Love Letters

Crossroads...

I am unwittingly at a major crossroads in my life and I am sending out a request for positive energy from my friends and supporters in the "blogosphere"... I've been interviewing for a new position at the hospital, and I really, really, really want this job... I'm SO hopeful that I've been able to come across well in the interviews, with honesty and integrity and grace... during what can be a very intimidating experience!  

This is the front of the thank you note I made... since yesterday was Valentine's Day, I went out on a limb and used a heart on the front of this card.  I've always sent handwritten thank you notes after an interview, and this time I made my own card to send.  I sure hope the recipient likes it!  

Christmas envelopes

Just for fun, I thought I'd show you the back of some of the envelopes I've sent out this Christmas.  I like to not only make each card by hand, I also make each envelope to match or coordinate.  And then to give the outside of the envelope a little more character, I add a tiny bit of collage to the back flap of the envelope. 

I like to use elements in green and red and white or cream, that may or may not even have anything at all to do with our typical or expected Christmas images, simply for a little variety and something unexpected. 

On the first envelope, I used a strip from a vintage dictionary, glued down under the hearts, and intentionally chose the words "merry" and "merry making" to use on this Christmas envelope.

 

 If you look closely, the middle envelope has a dark green strip on it that is a scrap left over from some painted tyvek I used for a completely different project.  

 

And on the bottom envelope, I used a scrap of handwriting from a 100+ year old German journal (it's a little bit hard to see, sorry).

 It's not exciting, but it is unique... and in this world of mass produced products it's kind of nice to put your own signature on your own work, no matter how small!

Now, go have yourself a very 

 

 

Are you Pinterested?

Are you familiar with ?

It is my current favorite way to explore the web and find tons of new things to look at and learn about... just what I need, I know... I'm already pretty scattered as far as things I love to do!

This is from my bulletin board "Four-legged friends" and it was originally posted at Gibson King.

How darling is that?!?

This little gem was originally posted at Your Daily Dose.  

Seriously, could this be any cuter?

And this very pretty and unusual advent calendar treatment is from Teresa Collins.

Really nicely done, right?!?

 

So these are just a few of the finds on Pinterest, a virtual bulletin board where you can post or "repin" images you find that you like.  It really is a terrific way to find beautiful images you might not otherwise happen upon, and you know how one thing can lead to another and to another and to another, right?  I just wish I'd been the one to come up with this outstanding idea!  

 

Now, go  something and have fun!

Is handwriting becoming a lost art?

This past Friday, Detroit News columnist, Marney Rich Keenan, wrote in her column that not only do we not send handwritten letters any longer; but now children are not even being taught handwriting in school. Apparently, learning how to print neatly will be enough, and then students will move on to learn keyboarding. Handwriting will be reduced to rudimentary printing, and cursive writing will be a lost art.  

Ms. Keenan's article, Individuality is lost as art of handwriting dies, brings up a lot of hot issues for me, and it is well worth reading. I hope you'll take the time to read it.  As a calligrapher, it makes me even more concerned than I already was, that ours is an art that may be in peril; and how do we bring calligraphy to today's youth? If they don't even know how to write in cursive, will they have any interest in the tedious work of learning to write with a REALLY old fashioned pen that has to be dipped in ink?  It would be infinitely easier to just find a pleasing font, and layout whatever information needs to be conveyed on the computer, but it would no doubt be lifeless and boring (at least in my opinion).

I think like a lot of things, sending and receiving a hand written letter will become even more cherished, because it is so uncommon and so special.  Recall how sociologists worried that the computer would isolate us even more than we already were at the time? (I'm thinking that was around the time of the Y2K scare).  And now, we seem even more connected than ever, through blogs, emails, text messages and the like. Likewise, the DIY movement has been seen as an antidote to sitting and looking at sterile computer screens all day... we like to use our hands to produce things.  We like to make things.  And some of us like making cards.  

So, in an effort to let Ms. Keenan know the art of letter writing is not dead, I made her a card and made the envelope, and did my best to make it pretty.  It went in Saturday's mail and I hope she gets a kick out of receiving not only a handwritten letter, but a handmade one to boot!  

This is a simple watercolor piece I cut up and glued to the front of a 4x6" vellum cardstock. There's a kind of a shadow on the upper left front of the card, which is a stamp image done with Pearl-Ex Interference Gold, so it doesn't show up well on a scanner.  

This is the back of the envelope which is made out of recycled, painted Tyvek paper.

Here's the front of the envelope, done in an informal Uncial hand, with Keenan written with a silver metallic marker.  There are also tiny little silver dots in between the zip code numbers.

If you like making cards and sending letters, take the time to write to someone you've been thinking about lately, and let them know they've been on your mind.  Maybe you'll be lucky enough to receive a handwritten letter in return.  And if you can't think of anyone to write to, email me and we can be pen pals! 

Here are some links to some mail art sites that you might find interesting:

Mail-Art Across the World

Post Secret

Pushing the Envelopes

EMMA 

Digital Mail Art

Mail Me Art 

Now, GO MAKE SOMETHING!!! :D

Card making

Do you ever have those days where nothing really seems appealling to work on in your studio, other than the kinds of things that are relatively simple but somehow comforting?  That's how I've been feeling lately. Due to a recent back injury, and resulting right leg pain; I cannot sit for long, nor can I stand or walk for long. So l steal moments away in my studio when I am able.

The simple thing I like to go back to when nothing else appeals to me, is card making.  It's relatively quick and really is somehow satisfying to me.  

Below are a couple of simple little cards made from recycled tyvek, stencils, sewing pattern pieces, and stitching.  

 

The envelope is painted tyvek, which I really think is my favorite part... it's so much fun to apply acrylic paint and see how it turns out... not sure why I like that part so much, but I do!  Guess it's a good thing I'm so easily entertained, right?!  

But don't get me wrong, I am anxious to get back to 100% so I can return to work!  Doesn't it figure, I finally find a patient care position I really like, with a wonderful group of coworkers, and then I get hurt and have to go out on leave? Keep your fingers crossed for me, will you? :D

 

Now, GO MAKE SOMETHING!!! 

Birthday card for a lovely gal

This is a card I made last night for a darling young lady, who just happens to be my son's significant other... I really hope she becomes my daughter-in-law someday (shhhh... no pressure there, Tim, just thinking out loud!).  Caitlyn's first name is done in gold and black ink... I kind of let them run together and trusted that when the ink dried, it would turn out well.  The scan doesn't show the metallic well at all, but you get the idea.  I'm pleased with how the colors in the card play off the Jazz stamp.

 

Happy Birthday, Cait!  We love you!!!

 

Check out these new Shakespeare Stamps!

London's graphic arts design house, hat trick design, has come up with a couple really beautiful stamp designs and the theme is Shakespeare.  I especially like the hand-lettered typography by Marion Deuchars.

I found the mention about these terrific stamps at Fast Co.'s website, which is loaded with interesting finds and articles.  In fact, Fast Company is one of the few magazines I read faithfully, cover to cover.   

 

Professional designers learn early to work within constraints: time, budget, materials, price. But the team at the London graphic arts firm hat-trick design has a special knack for a particularly daunting creative challenge: delivering big design on a tiny canvas.  I'm pretty sure they hit a home run on this one!

 

Flickr Photomontage

If you haven't seen this fun site, you've got to check it out!  It's called Big Huge Labs and that's where I made this:

How fun is that?!?  I've made a similar grid of images in Photoshop, but this was really quick and easy, and not everyone works in Photoshop... so be sure to visit the site, it's free, but they welcome donations, too.  And thanks to Hanna for information on how she made her grid, which you can view at her wonderful site, iHanna. Have a happy weekend, NOW GO MAKE SOMETHING! 

Mail Art Envelope

Thought I'd share the envelope I sent to France to participate in the "Mail Art Across the World" project... I was fairly pleased with the lettering until I accidently dropped a big blob of ink above the lettering.  Hence, the strip of torn paper from an old book.  

 

My husband was kind enough to mail the envelope for me, so unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to see the stamp that went on the envelope.  I wish I'd had the time to buy the stamp first, and make the envelope around the theme of the stamp, but I guess this will have to do.  

Mail Art Across the World

I stumbled upon a terrific calligraphy exchange while visiting my friend Jane's blog, and thankfully it's not too late to participate!!! Just go to this website: Mail Art Across the World for the details, and get your envelope in the mail quickly, the deadline is April 1st! (No fooling!)  There's also a gallery of the incredible entries from past seasons, definitely eye candy to inspire even the most timid among us! 

This is a chance to participate in a free calligraphy event, one without judges or fees to enter, and entries will be posted on the web.  The evelopes will travel around France, Hungary, Germany, Russia, and the Ukraine.  This is a terrific opportunity to participate in the celebration of both mail art and calligraphy!

from Celeste

Card for Miss Yvonne

 

 

From the very talented Heather Victoria Held

 

Card for Joan

Hey, wait a minute!  How did that picture of Bubba and his Pig get in there?!?

 

From Rena

 
It is so much fun to receive something like this in the mail, especially when most of the other pieces of mail are bills or advertisements... so while you're at it, why don't you make more than one beautiful envelope and send it to someone you've been thinking about?!?