Will You Dare To Be Adventurous?

Life is an Adventure - ATC

As we are now a few days into 2014 I can't help but think of what the year will bring. For me, the new year is like a clean work table. I can keep what I liked from last year to build on, but I can do away with the things that were less than successful. There is an optimistic, glorious, hopefulness in my heart for life to move on, dreams to be fulfilled, and adventure to be my by-word.

With this in mind, I created the Artist Trading Card for an ATC swap. From the Grand Circle Corporation book of quotes, I chose to illustrate seven of the twenty lines from a passage attributed to Mother Teresa.

The substrate is illustration board. I covered the board will a map, Italian hotel receipts, crystalline paper made from sewing pattern paper with coloured mum petals folded in, handmade art paper, the quote, and photo of the two lovely ladies looking for adventure. I finished the ATC with a stencil of metallic acrylic paint.

The women in the photo intrigue me. They are obviously ready to go on an adventure, handbags at the ready. But where were they going? Were they following their Muse to parts unknown...or was it a simple trip to the shops?

In 2014 will you dare adventure to take you wherever your Muse guides you? Will you travel many miles and across many cultures...or explore areas close to you with awe and wonder? Or will the adventure be looking within?

Adventure is waiting. Will you dare it?

Do You Remember Green Stamps?

Don't Forget The Green Stamps!

Do you remember getting and using S&H Green Stamps?

From the 1930's to the 1980's the stamps were given out as a "reward" when you made a purchase at a participating retailer, most often a supermarket or gas station. You knew which stores were part of the Green Stamp family by signs attached to the outside of the buildings. Although there were competitors to Sperry & Hutchinson's Green Stamps, they were by far the most popular.

The stamps usually found a home in a kitchen junk drawer or shoebox until you had  enough stamps to paste in a small stamp book. The printed pages had squares to fill...or if you made a larger purchase you might have a "10" or even "50" stamp. Many of my friends would have an evening of watching television, getting something snack on, and pasting the stamps in the books. A collection of books translated to a purchase made from the catalogue where you could choose from a plethora of items.

The collage is a collection of S&H Green Stamps and other competitor stamps. Again, my Muse guided me. I found the photo of the two women at a local antique store. When filed in my box of photos, somehow a Green Stamp attached itself to the envelope. Dressed in the latest 1940's fashions of head scarves, bobby sox, saddle shoes, and loafers, they looked like two girls who would get together for a Green Stamp evening.

The layout for the diptych is the Cruciform design. The substrate is canvas board. I covered the background with Distress Inks, rubber stamped images, and stencilled with acrylic paint. The stamps and hand coloured photo completed the design.

Although the concept is the same, I still prefer the stamps, which can eventually become part of a collage, to a swipe of my store Rewards card we use today.