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.

Distant Shores - Envelope Mail Art

I created a postcard for my partner this month. The front features a photo of an actor cut from a magazine from the 1890s (amazing what one can find at a garage sale!), part of a vintage map and two old postage stamps.

On the back, I combined some new ephemera (the butterfly and the red label), with some old ephemera ( the postage stamps and the book page), and some rubber stamping.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day.

Test Yourself - Mail Art Postcard

I created this 5x7 postcard for a mail art friend who likes my collages that include vintage photos.

For the background I used pages torn from old textbooks.  The cute graphic on the left is from a math book, and there's also part of a spelling book lesson and a geography book map under there.  The young woman in her cap and gown is my Aunt Sarah.  (I've used this photo before because it's such a classic.)  I used various stencils, stamps and washi tapes to create layers and to tie everything together.  As a final step, and to bring more color into the collage, I outlined the photograph with a blue Gelato and rubbed it with my finger. 

This postcard has to go all the way to Portugal so I'll be popping it into a clear cellophane envelope for protection and sending it on its way.

TGIF!  Thanks for popping in.

Supplies:
Strathmore 5x7 watercolor postcard; pages from vintage textbooks; alphabet stencil, Harlequin stencil, music washi tape and clock rub-on by Tim Holtz; clock stencil by The Crafters Workshop; clock stamp by Graphic 45; black soot and mustard seed distress ink; alphabet washi tape unknown; black Stabilo All Pencil; Faber-Castell metallic blue Gelato; reprint of family photo.

Love - Mail Art Postcard

Hello and Happy New Year!  I feel like I can still say that since this is my first post of 2015.  I really expected to be here earlier in the month with something, but I was unlucky enough to catch the flu.  To say that I've been under the weather is an understatement, so this post will be brief.

I created this postcard to send to my January mail art partner.  My inspiration came from a journal page sample in Dina Wakley's book Art Journal Freedom.  I really liked the red and turquoise color combination and this heart stamp which I've had for a while but haven't used much. 

I used my Janome Sew Mini to add the zigzag stitching.  This was a fun way to add a quick border and some texture to the card.  After adding my message to the back, I'm going to pop this into an envelope and send it on its way.  My partner lives overseas and I hope that sending it in an envelope will speed up its transit time.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful day.

Supplies:
Strathmore hot press watercolor paper postcard; vintage book text and sheet music; heart stamp by Dina Wakley; festive berries and peacock feathers distress inks; large punchinella; love die-cut by Little Yellow Bicycle; scrap black cardstock; Stabilo All black pencil; Janome Sew Mini; Derwent medium charcoal pencil; Adirondack silver acrylic paint dabber; Hampton Art postcard stamp; vintage postage stamps; Ranger Adirondack black ink.

Fantastic Voyage Mail Art Postcard

I created this 5x7 postcard for my December mail art exchange partner (spoiler alert, Envie Addicts!).  If you think it looks a little different from my usual style, you would be right!  I have been in the doldrums this month and was not having any success with the first couple of things I tried, so I made a left turn and ended up with this funky collage that I named after one of my favorite R&B songs from back in the day (more on that below).

I started by covering a piece of watercolor paper with Tim Holtz tissue paper and spraying Dylusions crushed grape through a stencil.  While that dried, I dug through my clipart files and found a dapper gent that I had rescued from a deteriorating 1890s book.  He was the right size for the piece and had a fabulous mustache.  Unfortunately, the paper was so fragile that when I glued him to the background, part of his face came off!  It could not be repaired so I went back to the clipart files and found the lion image that I trimmed down to fit the body.

The letter V was to represent my partner's name but it also led me to the word voyage.  That, combined with how fantasy-like this postcard ended up being, reminded me of the song Fantastic Voyage by Lakeside.  I was a big fan of funk and disco music (still am, actually), and listening to this song again totally made my day.  Here's a link to the song and video on Youtube (dig the pirate costumes!).  Now please excuse me while I get up and dance.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a fabulous weekend.

Supplies:
Strathmore hot press watercolor paper; Tim Holtz tissue paper; Tim Holtz stencil; Dylusions spray ink; miscellaneous clip art; butterfly rub-on by 7 Gypsies; Tim Holtz Idea-ology word sticker; Derwent lavender charcoal pencil; Adirondack gold acrylic paint dabber; gold Stickles.