Mini Abstract

My friend Janice sent me this ATC for November.

She had asked me if she might use my abstract design and I agreed, but nothing prepared me for this mini replica of my picture, done in green tones rather than brown. I absolutely love it, Janice, and, as I told you, I actually like your colors better than my own!!

My own ATCs for November and December have gone off in the mail to Janice, and I forgot to scan or take pictures of them!! Oh well, too much going on these days - hard to keep track of everything!!

ATC Swap

Here are the ATCs exchanged in October between my friend Janice and me. I was late with mine, which is why I'm showing them so late!

In her Autumn-themed card, Janice used stamping, hand coloring, stitching and handwriting to express her message. I love the quote by Albert Camus and the combination of colored and uncolored leaves.

In mine, I used fused fabric flowers and leaves and handstitched beads in the center of the flower.

I have another collage in the works which should be done soon!

ATC Swap

Here are the ATCs Janice and I swapped for September. Janice has combined stamping and many textures to create what I interpret as a transition from summer to autumn. My card is pretty simple - just a tissue collage of an early autumn scene.

We've already agreed to continue our swap next year! I love receiving Janice's little masterpieces in the mail each month!

For the rest of October I've decided to have an abstract theme - just color, texture, prints -  in fabric. I have so many little pieces of fabric I think it would be nice to make some small collages and mat them. We'll see what I come up with!

ATC Swap - "Friends"

I feel like I haven't posted in ages! Busy times!!

My friend Janice sent me the terrific ATC on the left just recently. It is a photo of the front door of her house on Cape Cod, where I visited her last month. The flowers are hand colored replicas of the gorgeous hydrangeas which grow there.

Janice is a real beach comber and collects beautiful stones which fill baskets around her home, including the one here on her steps! She has just started a blog in which she writes about her life on the Cape and her ambitious walk along the Cape Cod National Seashore. She also is an avid creator of ATCs and makes one nearly every day! You can find Janice's blog here.

My August ATC for Janice speaks to her love of birds. Sitting on her front porch, she gets lost in watching a great variety of birds which come and visit her various bird feeders and bird bath. Beside her is a guide and the arrival of a never-before-seen bird is cause for great excitement!

It's already getting close to the middle of September and soon it will be time to exchange cards again!  

More ATCs!

Here are the ATCs exchanged in July by my friend Janice and me. My card is made with colored tissue paper affixed to watercolor paper. I cut out the shapes freehand and used 

acrylic matte medium as a glue and a sealer. I have a special thing for day lilies, which Janice remembered, and she wasn't surprised that I used them as my subject.

Janice's card, entitled "Light from Shore is a Beacon of Hope", is built on a braille paper which Janice has hand stamped, hand colored and embellished. The light house is cut from a stamped image and glazed.

We had both begun our August cards when I visited her this week, but have yet to exchange them!

During my visit, Janice introduced me to the idea of storing my ATCs in a baseball card album! I plan to cover and decorate my album - looks like I'm into a new art form!!!

ATC Swap

In June, I received this wonderful ATC from my friend Janice.

The design is made entirely from triangles, and she has done some hand coloring in the sky. I love the crisp look of this card, and the texture of the paper.

Janice's card arrived right on schedule, while I didn't get my June card to her until last week!

I decided to include the sailboat image in my card also, zooming back to view it from the shore. I, too, used paper, cut and torn and did some shading with chalk and colored pencil.

We have exchanged July ATCs also, which I will show in a later post. Don't ask me why, but the tiny size (2"x3") of these cards seems to intimidate me, plus that always present desire for perfection! I'm working on getting over this, since it leads to all kinds of procrastination! 

Seven Projects in Seven Days - Day Two

My friend Janice sent me this lovely ATC recently. Janice uses a layered process of coloring and stamping and the entire card is waxed, giving it a richness and depth. My photo doesn't do it justice.

Today I finished this ATC, which I'll be sending to Janice. We've been trading cards every month and this one is actually for May. I'm a bit behind! It was hand embroidered and beaded, with lace trim and a little bird sequin. 

Although I had a very busy day today, I was glad to be able to finish this little piece of work! I'm beginning to see that this is quite a challenge I've set for myself!! Hmmm...what will I make tomorrow?

March ATC Swap

I sent my friend Janice this ATC as my offering for March. I always think of Spring as being somewhat etherial. I think I get a little foggy brained with the sight of new buds, the fragrance of those first flowers....a bit of Spring fever I guess!

This card is simply a layering of sheer printed fabrics, with a bit of hand painted fabric in the lower left. Everything is fused and the letters, written with a fine marker, blurred a bit, which I actually liked!

March ATC Swap

I received this ATC from my friend Janice last week. It commemorates the St. Patrick's Day birthday of her brother, John Michael, when he was a little boy.

Janice tells me that she printed the photo on a transparency then softened the edges with a flame. I love the added stitching as well as the whole design, but most of all, the sweet look of expectancy on a little boy's face as he waits to blow out his birthday candle.

What a treasure!

ATC Swap, Part 2

I've been having a terrible time with Blogger today, struggling to post pictures and arrange the text as I wanted it! I've read about others who have also had problems with Blogger. Any suggestions for a better service?

 I finally decided  to divide this post into two parts. As I said in my last post, I'm doing an ATC swap with my friend Janice. Here are my offerings for January and February. Both are done with fabric applique and the February heart has added beading.

This is a great format for trying out design ideas on a very small scale!! I'm already cooking up an idea for March!

ATC Swap

 
                                                                                      
My friend Janice Reynolds suggested that we swap ATCs this year. I had never made one, but loved the idea of the 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" format! We decided to create cards going back to January, and to make and swap a new one each month.

Here are Janice's cards! January is called "Timeless" and February, "Valentine Wishes". Janice applies several layers of papers, images and words, adds hand painting and stamping, and finishes with a layer of beeswax. To me, the effect is very nostalgic and rich in tone. I was delighted to receive them!