Challenges

My wonderful groups of online friends have really kept me busy with challenges. The last two challenges made me aware of some of my preferences and how it affects my creativity. One of the challenges was to create get-well cards for hospital patients. At first, I was gung ho, using clip art, some copies of my paintings and then composing them in Photoshop. I was right in my comfort zone. All I had to do next was print them out and add a little embossing and bling. Right? Wrong! One of my friends uploaded her cards for us to see and my heart sank. She had created some wonderfully simple, loving hands at home, cards. Mine looked, by comparison, like something from the Dollar Store. Needles to say they went into the collage pile and the project was back to square one. I sat at my drawing board, covered with every kind of paint, ink, pen and pencil I own and leaving very little space to work. Where do I begin? For some strange reason I was creatively blocked. I realized I did not know how let go and play unless it was some abstract design. I managed to paint a couple little watercolors and find a few happy accidents that pleased me. I added some bling and mounted them on card stock. After assembling five cards, although created from the heart and acceptable, I decided that Hallmark would never employ me and turned in my card maker badge. 

ATC # 1

The piles of scrapes have now become fodder for the next challenge, which is ATCs. This one is more my speed. I started layering with the stained tissue scraps, using some rubber stamps that have sat idle in their tray for years. Most of my inks pads have dried up so I used a sponge with bottled inks and gouache. After getting back into my zone, I realized the theme was fall! I was using the jewel tones from the scrapes of my get-well cards.

Digital ATC

In search of fall inspiration, I turned to my digital files.I found one I created a few months ago in Polyvore and cropped it to an ATC size. It has the feel of what I want. I think I will transfer it to my card like a digital rubber stamp then layer it with tissues and other handwork. I’m actually feeling playful again :O)