Sketchbook Project: Cover

Front cover

I'm nearly complete the 2012 sketchbook project. This is good news as it needs to be in the mail before the end of January. I have one spread left, the inside and outside back cover and then minor touch ups.

I put down a layer of blue and brown watercolour on the cover and then added self portraits. One of present me and the other when I was little. (Yes, that is an 80s mushroom cut.) The text reads "If I spoke to my younger self and said ask me how I can help this is the advice I'd pass along".

Inside front cover and first page

On the inside front cover I began by printing out a pattern of photos onto T-shirt image transfer paper. I sprayed it with alcohol and rubbed it onto the kraft paper. Once removed it has a old and weathered look. I glued down the transfer paper to the first page and hand wrote "ask me how I can help". I added a bit of the same brown and blue from the cover to the inside.

On my last stage of touch ups I may change a bit on the cover. I'll let it sit for a while and see how I feel in a few weeks.

If you're also participating in the Sketchbook Project, do you create your cover first or last?

... J

Mail Art Monday: Nautical and Watercolour

Like early Christmas presents a couple of mail art packages arrived in my postbox this past week. They have me excited to resume my correspondence in the new year.

Sumi Senthi sent me another brown paper package, tied up with string. Any mail art that causes me to sing is a sign of something great inside. Sumi gifted me with many nautical themed items such as a print of a ship illustration on canvas, nautical stamps, a charm and button, an octopus sketch from her journal, a 'ship' dictionary page, a 'nautical' dictionary button, and bows. There was also a beautiful swallow illustration, a map mini envelope, music and book pages as well as a skull picture. The details in mail art packages are often the most delightful and I was thoroughly impressed by the 'S' wax seal and the gorgeous flower and bug stamps.

I wasn't expecting a package from Jessica Mack but was delightfully surprised when it arrived. Inside was a number sticker set, a red bookmark an original watercolour, two interesting pieces of ephemera and a Christmas penguin tag. Jessica mentioned a future move from Australia to the USA! If Australia is losing an Aussie, I wonder if they'd accept four Canucks? Tradesies?

If you're interested in exchanging mail art in the new year, send me an email at saylormade at gmail or send me a message on twitter.

... J

Merry Christmas and Thank you

Between being a stay-at-home mother to two small children I have to admit that I don't leave the house as often as I'd like. Because of this I truly cherish the friends I've made through this blog and twitter.

Here are the Christmas cards I received from some very talented ladies. Merry Christmas & all the best in 2012!!

Carol Whitley @imsilverfeather. Such a talented lady! I'm looking forward to more mail art exchanges with you and participating in your '3' project in 2012.

Chantal Vincent @chantal_vincent I am in awe of your printmaking skills and bookmark each tutorial you post. I can't wait to see your 2012 sketchbook project and I look forward to more helpful printmaking and art tips.

Dana Davis @dzynmkr I am really excited by the mail art exchange we have going. I will paint an original watercolour of one of your beautiful photographs you send me. While your card looked as though it got into a brawl with the postal sorter, I love it and my kids thought it was the best of the lot. I am looking forward to reading more about your gardening adventures as I'll be undertaking my own this year.

Emily Jorpin @ejorpin Your blog is one of my favourites with beautiful photography, adorable doxies and a taste of places I'd love to visit.

Jessica Gowling @jessicagowling Too many highlights of the year to mention in one post. My most memorable are centered around hunks. The 70s hunk mail art and the twitter conversation where many of us admitted our crush on Tom Selleck. Thank you for the many, many mail art exchanges, the funny banter and the blog I look forward to reading every day. p.s. Brussels Sprouts = Gross

Jessica Mack @illustrateur You were one of the first people I connected with while working on the 2011 Sketchbook project. I am amazed at all of the artwork and craft you do while working a full-time job. I wouldn't mind borrowing some of the energy you must have.

Rhya Tamasauskas @rhyat Each time I receive a diorama or zine from you I audibly squee and then spend a good chunk of time gazing, reading and playing.

Sumi Senthi @SumiArt Our mail art exchanges have been among my favourites. It feels as though all your work is a favourite of mine. The nautical themes, vintage paper, typewritten notes. I can't wait to see what 2012 holds for you.

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

...J

Sketchbook Project: Permission

The text reads "you have permission to play with your art without a plan or deadline" A reminder that I can simply put colour and material on paper and let the medium shape itself rather than over-thinking each stroke and colour choice. Watercolour and ink.

... J

Carved Christmas Cards

I've been making personal Christmas cards for around 10 years and I've never grown weary of it. Shortly after Halloween I relish the time I have to start playing with ideas and gathering material. It's interesting to see how my style and family has evolved over the years. Take a look at past years over here.

This year I thought I'd try something completely different and carve our portraits. I picked up some Speedy Easy carve lino and used my slightly neglected carving tools. For the text I used a couple of erasers and tried out a variety of colours.

I had never carved a portrait before this attempt. While I was really excited to give it a try, I was also slightly terrified that I would muck it up. Considering this is my first go at it, I'm happy with what I accomplished. I think the carving of my daughters turned out the best but I wish I'd given myself a bit more time on mine and my husband's portrait. In the new year I'd like to continue with carving to work on my technique and try different materials and paper.

While I was in a carving mood, I also carved a pine cone into an eraser and created a set of cards for my mail art friends. Two small pine cones printed in white on brown card stock with a cream insert and a stamped holiday message.

Two pine cones on the front.

A cream card and stamped greeting on the inside.

 Do you make personalized cards each year? If so, share a link, I'd love to see them.

... J

Remnants

Mail Art Monday: Pine Cone Stamps and Custom Stickers

I haven't had a Mail Art Monday post in several weeks. I took a brief break to catch up on the Sketchbook Project and prepare for the holidays. I found myself in a creative slump with my sketchbook so I decided to catch up on my mail art. Three out of the four packages I send arrived this past week.

Katie Whittington (As Petals Fall) received my pine cone Christmas card as well as a flower and lure watercolour print, a Vermeer postcard (she looks like she's reading her mail) a bookmark, handmade stickers and a button swap all tucked inside an envelope with cute little mice.

Anna Jane Searle (Annarack) received a wealth of items in her spider legs handmade envelope. Two constellation bookmarks made from scraps of astronomy magazines with silver star stickers, a dinosaur and boat watercolour print, a frog stamp and a whale clipping the latter I really wanted to keep for myself, various stickers including a set of handmade, a letter, part of the stained glass stamp pack and my pine cone Christmas card. I love the map background she used as a backdrop for her photos of my mail art. Take a peek.

Kye Sangha (Whimsical Beast) opened her handmade owl envelope to find a thank you card from my daughter. It might look a little peculiar, but it is "two eyes and a nose" according to my wee little. I'm on a bookmark kick as off late. Kye also received a couple of bookmarks decorated with triangles from origami paper. There was also a flower watercolour print, a printout of a digital piece of a building in Montreal that I turned into a painting years ago, my Christmas card, a piece of the stained glass stamp pack and a few stamps tucked into a mini envelope. Kye's been incredibly busy lately, building her Etsy shop. I've been admiring all the hard work she's been putting in but also missing our inane twitter chats. Maybe after the holidays we'll pick that up again.

This last batch of mail art sparked a few ideas. I enoyed making the bookmarks and especially the ones from triangles of origami paper. As well, the handmade stickers were a lot of fun. Both of which I will continue pursuing and improving upon. 

My pine cone stamped Christmas card also arrived at a number of postboxes this week but many are still on the way. I will write a separate post about them next week as well as my family's stamp portrait Christmas cards.

... J

Sketchbook Project: Be Nice

Various colours of pen and the background is a yellow, pink and blue stipple.