What Makes You Glad?

“Stay close to anything that makes you glad you are alive.”- Hafiz of Shiraz

It’s been cold, snowy and in my humble opinion, a dreadfully extended winter. On this first day of Spring we are once again under a Weather Advisory with snow is in the forecast. I keep reminding myself that, at last, March is here. I am more than ready for longer and warmer days. The first day of spring, for me, is forever linked with the Persian New Year festival of Nowruz. Starting on the day of the vernal equinox and literally meaning "new day", Nowruz celebrations continue for two weeks ending with an outdoor picnic. Inspired by the holiday, I couldn’t wait to start my next Artistcellar Design Team project.

Although too cold in many parts of the country for a picnic, I wanted to send some warmth through the mail. Junk mail is a plethora of inspiration for mixed media artists. Digging through my collection of envelopes, I decided to recycle one with a window. I masked out the cellophane opening with surgical tape and started my background with a textured natural sponge and Dylusion Paints. Once the background was dry, I started stenciling.

The Artistcellar stencil range is known for its diversity.  You will always find just the right stencil to create inspired work. This time I wanted to feature the flying dragonflies and cherry blossoms of the Traditional Japanese series. I used the Playful Pods as a hint of what the envelope would hold. The stencils effortlessly conveyed the spirit of all things fresh and new.

Recently I have been experimenting with used tea bags. I have been exploring different techniques…trying to get a feel of what works and what doesn’t. I chose two of my bags to use as seed packets. Keeping with tradition, I filled one with wheatgrass. I packed the other with forget-me-not seeds. They will show through the window when I get them ready to mail. An added bonus…my surgical tape mask is now washi tape for use with another project.

It’s been difficult getting through the dark days of winter. But with the first day of spring and the celebration of Nowruz I now have a good excuse to fill the house with hyacinths and tulips. And here is my wish for you: I hope you surround yourself with all that makes you glad to be creative and alive. Happy Spring!

MATERIALS USED

• ARTISTCELLAR STENCILS: PLAYFUL PODS SERIES, QUASICRYSTALS SERIES, TRADITIONAL JAPANESE SERIES 
• HANDCUT STENCILS 
• RUBBER STAMP ALPHABET 
• PLAID ACRYLICS: Sunflower, Royal Gold 
• DECOART: Blue Harbor 
• DINA WAKLEY MEDIA ACRYLIC: Blushing 
• DYLUSIONS PAINT: Vibrant Turquoise, Fresh Lime, Crushed Grape, Squeezed Orange, Bubblegum Pink 
• SURGICAL TAPE 
• NATURAL SPONGE 
• COSMETIC SPONGE 
• JUNK MAIL ENVELOPE 
• TEA BAGS

Restoring Sanity & Reviving Creativity

“Letter writing is an excellent way of slowing down this lunatic helter-skelter universe long enough to gather one’s thoughts.” – Nick Bantock

If you are like me, you are not averse to peeking into a trash can now and again…without shame! Collage and mixed-media artists all know the unsung wastepaper basket can be an absolute treasure trove. It was in a receptacle of wonder that I found the discarded interoffice envelope I used as the heart of my next Artistcellar Design Team project.

The envelope was still intact. Originally used to communicate between workplace departments, with a bit of creativity I could turn it into a place to hold new notes and letters. And so the work began by brushing Ruby, Blushing and Lemon Dina Wakley Acrylics directly on to the envelope. To keep the colours transparent I mixed the paint with glazing liquid. It is wonderful to add to your paint, allowing you to get just the right amount of transparency for your art.

I covered a shipping tag with Vibrant Orange Dylusion Paint. When dry I stamped on a Gibson Girl image with dye ink. It was now ready to place. I hooked the cord around the red tab at the top and glued the tag in place. The pen nibs at the bottom of the envelope were added with stamp pad ink…just the image for the new purpose of this envelope.

I decided to try my hand at making Washi Tape. Laying a few lengths of first aid surgical tape to wax and freezer paper, I wanted to see which would be a better substrate when I started my stencilling. Both worked well. So if you are out of one or the other, you can still create your own tape. Using the Artistcellar Open Work Block I stencilled in various shades of Dina Wakley acrylics, highlighting with touches of gold. The colours held true and dried quickly. Tearing the tape was easy and gave me the finished look I was after.

I continued adding elements as they came to hand…more Artistcellar stencils (of course!), crayon scribbles, printed paper, and even a pencilled inscription. I threaded ribbon though the already drilled holes. Tied at the back, it secures my new enclosures with a bit of inspiration.

Slowing down is always a good idea. I agree that we do have a helter-skelter universe, now more than ever. But taking time to see the wonders of the world around you restores sanity and revives creativity. And aren’t these a fantastic qualities to share through the written word?

 MATERIALS USED:

• ARTISTCELLAR STENCILS: Block Series, Halftone Dots Series
• TIM HOLTZ VISUAL ARTISTRY CURIOUS POSSIBILITY Rubber Stamps
• GIBSON GIRL RUBBER STAMP
• HAND CUT STENCIL: Diamonds
• ALPHABET STENCIL
• LIQUITEX WHITE ACRYLIC GESSO
• LIQUITEX GLAZING LIQUID
• MEMENTO DYE INK: Tuxedo Black
• OFFICE MAX STAMP PAD
• WAX PAPER
• FREEZER PAPER
• DECOART: Splendid Gold, Sea Glass
• REEVES: Rose Red
• DINA WAKLEY: Lemon, Ruby Blushing
• DYLUSION SPRAY: Bubble Gum           
• DYLUSION PAINT: Squeezed Orange, Vibrant Turquoise, London Blue
• NATURAL SPONGE
• TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS CRAYONS
• INTEROFFICE ENVELOPE
• SHIPPING TAG
• PRINTED RIBBON & TISSUE PAPER
• FIRST AID SURGICAL TAPE

What's Your Bag, Man?

"Hey man, what’s your bag?" Couldn’t help but think of this relic of the Sixties when I discovered the theme of a French Mail Art Call was to recycle paper bags. As it happened, I was on my way home from one of my favourite restaurants, Neato Burrito, with my mission style burrito safely tucked away in a brown paper bag.

As you can gather by the name, Neato Burrito has a definite retro vibe. Now with several locations...and I’ve visited them all...you create your burrito by choosing from a delicious assortment of tortillas, rice, beans, meats, salsas and vegetables.  Their jalapeno feta salsa is to die for and was just the inspiration I needed! I also wanted to have fun and there’s no better way for me than to dive into conventional collage work. I love being a recycler of images from a past age. Guess that’s my bag.

I started the project by deconstructing the paper bag at the seams. I liked the printed messages and did my best to keep them as part of my finished envelope. The brown paper was the perfect background for Artistcellar Halftone Dots Series. Stenciling with the largest dots first I changed colours as I progressed through the series. The Artistcellar Traditional Japanese Series is wonderful when you are looking for a pop of colour to accent your work. I picked the Cherry Blossom stencil to do just that.

As many collage artists know, the most wonderful ephemera are gifted to us through the US Postal Service. A gem recently dropped in my mailbox courtesy of a local gas station chain. The image of the woman on the front of the brochure was crying out for a new home...and I had just the place for her! The pinup style illustration fit perfectly with the layout I had in mind. And I liked the feeling of continuity...mail that came to me is now part of a recycled piece to be sent abroad.

When you visit the restaurant it’s great to see the selected vintage advertising that deftly crosses several decades. Motivated by the Neato Burrito experience I rummaged through the classified sections of magazines of the era. Happy with what I found, I surrounded the woman with a plethora of choices. Isn’t that what advertising is all about?

And here you have the final product, just waiting to be addressed, stamped and sent off to France. As they say, everything old is new again...so, I put the question to you: What’s your bag?

MATERIALS USED

• ARTISTCELLAR Halftone Dots Series, Traditional Japanese Series
• DECOART Sea Glass, Dazzling Champagne Gold
• CRAFTSMART Sea Mist Pearl
• PLAID Sunflower, Pure Orange, Metallic Bright Red, Rose, & Amethyst
• NATURAL SPONGE
• VINTAGE & CONTEMPORARY EPHEMERA, STANDARD MAIL, PAPER BAG, VINTAGE MAGAZINES

May You Find Your Way To Your Treasures!

An Airplane Took Us - Postcard

As 2014 quickly draws to close, memories of the year...some good, some not so good...come rushing back to me. But over all, I am hopeful and looking forward to a New Year with new possibilities.

I designed this postcard for the LottoHEART exhibition hosted by Camp Rehoboth in Delaware. The exhibit displayed over two hundred cards. The theme of the card was set when in a magazine I found the Thornton Wilder quote:

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

How true this is at all times of the year, but especially when we are saying good-bye to the old year and anticipating the start of the new.

Have you thought about what you treasure most? For me it's not only the cherished people in my life, but the feeling being creative, and listening to my Muse, gives me.

I warmly look forward to 2015's opportunities, the newest of which is my joining the Lunagirl Moonbeams' Design Team. I am excited and honoured to be part of the Team.

The substrate for the postcard is illustration board. Gleaned from magazine pages are the Wilder quote and the title edit at the top of the card. Postage stamps, a photo of the women, a decorative leaf, art and vintage papers complete the card.

As we move through the Holiday Season may your days be filled with all that your treasure!

Where Have Your Steps Take You?

CREATE - Mail Art

Working on Mail Art feeds my soul. I have always been the person who eagerly awaited the arrival of the mail every day. Holding an envelope in my hands gave permission to my imagination to meander. Who wrote the letter? How far did it travel? Where did it stop along the way? Did anyone else wonder about this letter as I did?

So being a part of a Mail Art Challenge was exciting for me. I enjoyed producing and giving away the Art as well as experiencing the anticipation of receiving beautiful Art in my mailbox.

I found this quote torn from a magazine:

"Art is a Journey. Embrace Each Step."

It was perfect for the Challenge. I thought of how Art has shaped my life. From childhood to the present, Art and Life have intermingled...so much so that I can't separate one from the other. Nor would I want to. Art has opened door to possibilities I never dreamed were available to me. Art has welcomed so many wonderful people, with so many distinctive points of view, into my life. It has made it richer, more enjoyable, and at times, incredibly challenging. But Art has, most of all, allowed me to be my authentic self...to accept each step along the way to becoming the Artist I am today.

Again, the substrate is a craft envelope. I surrounded the image of the woman with art and handmade paper, wax infused paper which I rubber stamped, postage stamp, clippings from magazines, and joss paper. I finished the envelope by rubber stamping and stenciling with acrylic metallic paint. Then off to the Post Office it went with my hopes that the recipient would be intrigued when it landed in her mailbox.

Are you like me...putting one foot in front of the other passionately following the steps wherever they may lead? Where have your steps taken you?

The Gift Of A Creative Journey...

CREATE - Mail Art

I have always loved receiving mail. Real mail. Snail mail. Having bits of paper in my mail box delivered by an honest to goodness person kind of mail. Before the age of emails, texting and social media, paper-in-your-hand mail was the best way to communicate and share your life events with those you cared about.

And even though it isn't as immediate, I still love the anticipation and feeling of surprise when I open my mailbox and find a treasure waiting for me.

When I found out about a Mail Art Swap on the Bliss Angels Blog I decided to jump in! The theme is CREATE. The challenge was to assemble four envelopes.

I sat down with my box of ephemera and I allowed my Muse to guide me. I had a few lovely craft envelopes to use as a substrate. I found a copy  of a painting of First Lady Louisa Adams. I loved her pose and the wistful look in her eye. I decided to build the art around her.

I have a bag of fortunes from Chinese fortune cookies. I dug deep and pulled one out. It read:

Your flair for the creative takes an important place in your life.

It was a perfect start...again...Synchronicity? The substrate is a craft envelope. In addition to the reproduction of the painting I added art and handmade paper, a wax infused paper doily, a postage stamp, newsprint, and joss paper. I finished the envelope by adding rubber stamped and stencilled acrylic metallic paint. All that was left to do was address, stamp, and send.

As I eagerly await the Art that will grace my mailbox I can't help but think about creativity and our lives. The power to create is a gift. Creativity can take us to the places of our dreams. Inspiration comes disguised and in many forms. Even on a lowly envelope.

Dreams Start Here...

Dreams Start Here ~ ATC

I couldn't stop thinking about the "Flood the Streets with Art" project. This Friday, Black Friday, artists around the world are making a piece of art to be left anywhere they wish it to be "found".  It is a gift to an anonymous recipient.

Everything about it captured my imagination...it was like a message in a bottle...mysterious, brimming with hope, anticipation to the extreme.  But, what to create...and where to "drop" it...that is where I let my Muse give me a nudge in the right direction.

 My local library, the Dillsburg Area Public Library, has an "adopt a shelf" programme under way. A small fee provides you with an engraved brass plate the Library places on a shelf for a year. You can have anything you wish on the plate, providing it fits within a set amount of characters.

My love of the Library and books goes back as far as I can remember. I was fortunate to have two very insightful parents who nurtured a love of learning in my brothers and me. My Mom and I would visit the Brooklyn Public Library every day, six days a week. It became a place of wonder for me...a place where the answer to anything and everything was possible if you were willing to discover it.

My brass plate is now on a shelf in the Junior Fiction section of the Library in Dillsburg. It is engraved with the words: "Dreams Start Here".  

The substrate for the  ATC is an old library card catalogue card. I altered it with Distress Inks, rubber stamped the word "Dreams",  and stencilled stars with metallic acrylic paint. I added pieces of hand coloured ephemera and handmade art paper...and finally the words "DREAMS START HERE".

I will be leaving this Artist Trading Card in a book on the shelf entitled The Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan.  It is the story of a young boy who hears the call of his inner Muse and believes in himself enough to trust his vision.

I hope whoever find the card is inspired to dream…as big and as far as they can…and to let their own personal Muse lead them on a journey of discovery. And I hope that journey starts for them, as it did for me, at the local public Library.