It's raining Postcards! Halleluiah...it's raining International Post Cards! :)

You know, it's been a long time since I've looked forward to receiving snail mail in my mailbox, but I must admit this was a barrel of fun!

Michele S. from WA sent this art deco card she designed. What a fun card! She did a wonderful job bringing retro back. Her card had a film on it with a stamped image of a woman smiling, she used cute embellishments to hold the layers together and she painted a myriad of designs on the background layer to give it the extra color punch! 

Barbara M from Canada sold me on Canada and Sunflowers! Barbara took her project to another level – she decided that she would come up with various uses for postcards including…Tourist cards “wishing you were here,” product promotions, reminders, promoting tourism particularly of her small town of 2,000 people. And it worked…I would love to visit the Manitoba Sunflower Festival! Great idea…now go sell the idea to your local Chamber of Commerce or Tourism Dept!

Katie B from Illinois reminded me to value each day! She created her smart retrospective collage on patterned paper that she painted with acrylics and then she wished me a wonderful summer! Thanks Katie – you too!

And just yesterday, I received a darling little Koala in my mailbox! It was…adhered to a great framed picture card from Joan F from Australia… that lovingly, also, chose Sunflowers for her special card. Hope you’re feeling better, Joan!

Thank you to all for my lovely cards! I’ve received a whopping 8 so far, so I’m jazzed!

From Michele S. in WA

From Barbara M. in Canada

From Katie B. in Illinois

From Joan K in Australia

Tonight… I think I’ll start a surprise project for a another special friend!

[Pssst! I have lots of special friends!! I am so lucky!]

Have an awesome evening everyone!

The last of my postcards went out end of June...

I was at my son's home for a graduation party and noticed these beautiful hand-dyed daisies. Daisies have always been a favorite of mine, so I just kept staring. Soon, I decided I was going to use them in the last of my post cards. I took pictures and put them through a PhotoShop filters and once I had what I wanted...all I had to do was send them to my neighborhood Walgreens for 1 hr. developing.

One had a green layer over it where I "uncovered" a few choice flowers, the next pic I left just the way I photographed it, then for the last 2 pictures...I added a colored pencil filter and just loved the results! HOWEVER...what I loved the most is the actual flower that I lathered in my all-time favorite...Yeah you got it... Mod Podge®!! I very delicately brushed the petals being careful not to tear the flower. Although as they dried, a few petals stuck together and it seemed as though someone played..."He loves me...He loves me not...yeah...he loves me" on it. The trick is too flatten the daisy, carefully, then brush gently...let dry, then brush again. If you move the flower or try to reposition...you run the risk of that involuntary reshaping of the leaves... and well you know... it plays that game again... "He loves me...well if only he would love me!" LOL! 

...and here they are...

PhotoShop layer in green with choice flowers erased so they would peek through from the original layer

Original photograph with a real daisy and stamped with Peace!

Giving art life! This is a Colored Pencil Filter in PhotoShop,
just what the card needed to show-off the real daisy.

Same print with a blue daisy embellishment! I hope the recipients enjoyed the cards I made,
they were mailed off in protective little cardboard boxes to protect the flowers! Did you get one? Please let me know how it arrived---hopefully in 1 piece! Did you like it? Hope so!!

 

 

 

Look at these real daisies! I think they're absolutely gorgeous...

 

They're really beautiful. No drying involved...just Mod Podge® and keep them in one position. If you move them around...look at the flower in the foreground... It looks like I played "that game"...but I didn't: I simply moved it...and the petals to cover by sticking to each other and this is the result. So Mod Podge® in place until they're absolutely dry. What do you get...pliable, shiny, colorful flowers...who would have thought one could do this...and mind you it was only an experiment. If you look at previous blogs you will see that I experimented with roses and that was absolutely stunning. One rose card recipient wrote me and said the flower arrived intact and she just loved how beautiful it was.
She loved the idea! Want to try this and have questions? Just ask... 

Have a great evening...crafters and non-crafters everywhere! 

Sculptor, Artist, Costume Designer...Part 2

I left off with Jacob's attention to detail...

Isn't this cool?

This is the inside of the mask and oh BTW...he tailored to fit his head.

I believe this is a side view. Medium used after

cardboard construction

 and masking tape - Plaster of Paris.

Phase 3: Paint and some embellishments

Additional embellishments! Phase 4: Another coat of paint...

Stay tuned - Part 2 coming up next! Have a great evening everyone!

Sculptor, Artist, Costume Designer...or all of the above?

My grandson, Jacob, is at it again. I just luv it when he begins to work on art. One never knows what he'll create. But create he will and you'll wish you had his innate talents!! I encourage him to work on art at least once or twice a week, especially now during summer vacation. However, Jacob needs no encouragement: He has a ton of ideas in his little head and I am convinced and so proud to say---he can do anything - at any time!

Phase 1: Jacob began sculpting his art with cereal boxes and paper
towel centers. His favorite adhesive is masking tape and uses a lot of it. LOL!

Every once in awhile Jacob recycles cereal boxes and various cardboard pieces. When he has enough stashed away, he begins his project. See what he's done now... 

Phase 2

Jacob used plastic curvy straws and bamboo rolls

Jacob pays great attention to details!
Check out the facial grid!

Join me tomorrow to see the next phase of Jacob's creation! Tonight...I think I'll go to sleep early!