iCandy Collage

I decided I might create more art if I enrolled in an online class.

And it worked!  I've been loving all the inspiration in 21 Secrets Fall 2015!

I am familiar with a few of the teachers from following them on Facebook or their blogs.

Of course, one of my favorites is Hanna Andersson, 

whose international DIY Postcard Swap I participate in twice a year.

I have never collaged an actual collage into any of my art journals, focusing more on creating pages or spreads that say something, or only include collage.

I probably put too much pressure on myself to create something meaningful.

It was truly freeing to just focus on creating a collage of "pretty papers" a la Hanna Andersson!

I started selecting my papers by picking out a couple papers I had just made.  

Some months back, had done some flower doodling on top of a gelli print I made on sheet music.  

And recently, I doodled little one-of-a-kind arrows all over a piece of writing paper.

I used the colors in these papers to influence my choice of all the other papers in the collage. 

It was quite meditative and fun to browse through all of the collage and art papers, magazine clippings and ephemera that I had been collecting for ages!  I even took the opportunity to organize some of them so that I could make another iHanna collage in my journal later!

Thank you 21 Secrets for a super fun class...and thank you Hanna for inspiring me, once again!

Thank you for visiting.  

I love reading your comments, so if you have the time, let me know you were here:)

XO,

Sarah

Color Me Swappy

Thanks again to iHanna, I'm making art and posting here today!  

I had so many watercolored papers, gel prints, and other art papers

accumulating in my stash, and thought I should use some of them

for my cards this time. But how to use them?

The papers were all so yummy that I thought it would be cool

to combine as a many of them as possible onto each card.

Weaving strips seemed to be the best way to do this.

It was a bit tedious, but it really had me looking closely at each

bit of paper, and it became a meditative process.  

Color is hugely inspiring to me, so the cards became little color studies.

I stood at my kitchen bar, as I have been sitting a lot lately...

and I don't need an Apple Watch to tell me I need to stand!

They look like little quilts in this photo, I think.  Maybe that's good for a Fall Swap!

A couple of my favorites from the stack.

A good "hand".

I am sending these today, but I think I will put them in envelopes this time. 

They need a little protection to arrive in good condition at their destinations!

Can't wait to start getting cards!

I hope all my swappers enjoy these.

Thank you for stopping by!

XO

Sarah

Swap Happy

Time again for another iHanna DIY Postcard Swap.  

I've just resigned myself to the fact that

if it's all the art I do twice a year,

it's the art I will blog about.

I could vow to blog more, make more art, etc., but right now, I'm going to

give myself credit for making art and sharing it...making it and just

sending it away, to others who are making art

and sending it away.

It all started with a binge of making foam stamps, in faith, 

knowing one day I would use them to make art.

(I was inspired by Traci Bautista's printmaking lesson on Strathmore's website

where they have free workshops.  Sign up for a student account!)

So I made a bunch of prints on watercolor paper that I had colored-up with 

goache...a long time ago...just playing with the goache...going nowhere...until...

...these goache-painted papers got printed up with my hand-made foam stamps!

Playing with these foam stamps is a messy business...pure joy!

Then, I decided the postcards I cut from these papers needed more art.

And the doodling began.  The papers were bright and inspired a swirly doodle...

But I was a bit impatient, I learned,
because the different paint surfaces (not thoroughly dry)
had a disturbing effect on my various black ink pens.
One by one, the Sharpies (brand new!) stopped working
on the different paint finishes.

I switched from pen to pen to finish all the postcards.
Fortunately, I had just hit a sale at Staples on Sharpies sets!
It was meant to be!

The last component, inspired by what I had made,
I started thinking about the word "psychedelic"
and decided to look up the definition.

I created my own "dictionary" entry and printed it out, knowing
I would do an adhesive transfer to get it onto each card.

Packing tape would not do...but I had these self-adhesive laminating sheets.
Perfect!
It's important to have your copies laser/heat printed...no inkjet prints will do!

I cut the adhesive transfers a little bigger than the cards
and wrapped the edges around, then glued on a postcard back.

Everything safe and secure for the journey to my swappers!

I hope you enjoy your cards, my friends!

Thank you for visiting!

XO

Sarah