calling cards in the making

my first batch of handmade calling cards

Part of getting ready to sell my paintings and drawings involves having business cards on hand.

Rather than order professionally-printed calling cards, I've decided to handcraft a batch using various index and note cards which may or may not have had a previous life, my "weathered silo" rubber stamp, and brewed coffee. I may also include a tiny doodle or two from time to time.

each note card is laid out to dry after being dipped in a pie pan of coffee

I'm loving how each dried note card is not perfectly flat

I can't help but think my great-grandmothers Relda and Velda would approve of this. I also suspect they too would look for ways to use leftover coffee for projects around their homes.

sneak preview no. 2

June is shaping up to be an exciting month for me. Here are just a few more images of what's to come later this month from my art studio. Have I mentioned my obsession with natural colorants and dyes? Cheers!

canson cold-press 140 lb watercolor french paper I stained with my morning coffee for my "art is my compass" original art prints

birch wood plank I stained with the same mug of coffee for my equine art contest entry

some of my colorado prairie landscape oil paintings on salvaged mexican hardwoods

a bit unconventional

hemp/organic cotton fabric with oil gesso

My approach to art has always been a bit unconventional....and I wouldn't have it any other way. I owe this gift to my mom who taught me how to be comfortable with exploring alternative approaches to art.

stretching my own canvas in an unconventional way

This past year I've envisioned creating a series of oil paintings that would incorporate stretching my own eco textiles (organic linen and hemp/organic cotton blends) and displaying them in an unconventional manner...on pieces of salvaged or weathered wood. The fact that each gessoed canvas (multiple coats + sanding) is NOT uniformly smooth makes me extremely happy!

salvaged Chechen hardwood with a single coat of tung oil

Well, the process has been much slower than I had liked, but I am making progress and that's what's important, right? So much is involved in properly sizing and gesso-ing the textiles to accept oil paints (more on that subject later). And the oil paints themselves need more time to dry before varnishing. Sigh. So while the oil paints take their sweet time drying, I've brought out the acrylics to satisfy my need to put image to paper faster.

gessoed canvasses waiting to be permanently affixed to salvaged hardwoods

paper lanterns project

My girls and I recently made paper lanterns with left-over pages from another craft project, tape, and some organic cotton thread. As they say back home in the local paper, "a good time was had by all!".

Supplies include paper, tape, scissors, needle, and thread.

Fold the paper in half lengthwise. Hold the open edge with one hand while cutting slits on the folded edge, making sure not to cut all the way through to the open edge. Unfold paper, match up the two short edges forming a cylinder, and secure with clear tape.

Thread and knot a 6" string of thread (I doubled my thread) and pierce one side at the top of the lantern leaving the knotted end exposed. Pierce the opposite side of the lantern from the inside and tie a knot on the outside of the lantern.

the perfect painter's palette

I simply had to have this vintage metal lunchroom tray the moment I saw it at Goodwill a few months back. I think I'm putting it to good use these days.