I reserved space at a fall market in the city park, and my friend Lisa and I are going to sell our creative wares. Lisa makes jewelry, and I'll be selling cards. The market is less than a month away, and I'v been busy with my professional writing (www.VeronicaDeschambault.com) and wrapping up the summer with my kids. When I can, I've been slipping into the studio to make cards, usually on the weekends when the Man is around to keep the Charming Offspring engaged in life.
When I escape into the studio, I never know what I'll produce. I've been focusing on making cards with my own hand-painted backgrounds, and much time is spent hunched over the maple work table either 1) trying to choose paint colors and techniques to use, or 2) staring at background papers trying to envision the cards they could become, or 3) Wondering which efforts should be abandoned to the recycling bin.
What media is best? What color cardstocks and paper to use? What mood to convey? What image to make the focal point? Portrait or landscape? And then once decisions are made, there's the crafting of the card itself with glues, pencils, pens, ink, stamps, heat guns, etc. The debate over whether adding one more element will perfect or ruin what I have, and finally, a setting aside of the finished product.
By now it should be clear that making cards is a labor of love because it takes me forever, and whatever I make from their sale will be scant compensation for my time. Still, it's a good process. Sometimes the finished products thrill me, often I'm ambivalent, and occasionally I think, "Oops, missed the mark on that one."
Arts and crafts continues to be a journey for me, a learning experience, a commitment to stepping outside of my comfort zone. I tell myself the more I flex my creative muscles, the stronger my work will become.
No matter what form it takes, there will be people who like it, those who are indifferent to it, and those who find it cringe-worthy. That's life.
Here are a few recent creations:
It's not visible on the scan, but the darker leaves on the background are done in metallic copper and the main leaf has gold highlights.This is one I like *most* of the time. : )
This one took some work to get the composition right. The colors are softer than they appear on the scan. There are things I would change, but I won't tell you what they are. : )
This one is complete departure for me in terms of colors and style. Maybe it could be a Chinese New Year card?
Here is one I'm ambivalent about, but I like that it's a different style than many of my other cards.
This looks like it could be an art journal piece, or a card you send you a loved one after spending a weekend together.
The colors in this one thrill me. They are softer than the scan indicates, and there's a sweetness here. I'm normally not about "sweet," but I love the tender feeling this combination gives me.
I've saved my favorite one for last. I'm not sure I can sell this one! So serene.
If you like looking at cards, check out my Gallery. There are more there.
;)
September 16, 2009 at 05:42 
