Happy Mail and Tea

Happy Mail from Diana Ryman

I received some delightful ATC's in the mail

this week from my friend Diana Ryman, of

Ravenna, Ohio.  I had requested the theme

of Dia de los Muertos.  I adore the pieces 

she created!  Oh, that bunny! Made my day...

Ladybug ATC's that I sent to Diana for
the swap: pen and watercolor

Diana had requested ladybugs from me, so

I did a couple of watercolors from images online.

Hobonichi Challenge prompts: fern; hazelnut

I've switched to drinking tea lately...hard to

believe, I know. Tea bags make for interesting

collage materials, don't ya think?  Linking up

for T Tuesday over at Altered Book Lover's

blog. Stop by for a look-see!

Prompt: Brown bear

Drawings in my Hobonichi A6 daily journal...

usually no more than 3 1/2" wide, since 

the A6 is only about 4" x 6" in size. So if

you're viewing this on your computer 

monitor, the image is larger than the

original art work.

Prompt: Dragonfly

The theme for the challenge this month

is "A Walk in the Woods."

Prompt: Clouds

Prompt: Birch trees

Prompt: Moon

Prompts: fox; deer

To all those who celebrate Thanksgiving, have a

wonderful holiday!  Even if it isn't a holiday in 

your neck of the woods, it's a very positive 

thing to pause and be thankful each day...

blessings to you!

Time for Pumpkins

© Dianne Bishop Carey 2011

It's T Tuesday over at Elizabeth's blog:

Altered Book Lover...

© Dianne Bishop Carey 2011

And time to share a few pumpkin characters.

To celebrate October, I will show a variety of pumpkin

and Halloween decorations this month, so

'stay tuned' for stitching, painting, drawing,

collections, and dust-catchers of all kinds!

© Dianne Bishop Carey

I love vintage-looking pumpkins, so I am

sharing some past art work inspired by

old paper mache' Halloween decorations.

© Dianne Bishop Carey 2014

Above, an ATC (Artist Trading Card)

 with a vintage-style pumpkin face.  The 

Lettering was generated on the computer 

and printed on card stock. I drew the rest of the

 elements on white card stock, applied

 watercolor or marker, cut out, and glued on.

The background is navy card stock.

This went to Dawn via snail mail!

© Dianne Bishop Carey 2014

Above, 'Jolly Halloween' lettering was also

done on the computer. The background is scrapbook

paper and a piece of Smash book page, with a geometry

diagram from a vintage Geometry textbook.  I drew 

and watercolored the pumpkins and the 

Man in the Moon. The title on the back says

 " I AM smiling," said the moon.  This ATC may end up

in my Project Life scrapbook...

I am having my mocha coffee today and linking up

with Elizabeth's   T Tuesday link party. 

How do you celebrate October?

Mini Book from ATC's

I made a mini book from Artist Trading Card

sized bits of recycled cardboard.  I used

illustrations and text from an old

book about Alaska.

This ATC mini-book also combines

fabric scraps, assorted papers, and

my watercolor and pen drawings.
(click on any image to enlarge)

Most of the pages have minimal additions

to the background image.

I used words cut from the text

to create a "found poem."

I liked the contrast of the Northwest

art images and the watercolor, right.

This was a new way for me to 

use the Artist Trading Card size format.

I put this together while watching television,

trying not to over think the process and

using what I had on hand.

It's a format that has infinite possibilities...

The text reads:

nomads adapting to the signs
In the chapel
printed in Japanese
reviving interest in
the Northwest Indian arts
hostile beauty
faded into the distance.

Holiday ATC's

Here are holiday Artist's Trading Cards in non-traditional colors...light green and pink background in craft acrylics. The paint was applied by crumpling up a napkin and "stamping" the paint onto the card; the green was applied first, then after it was dry, accents of pink were added. Copyright-free images, a scrap of music, lace, fabric flowers, and stars stamped onto the background. I also glued on a single white sequin & seed beads for a bit of sparkle.

Green ATC's

Sometimes it is difficult to get into the spirit of the holidays so just making a little art helps...here are two Artist Trading Cards that are one-of-a-kind. On the left, watercolor was used over gesso to create the pastel background. On the right, white tissue paper was painted with green & yellow watercolor, then applied to the gessoed card when dry. For some reason I am using non-traditional holiday colors--pink and light green--instead of red and green! the rosebud on the right is a color copy of a watercolor that I did myself. I often like to add vintage lace when it fits the feel of the work. There is a tiny bit of tatted lace on the card on the left, bought at an antique store.

The bottom card is business card sized , with my contact information on the back. I was not completely satisfied with the composition on this one, so I will need to do a few more of this size to improve a bit.

These cards were sent to a good friend who has helped me in my art journey...

Artist Trading Cards

ATC's from
2006,
2007 and
2008.
All are
originals
with some
elements
copied.
Includes
watercolor,
pen, fabric,
thread and
assorted
ephemera.

If you are
interested
in trading,
please leave
a comment.

Jolly Halloween Blog Party!

WELCOME
to my Halloween Blog Party!
I'm so glad you stopped by...
Many thanks to Collage Diva for the invitation to join the Soul Journal Halloween Blog Party!

The Jolly Halloween sign above, in watercolor and calligraphy, and the three Halloween ATC's, will be given away to someone who leaves a comment at the end of this Blog Party entry. Please leave a comment and your email address. I will randomly draw a name by Nov. 1st and contact you via email.

Come in...
enjoy the Art, crafts, and colors of the season!

Pumpkin Head Jack, the paper doll, is hanging out
with his buddy, Skinny Legs Squash.

A vintage-style cat and pumpkin grin as you walk by...
they're painted on paper mache' boxes.

Jack is happy to spend time with
the Country Angel doll and the Crow & Goblin Queen atc's.

The Art dolls are joining the party too...
painted & stuffed "cocoon" dolls on each side of the clown paper doll.

Jack has lost his ghost costume!
He's dancing around the candles...
good thing they're not lit right now...

In another dark corner---
Don't worry if the drawing doesn't make sense...
it's surrealism.

-W-I-C-K-E-D- tags

The Egyptian party girl is wearing her party hat...
a witchy woman is lurking in the haunted house
with a bat and a raven...

Do you think the paper doll realizes that she
could be in danger?

Egyptian party girl...

Swirls and glitter...
Do you believe in MAGIC?

Mini-pennant tag...

BOO!

It's turning into a black and white Halloween...
Art journal pages, acrylic and collage.

behind an elaborate wrought-iron gate
swirls turbulence of...?

...a darker time...the origins of our quirky, fun, Jolly Halloween are thought to be from the Druids' observance of Samhain...

If Druids Spoke From the Dusts of the Past...

Beneath my feet, layers of time passed,
scented by dry leaves and rich earth,
they cushion my way as I walk
in misty darkness.
The sacred oaks embrace my Druid sisters and I
as we approach the hidden place of our secret rites.
The clouds discourage the moon's silver swath
as she welcomes our worship of her glory.
The Seer whispers to our mother, the earth
who birthed all mysteries
and cradles the graves of the dead.
We are priestesses of life,
believers in the cycle of the seasons.
The music of rustling leaves
floats above us in the violet darkness
as the hour of midnight approaches.
The creatures of the night search for prey
and the owl glides through the vapor of the night.
The flight of birds on the wing
points us to primeval prophecies.
We are one with the forest and honor
the gods of sun, moon and earth.
Our praise of creation is here recorded
on the stones of our alter.
--DBC

Enough of darkness...come into the light...!

Embrace the future
Learn from the past
Enjoy the present!

Thank you to all who visited!
Please leave a comment so I will know you stopped by...
leave an email address with your comment to be entered in the giveaway.JOLLY HALLOWEEEN!