Photo Challenge: Yellow

Welcome!!! It’s the Monthly Meet-Up Photo Challenge, which happens on the first Tuesday of each Month.

I had a happy time looking through my files to find archive photos featuring

YELLOW

This is Miss E with her Dad enjoying a bouncy castle a few years ago

A friend in a yellow silk dress at my daughter’s wedding, 2006

A postcard made for iHanna’s Postcard Swap 2016Collage waiting to be turned into a greetings cardPainted garden potsCandlelight at a wonderful surprise party thrown for me by my lovely kids and their partnersBig Sis at playgroup when she was 3 (she will be 8 this month)Swiss chard stalks from the gardens at Esalen, California – such happy memories from November/December 2008I was there for 6 amazing life-changing weeks on a Workstudy Course, working in the gardens and doing Creative Expression and Process ArtHave you ever tattooed a banana? No – really? See here how to do it

A plasterer’s bucket from when I was having my fabulous new bedroom created

A happy sunny yellow trip down memory lane for me – I hope you enjoyed coming along.

If you would like to see last month’s entries you can see them in the Comments in this Post.

Couldn’t resist including another blast from the past

To join in please post a link to your photos of YELLOW in the Comments. Archive, or current, all are welcome.

You can see all the prompts for the year on my Photo Challenge Page

For May the prompt is

FLOWER

 

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Birthday Card

I made a birthday card for a friend, bringing my 16 for 16 target of 15 up to 12, only three more to go – I should manage that quite easily.

I used the retro Dymo gadget to type the words, and pinking shears to cut the Duck Tape hinge for an added retro component.

The card was made from two off cuts left over from my Post Card making

and popped into this sweet pocket I bought in Japan, which is meant for wrapping snacks or cakes.

Heat

cheering in the ninth

from hot and muggy Iowa

created by K

~

Just as I was putting together a post about iHanna’s Post Card Swap and simultaneously wondering what on earth I was going to photograph for our Photo Challenge prompt of HEAT – what should come skidding through my door puffing and panting but this postcard all the way from Iowa! Serendipity!

The ninth to arrive out of a possible 10 – and a very welcome addition to the collection with perfect timing. Here are the other 8:

This card was sent to me by Kirsten in California- I love a good quote. It was one of the first post cards I received in the swap which I wrote about back in May.

This one came from Emma in Rapid City, South Dakota. I have never been to South Dakota but my son went to a rodeo there when he was on his gap year back in 1998

It feels so good to be connecting with other creatives from all over the world and getting these gems through the post.

We are all given 10 addresses and so should receive 10 cards in return, if all goes well, but sometimes I guess life and other commitments get in the way and this year eight 9 little works of art have arrived.

Going clockwise from top left, these cards came from Valerie in California; Kirsten in California; Gertrude, Lake Ontario; ‘Fanciful Flutterbys” by Judith Pennsylvania; Emma in South Dakota; Julie in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Pam from Fargo, North Dakota and the hearts from Tina in Florida.

This one by Gertrude seems to be made in a similar way to my post cards. Such a perky little bird drawn on layers of collage, painting and stamping. I like its interesting background and the simple cheerful design. I also like the way Gertrude has gone all round the card’s cut edge with black pen, I’ll try to remember to do that on my cards for a good finish.

This one from Tina uses layers of stamped and printed designs for the background, creating a similar effect

and comes from sunny Florida where in May, Tina wrote, it was already ‘too hot‘, but she was enjoying seeing the ‘neat birds and gatars in the back lake’. A wonderful glimpse into her world.

Joining in with Ronovan’s Weekly Haiku Challenge, where he is celebrating his birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY RON!

prompt words: CHEER and BIRTH

cheering in the ninth from hot and muggy Iowa

from hot and muggy Iowa created by K

I have used ‘created’ as a word connected with ‘BIRTH’.

and

our 52 Week Photo Challenge, created by Cathy, Jane, Melissa and me

Join in any time, next week’s prompt is

PLAY

~

Post Card Swap

At last the time has arrived to send our handmade postcards to 10 addresses all over the world in iHanna’s Post Card Swap. I do love this sharing of sweet little pieces of art with like-minded creative souls.

Here are the 10 cards I have made all ready to go

They started off as a large sheet of card covered with collage. The original colour theme was yellow, but this had sat in a window for a few months and so the colours had faded.

Time to add some more layers this time using paper napkins.

There are masses of You Tube clips showing you how to collage and decoupage with paper napkins and I was eager to have a go.

First you peel off just the top layer which has the pattern printed on it

Then paint the area you want to cover with PVA glue mixed with a little water,

lay the tissue over the card, then paint again with the PVA mixture to seal.

I like the texture you get.

Then I turn over the card and cut into postcard sized pieces: 6″ x 4″.

Sometimes I add a bit of doodling or some patterned tape to finish.

And here they are:

All ready to send to Germany, Sweden, Hungary, USA, and the UK.

In a few days Post Cards will start to drop through my letterbox and I will eventually get 10 cards from 10 other creatives (not the same addresses to which I have sent mine).

It is thrilling!

 

 

Creating Pages

Eager to continue making more textile books I stopped off to buy lining wallpaper on the way home from Margate and started making some more paper pages even before I unpacked the car. The creative force was far too strong to resist.

The colours and the random shapes made make my heart sing ….

and following Frances Pickering‘s method the process is quick, simple and serendipitous!

providing a background for adding doodles, text and photographs

and then I had an idea to use strips of torn paper to act as a resist to the dye and add to the patterns

and am excited by the results

the last one thrills me to bits, I’m going to see if I can recreate this effect again today.

Now I’m thinking I can use this colour-washed paper for greetings cards and homemade postcards for the Post Card swap.

Going into mass production!

iHanna’s PostCard Swap

I have just signed up for iHanna’s Post Card swap again. We each make 10 postcards  for the beginning of May, to send on a particular date, and Hanna gives us 10 addresses from all over the world, so we all get 10 handmade pieces of art back. It is great fun.

The photo above is of a Post Card I sent a couple of years ago. If you put ‘Post Card Swap’ in the SEARCH box you will see my entries for other years.

Miss E absolutely loves to see all the cards coming in from different countries, and this year we will both make the cards together.

I could not copy Hanna’s email exactly, with all her amazing graphics but here is the essence of it.

Hi from Sweden! This is your invitation to join my PARTY – read on!

Dear Sandra!
Hi my old friend Sandra, I don’t know if you’ve missed my Newsletter but it’s been waaaay too long since I wrote you. I’m sorry, I’ll try to do better. If you’ve visited the blog recently you might have seen that you as a subscriber to the iHanna Newsletter have been entered into a fun giveaway!? Awesome huh?

In my next Newsletter I will annonce TWO winners of THREE months of the class The Journey Within – so do not unsubscribe, but rather forward this e-mail to a friend so they can get a chance to win to by signing up…

Also you’ll help me spread the word about the awesome postcard swap:
Join us right now for SPRING 2016 SWAPPING – time to make 10 awesome cards and send them to people from all over the world!
The DIY Postcard Swap
I’ve hosted this fun & big online party twice each year for many years now. The party starts online, but carries into the Real World and spreads a lot of happiness and joy to the homes of hundreds of people… I’d love if you could join us.

“The party” is what I’m calling my lovely brain child the DIY Postcard Swap this year. Many of you subscribe every time I host it so you might already know that you get to create 10 postcards and receive 10 postcards back from 10 other people around the world! It’s global, it’s fun and it’s easy to sign up.

All you need to do is read the rules and then decide if this is something that you’d like to do. Your postcards doesn’t have to be finished until the end of April, so you’ve got plenty of time. Sign up now:

SIGN UP FOR THE DIY POSTCARD SWAP

Questions? All the rules and a quick-to-read FAQ can be found on my blog. If you have further questions just let me know. Also, check it out on instagram: #diypostcardswap

wishing you a happy Easter
lots of love,
/Hanna

Wanna take a peek into my art journal? I hope you’ll agree that it’s someswhat of a
Visual Feast……

Do take a look at her blog iHanna, if you like art or crafting you can find so many tips and inspiration there. And if you sign up to her Newsletter you have a chance to win her online class.

PCsfor Swap 2014

Just made it!

The last 4 are finished and I managed to get them all in the post today, just one week after we received the addresses for iHanna’s Post Card Swap, as requested.

If you would like to see the other 6 click on this link

Mine are on their way to USA, Canada and Australia

It is too late to join in with this swap, but there might be another one along in  the Spring.

I first joined in March 2012 when I was new to blogging as well as the Post Card Swap.

Then the Autumn Swap 2012. 2012 was a very productive year in my family with 4 new grandchildren arriving, the last 2 a twin of girls!

Springing into 2013,       November 2013,        May 2014

So this is my 6th one! Wow!

All those wonderful creative connections across the globe and all those delicious rectangles of joy plopping through my letterbox. Wonderful!!!!

Hanna you are a marvel!!!

Post Card Swap Nov 2014

I absolutely love the idea of re-using old post cards, see Hanna’s blog post – she’s so FULL of inspiration – and I have so many to use!!!

So off I went with glee! Doodling and drawing on a postcard from my visit to Barcelona many years ago. These amazing towers, examples of Gaudi’s work – I like to think he would have liked my additions! After all he was a master at recycling.

And another from my Barcelona collection

 

Doodles and a photocopy of my doodles, torn and collaged – I hope my fellow swappers will like them.

Here’s a postcard sent to me from Iceland

I’m wondering about sending this to the friend who sent it to me rather than entering it into the swap – would she like it, or be miffed that I covered her card with doodles!

And then I have gone even further – even more risky – I don’t know WHAT swappers will think of this  …… have I gone tooooooo far?!

I have added to cards sent to me in previous swaps – I wonder if this is going to be ok – or cause a furore! Eek! I’m a bit worried, but it was really fun to do and it feels to me like a nice way to keep circulating our art – would love to know what you think!!!

I will credit the original artist …. 

and hope it all goes well!

The card above is of a building in South Dakota USA apparently – only bits peeping through the collage now.

I would think it fun to see my own cards recycled, but will others feel the same….

 

On this one my doodled butterfly covers the spot where the original (a photo of a black cat) had been damaged in the post, and I have added more doodles and washi tape.

I’d love to know what you think of this risky departure!

I nervously await your comments as I get ready for this year’s swap  …….

iHanna’s Postcard Swap!

Fifth time! I absolutely LOVE joining in with this international postcard swap – and so does Miss E, my 7 year old granddaughter. I hope she will help me make my 10 cards this year and if anyone would like to send her a card to my address I know she will be thrilled, she keeps all her postcards in a file and we look at a map of the world to see where they all come from.

Here is the picture Miss E drew for the postcard she made in 2012

That’s her in the middle with arms aloft in triumph!

The last Swap I was part of, was in the Spring, and before that in November 2013.

And in April 13 I was lucky enough to receive a card from Hanna – I was thrilled! Can you pick it out?

Sharing creativity across the globe – pathway to peace?

“CREATIVITY BREEDS CONTENT”

If you too would like to join in just click on the link below:

iHanna’s DIY Postcard Swap opens twice a year and it is super fun! Join at at http://www.ihanna.nu/postcard-swap/

 

Go on! It’s FUN!

Local Village Shop

Swapping little gems of art from across the world is a joy each Spring and Autumn and they start their journey from our wonderful local village Post Office, run by Pascal.

The postcards had to be weighed as with all the collage and stitching they needed a higher postage than standard postcards – something to think about for next time.

This is a gem of a shop with gorgeous local produce and people from the village at the till

 

Pascal always does inspirational window displays and is keen to advertise village events – in this case the upcoming Open Gardens on 25th and 26th May

If you want to hear the latest news the shop has a Facebook Page.

It sits close by the world heritage Jurassic Coast. How lucky am I to live here!!!

So perfect to pop in for picnic ingredients if you are off for a walk around Lulworth Cove.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to go and see the spectacular array of postcards others have made, click here for a feast of inspiration!

May Post Cards

I always look forward to iHanna’s Post Card Swap, I think this is the fourth I have been part of.

You make 10 postcards, Hanna gives you 10 addresses from around the world and then, when she fires the starting pistol, you send them off and await for 10 wonderful works of art to glide through your letter box. It’s magic!

I have used one of the collages done at the beach hut for mine this Spring Swap. You can see the start of it by clicking here. Gosh, that is about a year ago!

A large piece of card, approx  A1 size, gathered from the Dorset Scrapstore, gets covered with a fairly random assortment of pictures in a chosen colour theme – this time, yellow for Spring!

Then I paint over it, and machine stitch (inspired by Tammy at Daisy Yellow – see link on the blogroll on the right).

I love the way the stitching looks on the reverse side

Greta, a recipient of one of the cards called this ‘sewed on gold’ – LOVE that!! Thank you Greta.

Then cut them into post card sizes

And add an edging

in this case a leaf design on sellotape

Ta dah!

And off they go!

You can see links to other participants posts here – what a beautiful bountiful bunch of inspiration!

Post Card Swap! Nov 13

This is my third iHanna Post Card Swap.

I LOVE making all these wonderful creative connections across the world. During your visit to this blog, it would be fabulous if you would be able to take the time to put yourself on our Map. It is fun to see where everyone comes from.

Here are the cards I have sent this year – all made from A1 size collages cut to post card size and further embellished with doodles, paint and washi tape.

And you can see cards from my previous swaps here, here and here!

Go over to Hanna’s blog and see all the links to all the other fabulous swappers, truly inspirational!

Last not least

The last post card in Hanna’s Post Card Swap arrived today – hurray!

And what a treat – thank you Sarah

On the back Sarah introduces me to the artist Rex Ray. I have not heard of him before and am so glad to be introduced. There are pictures on his website similar to the design Sarah has used for her post card. And in the link to Google images you can go to if you click on his name above.

He also does wonderfully colourful designs:

Love the colours!

You can see the other 9 postcards here.

Postcard swap

Here are the 9 wonderful handmade postcards that have arrived from all over the world – I do love this swap!

I’m hopeful that the 10th will arrive, but 9/10 isn’t bad.

I love the variety, but also that they look happy together – like cousins!

(The tenth one arrived the very next day.)

to keep

Sometimes I make something that I just can’t let go of – I’m not sure what it is about this post card particularly but ….

 

I like the window as a way to peep out of the picture and the way the pinks and browns link up, and then there is the hint of blue, hmmm..

This one stays with me!!

You can see others I will be sending here, and here, and here.

 

 

Relaxation, collage style

I have returned home from Wales thick with cold, so I am having a very cosy time in front of the fire today.

Last night I was feeling too tired to do anything that needed thought or planning, and having read Daisy Yellow’s post ‘Cut and Paste Therapy’, I decided that was just the thing. There is nothing more relaxing than thumbing through a pile of old magazine’s tearing out stuff that catches your eye.

I made a pile of ‘whites’ and so a collage grew. It is about A2 in size and on card gathered from the local Scrapstore, which had already been used for a project I did with a youth group ( I LOVE to recycle!)

Already, even through the tiredness and my cotton wool brain, ideas were beginning to form.

This morning I finished tearing and gluing and then cut the card into post card sizes. . . .

. . .  and made a few more cards for the Spring Post Card Swap.

I have added some of my crocheted daisies – daisies being a mini-obsession of mine at the moment …

. . .  some machine stitching and couldn’t resist trying out some doodling with a white gel pen.

The weather here must have been affecting me more than I thought as these definitely have a wintry feel – Spring 2013!

Solva

I am in Solva, South West Wales – my kinda heaven. My mother is Welsh and I spent my childhood Summer holidays on Newgale beach, so when ever I cross the Severn Bridge my heart sings – and it leaps for joy when I see the beach.

Nowadays I stay in Solva when I visit Pembrokeshire and yesterday, as soon as I arrived, I walked along the beach as the tide was at its lowest. The rocks, above a certain height are covered with the most vibrant lime green weed. When I looked at the photos later I realised there was the colour combo I loved in the post card I posted

 

Black, white, lime green. Delicious combination.

Sand Art

Quinn Creative , another participant in the Spring Postcard Swap dropped by Stonechat and I had a lovely time looking at her blog. I came across this great post ‘What is Art’

In which there is a You tube clip of a Sand Artist in New Zealand

The comments that follow her post, flesh out the discussion of ‘What is Art’ and voice some of the inner conflicts I have lived with, as I try to find a place for my own forms of creativity in my world.

Here is a seaweed and sand mandala I made in October 2007 on Ringstead Beach . It is rare to see so much sand on that beach. My daughter and I were out on a walk with her 3 month old first baby girl, she sat in the sun to feed her baby and I made the mandala – it has been my screen saver picture since and always brings a sense of happiness and calm.

Lime Green

Another Post Card for iHannas Post Card Swap.

I love the way collage throws seemingly random things together and gets me to play with colour and find colour combinations I would not otherwise have found.

In this case, a recycled little painting in pale blue has been enlivened with black, white, and lime green (a favourite colour) – crisp!

(And then I found the colour combo in Solva beach, South West Wales )

I’m enjoying trying out machine stitching on card to add another texture too – inspired by Hanna and Daisy Yellow.

And Washi tape seems to sneak in to most collages and scrapbook pages lately.

See a couple more post cards in my 24.Mar. post, they reflect the weather we have been having here in Europe!

Spring Post Card Swap!

The iHanna post card swap is here!

I LOVE this! You join, make 10 postcards, get 10 addresses all around the world and send your cards by a certain date.

Then over the next week or so, through the letter box, comes 10 little gems of handmade art from other wonderful creative people.

I had a great play day today, I made a start and made 5 – here is the first one – more to follow …..