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Friday, February 1, 2013

Artists in Blogland Postcard Swap

I'm participating in a postcard swap with a group of wonderfully talented folks that are part of the Artists in Blogland community.  I have participated in postcard swaps before, and I had three postcards left from a swap back in 2011 that I wasn't very happy with.  You can see what they looked like here.  Being as I can't seem to throw too much out, I decided I'd make some 'green' postcards for this swap by reworking these old leftovers.

The first step was to rip and cut to remove the original fabric from the card.  (I had used some Texture Magic for the water part, so I couldn't just paint over it.)

Then I painted the outside 'frame' green and painted the remaining Fast 2 Fuse layer with blue acrylic paint.

Once that was dry I used a stencil and did the white spirals.  After a little more drying time I added the red using a scrap of corrugated cardboard.

A bit of yellow splatter was added as the next layer...

I wish I had taken a shot of my desk while all this was being done, because between these steps, while paint dried, I continued working through my on-line course where I'm learning how to use Lightroom 4.  At one point the cat was up here too... Let's just say that I'm amazed my laptop doesn't have paint footprints on the keyboard!
 Anyway, back to the postcards.  After again waiting for paint to dry (sounds exciting doesn't it!), I added a few bits of my homemade washi tape.

Then I stamped some Queen Anne's lace and a quote on to tissue paper and added that using matte medium.

The final step (for the front of the card) was to use some Golden Fibre Paste, which I tinted using black paint and a bird stencil I made last week to add the bird.  The fibre paste gives it a great bit of texture and allowed me to stick a bead into it (for the eye) so that it would be secure when the paste dried.

I'm please with the transformation and I like how the raised fabric and stitching on the edge creates a nice frame for the piece.

Because I make custom backs for my postcards, it was also necessary to paint over the original backing which had text about the original postcard and was dated 2011.  I added some stencil work and a bird and then used a Pitt pen to add my name and blog details for the recipients.  It's a bit busy, but what the h_ _ _! (...heck fits...what were you thinking?)


15 comments:

  1. Linda, nice to see the transformation of the cards. I like the result. Can you tell me more about this "card club"? huisvlijtigliesje.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks Lies. It was a swap organized by one of the gals on the Artists in Blogland site. I don't know if she plans to do others or if this was a one time swap.

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  2. Beautiful art work Linda Kittmer!!!!

    ♥ ♥ ♥

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  3. It's fantastic! I've not tried to do postcards... but it's on my list. :)

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    1. Thanks Katie. They're a fun little project and swapping them is alway fun too. If you're interested, do a Google search for swaps. There are usually a few to choose from out there.

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  4. I am joining in the postcard swap and I can't wait to begin!! You have also inspired me to consider a revamp of my blog as I have no place to 'showcase' my art journey ;)

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    1. That's fantastic on both counts Danielle. So glad I could be positive influence. Have fun!

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  5. Great job of reworking the postcard! Love the bird stencil. Birds are my favorite animals.

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    1. Thanks Jean. I love birds too, but I find it interesting that they really scare some people.

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    2. I had a couple women visit recently. I have a pet cockatiel, who usually flies free around the house, and likes to land on everyone. I had put Casey in his cage before the women came, and it was good I did because one of them said she was afraid of birds and shuddered when she said it. Everyone sees things differently!

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  6. It's so interesting to see how your lovely postcards developed.

    I took part in the postcard swap too, it was such fun!

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    1. Thank you Joanna. Yes, it was fun. I'm sure I'll play along again if they have another swap in the future.

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  7. I'm so glad to have found you! I am participating in the second Bienniel Mail Art Exhibit at the Richmond Art Gallery, BC. I usually like painting large 4'x3' pieces so going this small is challenging, however I love the results. Your blog is sure to inspire me.

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    1. Thanks! I'm so glad you've found me too. These little postcards can be a lot of fun. Good luck with the show.

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Linda

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