Day 183 - Smile, Sunshine!

Most pictures that anthropomorphize the sun show great big smiles. This one looks, well, pensive. So it seems like he needs cheering up.
Specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 182 - Sardine Sea

Kinda makes me want to go sailing somewhere exotic...

Faux post, specialty paper, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 181 - Tot Lot Trash Can

Our weekday sketchcrawl group met at the Tot Lot in Pepper Grove of Balboa Park. There are many things  to sketch but we joke about sketching trash cans. They are usually the easiest and least-intimidating thing to sketch. Several of us usually warm up by sketching the trash cans - then some of us don't finish anything else, so we are collecting drawings of all the different trash cans of Balboa Park. On this day I had just gotten my Japanese brush pen that is kind of like a fountain pen except that it is a brush instead of a nib. So my sketch was done without pencil, just my brush pen and watercolor.

I have also been recently introduced to the Japanese art of Etegami which is somewhat hard to explain but involves postcards with handmade pictures/paintings and words on the picture too. See Dosanko Debbie's Etegami Notebook if you are interested in learning more about it. That was the reason behind the writing on the card, although I seriously need to practice writing legibly with a brush. I also made my first etegami which you shall see soon; I think it needs to be immortalized onto an ATC.

Ink, watercolor.
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Go make art!

Day 180 - Feather Your Nest

A theme we should all think about in this economy!
Faux post, specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 179 - Down Home Comfort

I can't believe I didn't notice how crooked I cut some of this before I glued it together! Oh well.
Specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 178 - Sailing Fleet

This matchbox label has very stylized ships and waves. I really like the way this one looks. Although they don't exactly look like fishing ships, I threw in the fish anyway. The background paper is lovely Japanese washi/yuzen paper.
Matchbox label, Japanese paper, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 177 - Crane Reaches the Shore

The crane, a symbol of longevity and fidelity, reaches land after a long migration. The background is really cool texture from a stamp I just got that makes me think of waves, water and wind.
Matchbox label, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 176 - Fishing Rabbits

I don't really understand this one, although it's very cute. I don't know why rabbits would be fishing, but I'm sure there's some story behind it.
Matchbox label, specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 175 - Spring Sunrise Smiles

Another matchbox label unusual in the use of blue. This one makes me think of a fresh sunrise in the spring with the flowering plum and cherry trees. Very pretty!
Sorry I got so behind in posting! I'm taking a bunch of classes this fall that are keeping me hopping!
Matchbox label, Japanese paper, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 174 - Australia Cranes.

This stamp has really interesting colors, that don't really come out in the photo. The background is more of the painted paper that has a stenciled grid.
Specialty papers, postage stamp, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 173 - Tree Trunk

I was cutting up some really cool netted ribbon to use for something else when I happened to turn it on its side and realized it looked like a really old tree trunk. So I added the leaf ribbon and the vaguely foliage-looking postage stamp. More of the painted background paper that's impossible for me to photograph well. Excuse me, I have to go cut more ribbon for my other project...
Painted paper, ribbons, postage stamp.
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Go make art!

Day 172 - Boys Chasing Bats

These boys are chasing bats and picking up discs. In Chinese the bat symbolizes good luck. The discs most likely represent money in this context, making the label represent future success. Or perhaps the striving for success.
Matchbox label, specialty papers.
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Go make art!

Day 171 - Little Boys Fishing

I think this one is kind of funny, with the little boys fishing in some kind of giant fishbowl.
Matchbox label, specialty papers.
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Go make art!

Day 170 - Fishing for Carp

Not very many labels have a fifth color of blue, so this one is unusual. I like the colors and the sunset look of the sky. Wish I could read enough Chinese to read the inscription.
Matchbox label, specialty papers.
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Go make art!

Day 169 - Rabbit Rowing a Dragon Boat

This is one of my favorite matchbox labels although I'm not sure of the symbolism. Rabbits are associated with the moon in Chinese mythology and folktales. Although I think that is really supposed to be the sun; when I see rabbits in Chinese art I automatically think of the moon. Then there is a romantic story that goes with the dragon boat races that are held in early summer (Wikipedia), of an exiled official turned poet who commits suicide in a river. The local people jumped into their boats and raced out to save him but were too late. Because dragons are thought to control water, the boats all have a dragon prow as this boat does. Then there is also the fact that the Dragon year follows the Rabbit year in the Chinese zodiac, so perhaps the rabbit is bringing in the dragon.
Matchbox label, specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 168 - Peonies in Vase

Another matchbox label. The black printing in the red dots is some kind of Chinese couplet poem, possibly for the New Year or it could be for prosperity or something like that.
Matchbox label, specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 167 - Lotus Brand Matches

I have a collection of old matchbox labels and have scanned and printed them out so I can use them in collages. This is the first in my series of ATCs with matchbox labels on them. All the ones I have done so far are Asian labels because I like them and they are the most colorful. Some of them are rather fanciful too. This one is quite typical of labels either made in China or made to sell in China.
Matchbox label, specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 166 - Year of the Horse

I made this faux postal in 2002 for the Year of the Horse using rubber stamps and a mask. I was born in a Horse year.
Specialty papers, Rubber stamping, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 165 - Not Quite Iron Butterfly

Our ATC club meeting had a theme of using found objects. Our fearless leader for this meeting is an avid runner and watches the ground as she runs past lots of construction sites and other interesting places.She brought a bunch of stuff for us to use. It was so fun, though I have to admit that this isn't very original as I copied a butterfly she had made using rusty razor blades.
Found objects, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 164 - Re-invent Hope

Don't ask me what that means - I have no idea; it just sounded intriguing. I am a very un-philosophical person.Talking to me about philosophy would likely result in me running screaming from the room - if I could stay awake long enough, that is.
Another munged ATC from Donna Downey's ATC kit. I still have enough of the flower paper to make one more, but it isn't finished yet.
Watercolor, specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 163 - Live the Life You Dream of

Another ATC using the stuff in the Donna Downey kit I bought.
Watercolor, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 162 - Seek Change

I bought an ATC kit from Donna Downey and have really had fun with it. Of course, I never quite follow directions, so if you don't like it, don't blame her! I loved using the Tim Holtz filmstrip ribbon, it's just the perfect size. The black dots are made with the Viva Pearl Pen, a dimensional gel. I have only just started to play with them and really like them.
Watercolor, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 161 - Flora Post - Orange / Red

This background paper was made with acrylic paints and iridescent acrylics over black paper. It comes out really cool - it looks strangely metallic but also the color pops over the black. Really fun to make. I tried to put something in the middle of the orange blob of paper, but nothing seemed to work so I left it naked.
Painted papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 160 - Flora Post - Purple / Orange

Isn't this background paper cool? I made it with kid's finger paints and a comb in our ATC club meeting. Fun, fun, fun! Makes me want to do more fancy backgrounds with paste paper and stuff.
Specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 159 - Touch Art

I think that the background painted canvas came from a box of collage fodder I got from Lisa Bebi when she was cleaning out her studio. It's pretty cool & I didn't have to do much to it to finish it off.
Painted canvas, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 158 - Summer Landscape

I started a watercolor class this semester, so prepare to be assaulted with some marginal watercolors. Fortunately they are just little ATCs in real life.
Watercolors.
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Go make art!

Day 157 - Happy Birthday to Me & My Brother

Happy Birthday to me and my twin brother. This picture is one of my favorites from when we were little. Oh, it's also my pug Chloe's birthday too.
I should have posted this on our actual birthday (the 6th), but oh well.
Photo, scrapbook paper, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 156 - Live the Life You've Imagined

Another ATC I stamped at my Birthday party.
Scrapbook paper, stamped images, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 155 - In Dreams

A friend often comes down to San Diego for the weekend. Sometimes we get together to play with collage & stamping, and her daughter joins us too. I went over there and she and my friends threw a surprise birthday party for me! I was totally surprised and had great fun! We had some time after eating dinner and birthday cupcakes to play a little. This is one of the ATCs I stamped there.
Scrapbook paper, stamped images, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 154 - Butterfly Brown/Orange

I thought this butterfly made a good brown and orange theme.
Specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 153 - Flora Post - Purple #2

Here is another Flora Post ATC. Purple is a hard color to show in photos, why is that?
Specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 152 - Three Ostriches

This is another image from old labels meant for dyes. It reminds me of old matchbox labels which often had themes like 2 birds, 3 birds, 3 deer, etc. I wrote in "Three Birds" because I didn't think I could get the word "Ostriches" in there.
Specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 151 - Rose Oil

Another vintage label image. Need a little more practice with the "Paper Pen" but I like the color.
Specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 150 - Fly Home

I like this bird stamp, although it has no eye, so I have to add it with a pen. I'm trying to catch up with posting! Hopefully tomorrow I will finish them all.
Specialty paper, stamped image, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 149 - Starry Love

There's lots of sparkle on this. Really.

Painted papers, specialty paper, rubber stamps, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 148 - Floating Ideas

Sometimes it seems like all my ideas float away on a tide of confusion.

Specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 147 - Just Be

My Zen statement. I didn't want to cover up any more of this beautiful paper. Ha! Who knows what I was thinking that day.

Japanese Washi paper, specialty paper, embellishment.
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Go make art!

Day 146 - Daisy Dressing

From an old label for a hair product.

Specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 145 - Music

I apologize for getting so far behind! I am very behind in posting and am a little behind in making the ATCs. I have been unable to send my photos from my camera phone to my computer via Bluetooth anymore. It is very frustrating and I've already spent a lot of time fruitlessly trying to get it to work again. So I just quit trying to send them; now I have to plug the phone into the computer. How annoying. I also got behind making the ATCs due to some stressful things that kind of froze me up but I think I'm past that now (hope).

Anyway, I'm trying to catch up but it will be a couple of days before I get all the pictures dealt with and finished the half-finished cards.

Scrapbook paper, painted paper, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 144 - Butterfly Fairy

Dreaming of being  able to fly like a butterfly.
Painted paper, specialty paper, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 143 - Ancient Specimens

Looks like old script writing with old butterfly specimens. Perhaps new parchment was too precious so some old page was used to hold the butterflies.
Specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 142 - Froggy Wisdom

This is a die-cut from Graphic45 scrapbook papers. I love this scene; it looks like the frog is telling a fascinating story or imparting some very important froggy wisdom that the fairy will forget within the hour.

My blog is featured on Noah Scalin's blog 365: Make Something Everyday and Change Your Life! Thanks, Noah! Of course it happens right when things are falling apart here. This is yesterday's ATC but now it's for day-before-yesterday because the one I made for that day has disappeared! I hate when that happens, and I spent so much time looking for it that I didn't have time to finish today's ATC. Sigh... But I'll catch up - don't worry. And I'll probably find the missing ATC in the morning when I'm in a hurry to leave. :-)

Scrapbook papers, stamped letters.
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Go make art!

Day 141 - Two Peas in a Pod

Liked this raised epoxy sticker. Blue scrap is from one of my painted deli wrap papers: crumple, paint, paint, paint, crumple again, paint more, repeat till happy. Used primarily transparent paints for luscious colors, then accented with bits of metallic and interference colors. Palette knife makes it easier to hit the peaks of the papers for more texture.
Scrapbook paper, painted paper, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 140 - Social Butterfly

I found some raised embellishments with various themes. They are probably at least 4 or 5 years old and had gotten in the middle of some scrapbook papers in one of my multitude of paper holders. This is yesterday's ATC, but when I was about to take a picture of it, the acrylic part (with the image) detached from the backing that was already glued down. Sigh... So I had to glue it down and wait for the glue to dry before taking the picture today.
Scrapbook paper, painted paper, embellishment.
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Go make art!

Day 139 - Tangles with Flowers

I haven't done many Zentangle-inspired things lately. I have this scrapbook paper with dots on it and decided to doodle on it, then added the old Rhodesian postage stamp.
Specialty paper, ink, postage stamp, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 138 - Tourist Urchin

I like the faux postal collage sets I downloaded from Artchix Studios because I can print them on whatever I want. I printed out some of them on clear label paper, which can be fun. This Urchin Post is traveling Tourist Class. Where might he be going?
Specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 137 - Kohlrabi Post

I don't think I've ever eaten kohlrabi, so I don't understand why it is so popular in collage materials. Perhaps I should give it a try.
Specialty papers, postage stamp, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 136 - Flora Post - White Poppies

These poppies are pretty, so I made another ATC from the Flora Post collage set I got. The background is from scrapbook paper, and I thought it went nicely. I added the green and yellow with Sakura Glaze pens - they are my most favorite decorative pens.
Specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 135 - Princess of Birds

The picture on this ATC is from a label for dyes, I think early 1900s, but I'm not sure. It came as part of a collage sheet & they are all pretty. She looks like she's having a fun day relaxing and playing with the birds.
Specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!

Day 134 - B is for Butterfly

OK, so I know I had a B is for Bloom a while back, but what the heck. This little guy was too cool to pass up.
Specialty papers, embellishments.
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Go make art!