! Ok, all joking put aside...the petals really did become, not only, super shiny - but they also became pliable! And now I know that if I wanted to retain the shape, I could have invested in an expensive product called Petal Porcelaine. However, my experiment paid off and I got what I needed to make a lovely card or two.

A lovely Mod Podge ® rose created by yours truly! :)

 For my 1st design utilizing this rose and this new technique, I made up my own rose using only 4 petals stuffed glued together. To retain its shape, I added a small cotton ball to keep it open in case it collapsed overnight.

And since I am addicted to ART and I think ART ROCKS!!! I used a few petals from another flower that was waiting to become potpourri.  I then added 3D Crystal Lacquer to the painted flowered spots as well as a contrasting color for some abstract stripes, plus a decorative faux-crystal center and this is what I came up with. Two distinct designs from the same re-purposed parasol fabric. 

These two cards are headed out safely to their destination in small boxes. Do you think the recipients will be surprised? I hope so... An earlier card that was headed to NY also had a homemade envelope that I made from a magazine page with a beautiful hazy mountain-scape. My photography didn't do it justice...it really was a great mountain scene.


Did I tell you.... ART ROCKS! If you don't work with art daily...or at least a couple of times a week...you just don't know what you're missing. 

To finish off this post, I'll share another card I designed - a bit of a sassy card... think! And I added the complete finishing touch with PURPLE false eyelashes! LOL! Can you tell, I am having a ball??? Well, I am. 

She's demure, sensual, and sassy...! The lovely lady is a published copy from a gallery brochure of an original by Pola Lopez,
an artist in residence at Studio Avenue 50 that I love to visit from time to time.

I'll be posting the combat paper I made last night at CAFAM... Combat? The pulp was made from military uniforms, especially from the Vietnam and Afghanistan Wars. It was truly and inspirational night and an honor to bring home something made to remember all those brave men and women who fought and still fight for our country...and it was sooooo much fun!

But tonight...I'll be crafting!