If You Won't Sing in the Car with Me - Postcard

Every year I buy a large wall calendar for my home office.  My first choice is a calendar that features corgis; I think they're just adorable and looking at their happy faces makes ME happy.  But sometimes a corgi calendar is hard to find and I have to select something else.  Last year I ended up buying a calendar that featured classic automobiles, for the sole reason that I knew the car images would make great collage fodder!

With 2016 behind us, I started to cut up the car calendar and then didn't waste any time using one of the images, a 1955 Ford Thunderbird.  After trimming the car closely, I went in search of a driver and found this serious gent in an 1890s magazine.  Doesn't he look like the kind of guy who buys himself a convertible during a midlife crisis?  In reality, he just happened to be the right size and orientation to sit in my car.  I made a horizontal slit along the dash board and inserted my driver so it looks like he's driving the car (use your imagination).

For the background, I started by gluing an old road map to a 5x7 piece of watercolor paper.  I swiped the map with white gesso, then added stenciling and the yellow border using distress inks. The illegible text and gray "blobby" images are rubber stamps from Artistic Outpost.  The double circle image was made using an empty roll of scotch tape.  Because distress inks are water soluble, I sprayed everything with a workable fixative before proceeding.

I computer generated the text on my computer and printed it on cardstock.  I also computer-generated a new personalized license plate for my gent (the recipient will understand).  After adhering the car, I added some outlining using a black Stabilo All-Pencil.  Because the All-Pencil is also water soluble, I sprayed the completed postcard with acrylic sealer once I was finished.

I kept the address side very simple.  And because of all the wet weather we've been having across the country, I popped this postcard into a clear cellophane envelope for mailing.  My real postage stamp, which was adhered to the outside of the envelope, was large enough to cover up the faux Abe Lincoln stamp on the postcard.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day.

Supplies:
Strathmore 5x7 140 lb watercolor postcard; old road map; Golden white gesso; calendar and vintage magazine images; harlequin and bubble stencils by Tim Holtz; text and blob stamps by Artistic Outpost; spiced marmalade, ripe persimmon, mustard seed and peacock feathers distress inks; Ranger Wendy Vecchi watering can ink; black Stabilo All-Pencil; postcard header stamp from Artistic Outpost; Abe Lincoln stamp by Deep Red Stamps; authentic mail art sentiment by Red Lead; hand stamp by Tim Holtz; Ranger Archival jet black ink; Stazon blazing red ink.

Square Deal President - Altered Envelope

My December partner has received her envelope, so I'm able to share it with you now.  I'll admit I struggled to make anything last month; I didn't even pretend that I was going to make Christmas cards (and I didn't).  I trashed four other envelopes before finally completing this one.

In search of a new theme, I grabbed a couple of "Time Life" style books on the early 1900s that I bought last year.  They had been retired from the library and are chock-full of fabulous photos, headlines and brief stories about major events of the day.  Teddy Roosevelt figured prominently in early 20th Century America, and I thought he would make a fun topic due to his varied accomplishments.  I learned something, too!  I didn't know (or had forgotten) that TR was the first American to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

I used a piece of Tim Holtz patterned paper to create my envelope.  All of the text and the large photo of TR on the address side were pulled from the "Time Life" book. The elk, map of Panama, background mountains, and photo of TR wearing a hat were cut from various old atlases and natural geography textbooks in my stash.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day.

Happy New Year!

Wishing you and yours all the best in 2017!