Patriotic Index Cards~ A Reprise

 Wishing everyone in the U. S.

a safe and happy Independence Day!

Reprise of Index Card art from previous years...

T Tuesday -- Art Journal Pages

I received a Mini Smash Book

for Christmas! The pages measure

5" x 7" and have fun background

designs on each page, as in the 

regular Smash Books. It can be used

for scrapbooking, but I choose to 

use it as an art journal. Above

represents the date I received it-

12/27/13.  Collage includes scrapbook

paper, my watercolor illustrations,

fabric, and pen & ink doodles.

I doodled on the inside cover too...

I often repeat motifs that appear 

elsewhere on the pages.

Above, a delightful letter style

spotted on Pinterest, pinned from

Flickr.  The letters are as wide as

they are tall, with curlicue accents.

Not difficult to draw, and a way to

change up art journal pages.

Sometimes the days after Christmas and New Year

leave me feeling sad.  The festivities are over,

the company has gone home, and it's time to take

down the decorations.  The cold weather and

lack of sunshine further deplete my energy.

So, a page full of color and positive thoughts

is something that helps me feel better.  Above,

scrapbook paper, images from a collage sheet,

and images on the Smash Book backgground

with some doodles added.

Revisiting a collage from the Scrappy Green Journal

for my beverage reference today.  

Elizabeth at Altered Book Lover 

gifted me with a gorgeous

scrappy journal, (several years ago)

and I got to fill the pages with art.

She included the Ice Cafe packaging

 on the page background. I am not sure

if she knew at that point how fond I am

of coffee and chocolate together, but it

was a fun embellishment for the page,

and very appropriate for me!

♥ ♥ ♥

 Linking up with Elizabeth

for T Tuesday today.  Please visit her!

American Folk Art: Index Card a Day 2013

This week for ICAD, I am featuring

Pennsylvania Dutch motifs from 

Frakturs.  Fraktur-schrift, as it was 

termed in Germany, was a form of calligraphy

named after the 16th century typeface called Fraktur.

(When I learned calligraphy in high school, we

called this style Old English.)  Frakturs were illuminated

documents such as birth and baptismal certificates,

book plates, house blessings and valentines.

Frakturs were highly ornamental, hand drawn and colored,

and usually executed by the schoolmaster
or clergyman, though itinerant artists
were also sometimes available.

The schoolmaster was expected to prepare important 

documents, and also teach his students how to write.

Sometimes the schoolmaster would use an example

of his calligraphy as a reward and token of regard,

presented to one of his students. 

Promising students would copy their schoolmaster's

calligraphy models, but usually with a few changes of

their own, thus developing their own style.

This week's index cards feature motifs that would
be just one small design within the very complex Fraktur.

Highly stylized decorative flowers and birds

were favorite motifs, as was the heart.  Animals

were also sometimes included, such as stags and 

unicorns.  Some Frakturs feature angels or mermaids.

When you consider that the artist was using a 

dip pen, these detailed art works are even
more impressive. Dipping a pen nib into an ink bottle,
 controlling the pressure and direction of each stroke,
 with an eye to the spacing, form

and shape of each letter is quite an intricate task.

Sadly, the increasing popularity of the printing press

decreased the demand for hand-lettered documents.

Fortunately, the highest grade of cotton rag paper

created by Pennsylvania papermakers has

helped these records survive for us to enjoy today.

Source: Treasury of American Design, Vol. 2;

by C. P. Hornung; Abrams Publishing,  c. 1973.

Index Card a Day: Week 1

The Index Card a Day challenge is

helping to make 'art every day'

a habit. "Sparkling Collage" above,

includes watercolor, scrapbook paper,

cardstock painted with acrylic,

and hand-drawn images.

This collage includes some images that

I've been saving for quite a while.

The calligraphy is from a piece that 

didn't work out, but I saved this bit 'cause

it was 'still good.' Tree from a magazine,

woman from a clip art sheet. (sorry I

don't know the source)

Fish card, above, is a combination of the

prompts 'fish' and 'dictionary.' Sharpie pen

and watercolor.

This index card will become a postcard

for a Mail Art call. It may be hard

to give it up...I really like how it turned out.

Sharpie permanent markers.

Doodles in Sharpie pen, above.

I've been thinking about making some

'Artistamps' for some time. These were

sketched in pencil and inked in with

Sharpie pen.  Since I am quite a 

'pack rat,' and collect stuff, it seemed

appropriate. (though I'm definitely not

a fan of rats, or even mice for that matter!)

Hop over to Daisy Yellow to find the

links to the other players' cards, or 

even join in! You don't have to catch up,

just start.  One index card every day in

June and July.  It's great fun!

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!