This weekend I have been working on finishing up my stitched postcard swap from Beth Nicholls of
Do What You Love For Life . I must say I had a good time with it! There is something so fun about getting all the paints and collage stuff out and start creating. I had an idea where I wanted to go with my postcard, but it did begin to evolve all on it's own.
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| Stitchin up some LOVE! |
I first began with painting my 4x6 Strathmore watercolor postcard with two colors of acrylic paints. I used a scraper to apply the paint, instead of a paintbrush. I enjoy this technique a lot and I learned it from watching videos from
Brave Girls Club. I began to apply lots of different collage materials, from antique lace to old dictionary sheets. I like to use Golden Soft Gel Medium (Semi gloss) to apply my collage materials. After I had my postcard the way I wanted it, I decided to create more than one, since I have some girlfriends I know would love to get some
LOVE in the mail!! I then went to the sewing machine. I have
NEVER stitched with my sewing machine on watercolor paper before, this took me a little while to get the hang of it. I have seen some beautiful stitched journals from girlfriends, this technique is certainly growing on me. So I created six different postcards, each one taking on a personality of their own. Creating is so much fun; with each added element, I got more excited. The theme was LOVE, so of course I had a heart or two included. There is nothing like it getting in your studio and playing with art materials, playing the music loudly and seeing where it all leads. I believe at Squam we called that "In the Bubble". We were meant to create and we are meant to share it.
I decided last minute to add a layer of Glitter Mod Podge to add some extra sparkle . . .
we all need some Sparkle in our lives! Artwork does that you know! I know how to begin a piece, but the artwork itself knows when it is finished.
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| Some postcard love |
My recipient lives pretty far away, in Southampton UK and he was the first guy to participate in this swap. He was also Beth's Nichols brother, so no pressure there! I sure hope he enjoys a small little piece of art in his mailbox, coming all the way from Virginia Beach, Virginia. So I am heading to the post office tomorrow to mail it. I am in search of a really awesome postcard stamp to mail it with (the finishing touch!) I can't wait to receive my postcard in the mail . . . I wonder where it is coming from and who is sending it? Just wanted to share my journey with you for it is always a joy for me to spend time with you! How about you try sending a small postcard to someone you love? (I will be sure and send you my address if you need it) Join in on a creative swap when you can, it forces you to get in the studio and create, which is always a good thing! I am off now to post my picture on our Flicker group.
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| My finished piece to mail to Matt! |
