a layer of loveliness

Oh yes...winter....  Time for another iHanna DIY Postcard Swap!

This time I was torn between two ideas, and this one won out because it took less time...

...but at least I already have a plan for the Spring Swap!

For these cards, I was inspired by the leftover paint on some transparency film I use 

to hold my GelliArts printing plate down while I'm making prints.  

There was a bit of randomness here and there; 

haphazard, unintentional art, on this see-through surface.

And when I put it over some of the gel prints I made, it created this cool effect.  

This was the perfect project for me right now.  

Creating without thinking, just letting the layers create themselves.

I decided I would add some paint to the transparencies while I was making the gel prints.  

Just cleaning the brayer and allowing it to roll off the edge of the scrap paper onto the film, 

or cleaning the stencil and adding a "stamp" of sorts to the film.

I made quite a few gel prints, but I stuck to the Bristol (card stock) prints for the postcards.

It was fun seeing how the transparencies and prints went together.

I decided to sew the transparency to the card stock, and threw in a magazine clipping...

...an inspirational word that would just "float" between the layers.

 And a sweet bonus!?  All the scraps of transparency and gel print that I have left to play with!

 THANKS FOR VISITING!  

XO, Sarah

Greetings from 92007

Once again, ihanna is giving me a reason to make art.  I love her for that! Her spring DIY Postcard Swap is in full swing and I am receiving mail art every day.  That is a real treat.  It is also a wonderful excuse to drop everything and make 10 postcards to send out in the mail.  

I decided to create a series inspired by the California beach town that I call home.  

Everyone who lives here is grateful everyday for the beauty, atmosphere and community we share.  

I wanted to share it with some fellow artists that live far away.

[photo by Tess Gardner]

I started with a State Parks of California map, 

and wrote all over it with a big Sharpie, 

all the words and phrases I could think of 

that describe our amazing life here.  

It was a big map and there were a lot of words! 

 Over that, I brushed a coat of gesso

and then scraped on some blue hues of Golden Fluid Acrylics:  

Cerulean Blue Deep, Teal, and Manganese Blue Hue, 

the colors of the ocean and sky in Cardiff by the Sea.  

I took this photo with my iphone today, no filter!

Then, I set to work making packing tape transfers using my Gelli Arts gel plate, 

following this tutorial video.  So much fun!  

These I layered on top of the painted map pieces, added some hand drawn palms with black Copic marker and rubbed on the letters.  

Thanks for visiting!

A Path with Heart

So, I had this paper, scrap paper.  And you know how that scrap where you clean off your brush or your brayer starts to look so amazing with layers and layers of randomness.  It was so..., well, ....rad that I just starting cutting hearts out of it...cute little hand-cut hearts.  I thought I'd make some Valentines, but of course they were not finished in time.  So I'll just use them for surprises over the next few months.  

It started with the hearts and an idea of having them float or flow over the card.  I had this book of Love Poems, and decided to use the text for a background collage.  Then I used some of my PanPastels to add color and interest to the torn pieces I glued to the card.  That needed a little toning down for the hearts to show up well, so I brayered on some Titanium White.  

Then I glued on the hearts.

I took photos along the way to share here:

Thanks for visiting!!!

XO

Sarah