Sistahs, I wanted to thank you for embracing the “RAW” bella.. LOL from last post. We are all the same aren’t we? so why hide it.. cuz strangers will see me without mascara on? nahh.. who cares.. we love eachother no mattah what!
I know I have promised more vlogs in the past.. but now I really mean it. I am going to be doing this more often.. can’t promise when.. but will surprise you. I was quite proud of myself that I was able to actually do it but now my issue is, that I have to teach myself how to edit. hmph.
Ok so now down to the subject at hand. I will never forget when I started this business, my mother said to me “making cards?? you’re gonna build a business around people making cards? people THROW CARDS OUT!!”.. I was angry at her I must say, but in the end, she is unfortunately right… Most people who don’t appreciate this craft (like my mother.. not to say she doesn’t appreciate it.. but she doesn’t share the passion in THIS craft.. but in many others she does).. will look at the card, read the contents, and throw it out. Or they may put it on a fridge with a magnet.. right?
I tried to explain stamping to my mother as best as I could 7 long years ago when I first started.. and what I said to her was that stamping is a “magical experience”.. she looked at me like I was cracked. but I explained to her that those of us who don’t feel like “artists”, or those of us who can’t draw and have the opportunity to choose an image that we love, adore, and want to hug (lol) and then stamp it in black and you see that crisp image for the first time (or the kajillionth) time, for a moment.. just a fleeting moment feel like WE actually created that perfect little image… then as we colour, embellish, glue, stick, emboss, crackle, shpritz, glitterize (is that a word?).. this magical moment continues to grow as we slowly make this image as much our own as we can. That, my sistahs, is the magic of stamping. And that is why every day, I thank my artists for making these creations come to life for all of us allowing us to experience this magic as long as we can.
Having said all of that.. I have an ideaR. Our little creations are OUR masterpieces.. no one else’s. We LOVE the journey in creating them and that’s why we are passionate about this hobby. I consider ALL of our cards as ART. So why not have the recipient treat it as art. Once you accept that you ARE an artist, you will convey the message to all around you (ya I know, Im a big talker.. but I’m working on it).. So this is my idea. I need some feedback though.
What if we put removable tape under our final layer of our card. (ok I know you’re gonna say it’s going to fall apart.. but I actually don’t think it will).. and what if we create a stamp for the back of the card (or we handwrite it) and say
I made this especially for you and you can remove and frame if you so wish… or something like that.. give the recipient an idea of what to do with the actual card… since it IS art, why not TREAT IT AS ART? I think the wording still needs to be worked on for the back of the card but you get the drift (really what does THAT mean).. getting the drift)..LOL
you know sometimes you will get a card or a kids card with an attachment of a bracelet or ring or something they can remove and use? that’s the idea. I want people to appreciate our hard work..LOL. And I am sure that 99% of our recipients LOVE what they receive.. but I do think we should give them ideas of what to do with them.. people like my mom for instance.
OHHH this is long.. honestly, either I don’t say a PEEP or I have verbal diarrhea (sp?). LOL
Ok so having said that, I found a new substrate that I am LOVING working on. They are CANVAS SHEETS (which come in a pad) and we will be getting them soon in Bellaland but they are available at craft stores, art supply stores..etc. They are primed (with gesso) and READY to take a beating! LOL.. you can use any medium on them, stamp on them, sew on them.. die cut with them to make your own tags or embellishments.. they are really amazing.
So not only did I find a new substrate I like to work on, but I found the PERFECT SIZE to work on… 4*4. I have shown two canvases done in that size in THIS POST. I cut my sheets up in 4*4 and I am loving it. The fact is that the size is ADORABLE and it’s not intimidating! You can stamp on it, collage on it, you can try your hand at sketching the focal point.. you can use new papers, or vintage papers (another SICK obsession at the mo).. and it’s fun! It’s just enough room to try new techniques in any medium.. I can GUARANTEE that you will have so much fun with these. After you are done, you SIGN IT cuz you’re an ARTIST.. and you mount it on a card (with repositionable tape) and put a message on the back that the receiver can frame it!…. you can also mount it on an actual gallery canvas, you can nail it to it.. you can put it in your journal.. It’s YOUR art.. you can do what you want with it..
Ok so here are my little pieces of art.. now most of them are not complete but I just want to show you a little som’n som’n to make you start making your own 🙂
here’s a little collection of them..
Here I used our SOLID FUNKY DANDELION.. ahh.. the magic of stamping! they are amazing for focal points, no? (this is not complete yet)- this may looked ‘warped” from the way I took the photo but it’s a perfect little square.. LOL
here I used random vintage ephemera and somehow, the story came together.. the map, the statement about far away.. then I stamped the word far, and then the bike.. (think I wanna go far away? LOL.. it’ll pass. it’s the whole turning 40 thing..LOL). .here I used our I WANT TO RIDE MY BICYCLE stamp
here I used our SHADY LEAF stamp.. and I sewed around it.. I left a little spot on the left.. I kinda liked it that way.. This little QUINCHIE (quad inchie.. get it?) has a KAJILLION layers.. white paint, distress ink.. it was fun! I also used our NUMBER 8 TICKET BACKGROUND but you can’t really see it.. I swear it’s there though!
Here’s my TO THE MOON collage where I hand sketched the moon and stars (lol.. as if it isn’t clear).. I realized that the ephemera I glued on was a letter to an astronomer.. so I made it all make sense to me..and told my story in there.. QUITE BOLDLY ( i was looking for my smaller letters and couldn’t find them)
she also is a little lopsided in the photo LOL but she is a perfect Quinchie too! She is hand sketched by me. and hand painted
So that’s the scoop. All the above can be mounted on cards, canvases, journals.. they are little works of art.
I would love to hear your feedback regarding the removable tape.. trying to tell people that you are an artist, that you did work hard on the piece of art that they received from you and the stamp to tell them they can frame it 🙂
Create
be happy
consider yourself an artist and others around you will too.
I promise
Mwah
Em
