Three postcards for a Swap-bot group swap. Ready to hit the mailbox today.

All the same. I had wanted to do three different ones but life got in the way and I was in danger of running past the send date.

For the Same Day Postcard swap on Swap-Bot – I actually remembered to capture this one before posting it

One of the layers contains a CC Licensed image, Falling With Grace” from Flickr user Memotions. The quote  is from Josh Billings:

“It is not all bad, this getting old, ripening. After the fruit has got its growth it should juice up and mellow. God forbid I should live long enough to ferment and rot and fall to the ground in a squash”

Limited to one print – only this small low res image retained

Three postcards ready to go for the Swap-Bot Quotecard12 swap, due 31st May.

“Minds are like parachutes” quote from Tommy Dewar, of the Scots whisky distillers family. I have long wondered where that one came from.

Digital image of boy with toy parachute enhanced in Photoshop. Clip art, grad fills, and text. Postcard assembled in MS Publisher.

Very quick and very dirty – and quite abashed that I have so little time and energy to give to these ventures.

Two to go to the US of A and one to NZ.

I have done very little work recently (i.e. the last six months or so) – I have had no time to go near my journals or to take time and care over anything that I have been committed to. My workroom is in such a state that I cannot even reach my desk (hence the digital postcards!) I find it all rather depressing. I would like to be making my small a art again. At this rate, the dark days will return before I have made any use of the light!

So much to catch up on, so little energy – and being hounded, harassed, and stalked into the bargain. Feeling *glum.* Don’t be surprised if I take Fairhand down and disappear.

On the positive side – I have my pair of ATCs for the PS3 “Air” swap pretty much sorted already (I knitted them!) “All” I have to do now is to sort out some backgrounds or mounts for them.

I did some very quick and dirty scans of the Earth swap items – just for comparison. Large-ish files.

I think that the ATCs came up much better than in the photos. Click for a larger view

The tag came up truer to life in the photo. The three digitally based images scanned well, though.

The postcards have scanned beautifully and are really good representations. The envie is less good – like the tag it is a matte material and I wonder if the scanner copes less well with materials that are less reflective.

Overall, I believe that I should make more use of my scanner! In fact, I’d like to do some arting with it sometime.

Some of this week’s work, all for the PS3 “Earth” (Brown/Green/Metallics) ATC swap (yes, I went way over the top, but I was having fun). None of these photographed at all well – I may try to scan them when I have time [EDIT: Done, see here].

ATCs:

1) O Sweet Spontaneous – the one ATC that I set out to make for this one ATC swap. I searched for Earth quotes and came up with ee cummings. I rummaged in my pile of acquired ATC materials and found two nice dark brown backgrounds. A little more thought recalled some clay beads that Ryan kindly sent my way. Perfect for “Earth” ! What next? Well “Earth” says “growing things” to me and growing things in turn says “trees“. I am obsessed by trees since I moved to a virtually tree-less place. I have a brass stencil of a tree that I use frequently. In this case I elected to spray through it with Moon Shadow Mist in Golden Doubloons. I elected to hand sew the beads onto the tree leaves. Requiring some kind of finish, I continued hand-sewing.

The two versions are slightly different – different backgrounds, random spray effects, selection and placement of the beads, and edging stitches – but related in using all the same materials apart from the background papers.

So far, so good, but it’s a bit mean just to send one ATC in a swap. Also, I wasn’t fulfilled by the first pair. They didn’t live up to the inspiration. I thought I would try again. This time, with no planning.

2) Earth Collage ## 1 & 2 – I rummaged for earthy colours in my boxes of ATC backgrounds and paper bits. I rummaged in my colour-themed boxes for ephemera and embellishments. I trawled my box of select embellishments. I selected carefully from my bead stash. And came up trumps, I think. I just laid items down and rearranged them a little until the Muse spake: “Yes.” Both ATCs use backgrounds selected from my ATC stash, plus scrap papers and yarn, chocolate foil wrapper, brass embellishments, and shell beads. Again, some similarities, some differences between the two – different beads and brass charms. Golden browns, not very earthy, but plenty of metallic influences.

I like these!

So, now I had 2 sets of 2 brown themed cards. Clearly, I needed a green influence!

3) Bound Leaf – More rummaging on the ATC stash found some backgrounds that had originated via a Try It Tuesday technique. I had cut a large sheet into ATC-sized pieces and then left them pretty much to moulder.

Everything comes in handy one day! These backgrounds were not only green but also had growing things stamped into them. Bingo!

I find the background to be rather elaborate and rich both texturally and visually – so I opted to decorate them with a minimum of fuss. Still thinking about trees, I remembered that I had a heap of leaf die cuts. The leaves are a bit flat so I just messed them up a bit and then tipped them with bronze Krylon. I stuck them onto the backgrounds and wondered what to do next. That was when I recalled some birthday cards that I once made – I had wrapped some curly wire around them. So I did the bondage trick again. I think this stuff is called Purl – it’s a green and gold colour.

Verdict. OK, but not thrilling. Probably a bit too tasteful and quiet for my tastes. Doesn’t feel cohesive in design. Doesn’t say anything. Boring, I’d say.

But this is a voyage if exploration and we are bound to hit the doldrums sometimes.

Onwards, in search of a few thrilling waves… and a little balance. I had two brown pairs, but only one green pair.

4) Gaia – Two more greenish backgrounds in my ATC box jumped up and down for attention. These were mistakes, rejects from early experiments with photo transfers. I had kept them because I liked the dark and light smear effects and the smooth texture of the matte medium.

By now I realised that I had a bit of a trees and leaves theme going and those die cuts have been needing using up for several years. I selected some silver leaves. They looked well if I paired them. I tipped them with gold Krylon and then looked blankly at my ATCs.

More rummaging required!

I found some metallic face beads. They seemed to be to be in scale with the piece. The Earth theme, the need for balance, the tranquil face… all said Gaia to me – hence the naming, but what of the placing?

A little shuffling about brought me to a place of reasonable contentment but I didn’t like the faces being just parked. There was something lacking and yet I found the idea of a further collage element to be quite unappealing.

I felt that just a small flourish was required to complete these ATCs. I settled on a small piece of golden wire, which I threaded through the beads and curled into a spiral above and below the face.

Well, it works for me – because I find that these ATCs make me smile.

5) Digital ATCs “Earth to Earth” and “Quilted Hills“. Editions of two. It has been a long time since I tried some digital ATCs. Photography is my first love and I really enjoy digital manipulation of my original images – so I decided to have a go for this swap.

I used a couple of images from the early days of my DSLR – when I was living up in the hills of Dumfriesshire. The headstone was a natural “Earth to Earth” subject and I just played with the composition and some filters until I felt that enough had been done. I like this quite a lot.

Quilted Hills arises from my love of the rounded, billowy forms of The Lowther Hills. I attempted to make to look more quilted. I failed. Not pleased with this one at all.

6) Furrows – just as proof that I do have spectacular failures as well as more pedestrian boringness to exhibit. What was I thinking! Well, I know what I was thinking – where the inspiration came from. I looked out of the window, at the farmers ploughing the fields and seeding them. I looked at the patchwork of fields and the lovely furrows. I caught sight of a hand-carved eraser stamp that looked like said furrows. I stamped away.

Then, for some strange reason, I elected to add the seeds.

It just doesn’t work.

Not visually.

Not practically, either. The glue isn’t holding the micro beads on and I can’t work out how to add the green haze over the surface (like the fields will look in a few days) that I wanted to achieve.

And this is my constant problem. I have ideas and inspiration, but no knowledge of methods and techniques and materials. I really have no clue as to how to realise my visions. And you can say what you like about how you don’t need to go to college to do Art. I do. I wish that I had. I wish that I could. I would have loved the opportunity to be exposed to variety and to have learned the basics. It is like trying to drive from A to a long way away B, unaided – without ever having been taught how to fill the car with fuel or how to pump up the tyres.

So, there :-p And don’t try to “correct” me – this is a statement of my opinion about my needs.

Bits and bobs:

Envies

Left – mini-envies to hold some extra goodies like beads. Right – C6 envie, just because I could

Postcards

Two postcards from alcohol ink experiments. Lovely. One brown, one green. Metallic accents included. Look much nicer in real life than they do in photographs.

A Tag

I found a big green parcel tag that must have come in a RAK package. Couldn’t help but dress it up with a few smudges of ink and some yarn and a quote.

There are one or two more small projects on my desk waiting completion. Another C6 envelope, for instance. And some packaging for the ATCs. But I need to complete these very soon, The mailing date is May 7th but I would like to get them off asap – both to go to the US of A, of course.

The other thing that I need to do is to make a lightbox and camera stage so that I can make better photographs in my workroom.

ATCs: some of the above may be available for swaps. I haven’t decided yet how many to put in my swap package – there may be leftovers. Contact me if you want to claim any of them.

Comments: I’d really like some comments on any of these pieces. I work in a vacuum and cannot tell how much progress I am making towards being a creative – if any at all. Be as rude as you wish about my ineptitude. I don’t think I’ll cry…

My visitors have set off on their long journey home. We had a lovely visit, which included a silk stripping paper-making session, and much oohing and aahing over my surprise PX package.

I spent all of today, after my visitors left, preparing the packages for the Swap-Bot envelope swap. These are due to be mailed on the 20th, but can’t now go until at least the 21st. I am a Bad Swapper.

I had a real “Kick Me” moment just now…

In my rush to get them prepared, I sealed up one of the outgoing packages before taking photographs. Luckily the second package was waiting for an item to dry, so I grabbed a quick snap while I could.

The white decorated envelopes underneath are for mailing out. They are not of my own making, I received both of these in earlier swaps and have been waiting for an opportunity to use them.

My envies are:

Red C6: construction paper and rubber stamping, Green 5″ square: ditto, Pink C6: spray mount adhesive through lace, and decorating chalks, Small square envie: a laser print of the postcard image that I made for another swap.

One more item to go in, if it works out, is this C6 envie made from silk cocoon stripping “paper”. It has inclusions of Throwers’ Waste and mica flakes. I dressed it with Acrylic Wax to waterproof it, but it is still drying off and I am not sure that I like the finished item enough to send it.

The sealed package has less items in it – mainly because the recipient’s profile placed me off-side, with her stringent requirements and blackmail approach to “extras.” What’s with people? Why can’t they accept what is given – with good grace, and not lay out lists of “Do Not Send…”s and “Extra Credit for…”s

Me? I am just amazed and very grateful that anyone should take the time and trouble to send me anything at all, though I do particularly warm to anything hand-crafted. I like the idea that somebody put time and effort and a little extra love into what they send. I’d never require it, however.

So, these incoming packages were much appreciated, but especially the one with the envies made from scratch from calendar pictures and maps….

…even if they do make me feel so terribly guilty that they were mailed extra specially early and mine have not yet gone out!

My thanks to both senders. Extra credit to both – for simply making me happy.

Just one more Swap-Bot swap to honour now, plus the Project Spectrum one that I really want to do. I cannot, at this point in time, imagine me wanting to sign up for any more none PS swaps. The whole Swap-Bot culture really depresses me.

Bigger at Flickr

A 5 commercial envie, hand decorated

Tim Holtz Distress Inks and hand carved stamps (erasers and corks)

Going to the USA

Completed the digital collage postcards this morning and have five ready to mail out once my swap partners are assigned. I had much fun with this, although I have to be honest and say that it was a very quick and dirty collage and I might have done better.

My inspiration came from the PS3 Earth assignment and my own feelings about my island, expressed through elements of some of my favourite photographs.

The image was constructed in Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro, the slogan comes via the Sanday Tourism Association. The postcard itself, including the words on the back, was done in MS Publisher.

I included images for the Air Mail sticker and the new Orkney Community Flag and the wording, stipulated in the swap, explains why I chose this image.

I used five or six of my own photographs for this collage, and concentrated on browns, greens, sand/sea/sky, and kelp – and the wee selkie. The rationale is all to do with the kelp, which is the reason for the sandy nature of the island and also for the existence of the important seal populations here, and was once a source of income for the islanders.

I like the collage sufficiently well to work on it further and the pure image will, I hope, appear here later – once I have refined it to a level at which I might want to print it out and display it on my wall.

Three envies from today’s two swaps. This one a letter writing swap “A Crafty Tale” – 1 to Aus and 2 to the US of A. Quick and dirty envies, due to the need to get these in the post tomorrow (snow permitting)

I also have two swaps for “Celebrate Thriftiness!” going out tomorrow but as this was a thrift tip swap I kept in line with the theme and recycled two junk mail and business reply envelopes – so they aren’t pretty ones and I’m not doing photos!

I did include a thrifty lentil recipe card that I whipped up. A PDF version is here: Lentil Croquettes recipe card

 

 

Received yesterday from Eva in Germany – an art postcard and a hand made bookmark with a poem on it.

Thank you, Eva – the bookmark is already resting between the pages of the book that I am currently reading (The Book of Lost Things)and the postcard will go up onto my wall of PX receipts.