Fika

 

I guess I have always had a fascination with words--unique, unusual words.  I started gathering them on a Pinterest board so that I could keep my favorites in one place.  The inspiration for my September Artfirmation card came from that list.

"Fika" is a concept, a state of mind, an attitude that is an important part of Swedish culture. Swedish people consider it an essential part of every day. Fika is a moment to slow down and appreciate the good things in life...coffee or tea with friends.  I loved this idea.  We all tend to get caught up in the frenzy of the day, trying to cram a million different things into a 24-hour period.  The pace is dizzying, exhausting and prevents us from being able to connect in a meaningful way.  Taking a break to sit and have a cup of coffee or tea with a friend is a beautiful ritual that allows us to stop, breathe, connect and express gratitude.

A few months ago, I signed up for Jenny Grant's "Story Flow" class on the Art is Magic website.  Jenny's process is very fluid (hence, "flow"), intuitive and I found it very relaxing.  She taught us how to create an interesting layered background with a collage of torn papers, mark making with pens/pencils and applying acrylic inks and paints with a palette knife.  I made several background pages experimenting with this process, trying different color palettes.

The background of my Fika page was one of those background pages.  The sepia, pastel blue and antique white tones gave a bit of a vintage vibe.  I began to picture coffee cups and chintz tea cups and saucers with crocheted doilies.  I used the coffee cup Movers & Shapers Sizzix die and then decorated the die cuts with washi tape.  I tea-dyed a crocheted doily that I cut up to embellish my "table."  I added the spoon from the Tim Holtz Idea-ology mini silverware set for the finishing touch.

Here's hoping we all find time for a little "fika" in our day!

Retirement card for a friend

 I am slowing working my way through the different mixed media techniques and ideas I gained from taking an on-line art journaling course last month.  I loved this lay-out and personalize the message to serve as a retirement card for a friend of mine.

The recipient of this card draws great strength from her faith.  She is also a very talented singer.  I thought I would use a page torn from hymnal for my background.  I added a layer of texture by stenciling just a hint of a cathedral archway and designs that look like ancient stonework onto the church hymnal page.  I kept to a neutral palette applying distress ink (Vintage Photo) through the stencils.

The decorative die-cut on the left side is actually from a strip die that I cut into thirds to form a single chain of circles.  For the finishing embellishment, I selected this quote from St. Augustine "To sing is to pray twice" which was the perfect sentiment for this card.  The quote is framed in a brass-toned label holder secured to the card by mini brads.

Artfirmations Begins

 After a long hiatus, I finally came to a place where I am ready to begin another card swap.  A small group of creative souls came together to form Artfirmations.  The idea behind Artfirmations is to create a card that "inspires and motivates, cultivates positivity, offers words of encouragement or brings a smile to your face." Each month we make a 4"x 6" vertical card and mail to everyone in the group.  Then we create one extra card to be sent to a designated member of the group each month.  That member can then send that extra card to a person of their choosing--someone who needs a comforting word, a note of support or even a laugh-out-loud chuckle!

As I sat down to make my cards this month, I was feeling rather rusty.  After all, it had been over a year since I had done an art swap.  I pulled out some watercolor crayons and watercolor pencils and just began to play.  I chose a palette of warm colors:  red, burgundy, orange, peach and yellow.  I doodled circles of all sizes which reminded me of bubbles.  How can bubbles not make you feel happy?  Then I got out a small brush and began to activate the crayons and pencils with water.  I loved watching how the water moved and changed the intensity of the colors.  The whole process was very relaxing and soothing for me.  

Since I was making a total of four cards this month, I just used a 9"x 12" sheet of 140 lb. watercolor paper which I could then cut into four 4"x 6" cards.  I embellished each card with some glitter glue which provided a little sparkle.  Finally, I chose the word "Play" to stamp onto my cards.  Have a look:

Intention

The snow moon is known for its energies of cleansing, healing the spirit, inner strength and transformation.  Harness the super snow moon’s full potential by performing some simple rituals for healing, hope or transformation.  Light a white or silver candle and visualize the moon’s energy, charge a crystal under the moonlight, or just write out your intentions and burn them.  Don’t forget to take action in real life knowing that your efforts are blessed by your magical intention.

       Super Snow Moon

        February 19, 2019

I was drawn to the word "Intention" after February's Super Snow Moon.  I loved the idea of capturing the energy of the Super Snow Moon for its healing and transformative powers.  

I took the above description of the Super Snow Moon and played with the layout of the text so that it would show through the printed moon image.  I used a little glitter glue to give a little sparkle.  I was hoping the glitter glue would adhere the transparency to the text, but when that didn't happen, I used spray adhesive.  I found that the transparency wanted to warp and curl, so I also had to add a little double stick tape to keep the corners down.

When I got to this point, I really felt that the card needed a little something more, some embellishment.  I played with a number of different ideas, but in the end rejected all of them and just let the words to speak for themselves.

Welcome 2019!

I was planning to make a chevron cut Christmas tree for my December card.  Now that we are into January, I adapted my idea a bit.

I abandoned the traditional Christmas colors, and instead chose a “boho” inspired tree.  And, rather than using the Christmas tree to deliver a message of peace during the holidays, I broadened my vision. 

I began to think of all of the things that a tree has come to symbolize:  rooted, grounded, growth, cultivate, nourish, strength, flexibility, adapt, learning, knowledge, wisdom, reach, strive, aim…Seems fitting for the start of a new year.

This card also gave me the opportunity to finally try out my We R Memory Keepers typewriter!  I used the sepia ribbon and typed the words on the back of my card onto manila cardstock to give it a more vintage feel.  Then I used Tea Dye Distress Ink to color and soften the edges. 

Happy 2019!

Jester, Our Angel Dog

We had to say goodbye to our dear, sweet Jester boy last month.  It has been difficult adjusting to life without him.  His presence filled our lives for 12 wonderful years.  We are now left with only emptiness and deafening silence.  This month, my card honors his independent spirit. 

I chose one of my (many) favorite photos of Jester.  This was taken on the beach behind my parents home and it was a special place where he loved to play.  I love how this picture captures his regal, majestic stance.  

Since Jester has now crossed over the Rainbow Bridge and is in the company of angels, I decided to give him wings.  These wings were created by spraying a mist of water over the photo, laying a wing stencil down and using an awl to gently scratch the surface.  I think he wears his wings well.

Jester was a very special companion to all whose lives he touched.  He leaves a huge hole in our hearts but we take comfort knowing that his spirit is now happy, wild and free.

Explore (Chicago!)

 

I travelled to Chicago last month and the Windy City was all the inspiration I needed for this month's mindfulness card.

I met up with a friend from college who lives a few hours outside of Chicago and together we explored the City.  From the Riverwalk, the 
awe-inspiring Architecture Boat Tour (by night), Millenium Park, the "Bean," the Art Institute of Chicago, deep-dish pizza, Chicago hot dogs, Buckingham Fountain, the Sky Deck at the Willis (fka Sears) Tower, Stony Island Arts Bank and even walking two labyrinths--we did it all in just over two days.

I just knew that that I could share a lot of the sights of Chicago with this fun "napkin fold" pop-up card.