Thank you for visiting my art blog! I am an artist in southern California, and this blog is about my journey into art. My art is mixed media original art, and very often my vehicle for sharing is a greeting card. I paint and ink and stamp and rip and shred and glue and emboss, but no designer paper is harmed in the making of my collages. It all starts with blank paper.

May 28, 2013

Friends 'Til the End

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I received a request from someone on Etsy to create a custom card for a friend's birthday which featured Frodo and Sam and their friendship. ("Kinda geeky, I know," she said.) Actually, it reminded me of my own friendship with Stephannie. We must have read The Lord of the Rings a half-dozen times while we were teens. We would read all summer in her family's living room, her on one sofa, and me on the other.  Barefoot, kicking back, with saucers of orange Tang on our tummies (just the powder, not mixed). We would each dip our fingers and suck on the sweet sugar while we read. My trilogy still has orange fingerprints throughout. (And my Fellowship is still warped from my misguided loan to her brother, who dropped it in the bathtub. I mean, who reads a borrowed book in the bathtub? No trauma remaining on that one after thirty years. No, really, I'm fine.)

I found an old beat up Two Towers at a yard sale a few weeks back, and I am actually ripping from it to create my cards. I know it sounds blasphemous, but how cool is that? For this friendship card, I found a lovely passage where Gollum finds Sam and Frodo napping peacefully despite their danger. I also copied the map onto cardstock for the background. Adding a picture of the two hobbit friends, and metal tags of the initials of the sender and recipient, it came together quite nicely. And come to find out, these girls are turning 16 soon. Just like me and Nuffy back when. Kinda geeky, I know.

You can see more pictures here.

May 12, 2013

Happy Mother's Day

It is so easy to come up with something to say about my mother on Mother's Day. She is my constant supporter and biggest fan. She teaches me how to be a mother to my own children, and to be their biggest advocate in turn. Thank you, Mom, for always being there for me with an encouraging word or a listening ear. I will always love you to the moon and back. Happy Mother's Day!

May 8, 2013

Reviews Are In

When someone takes the time and effort to give words of gratitude and encouragement, well, it just feels good to be appreciated. I have at times taken the time to write that letter or send that email, just because I was so happy with a product or service that I felt compelled to let them know. Yesterday I was on the receiving end, and I just had to share an excerpt of the email I received because, well, it just feels good to be appreciated. :)

"I love, Love, LOVE the [graduation] card! It is absolutely perfect and I am so glad I happened upon ChalkandSlate on Etsy...It's been so reassuring these last several days knowing that THE card is taken care of...not just any card, but the perfect, unique one that conveys the exact message that I want to give my daughter. The color is perfect, I love the diploma with colored ties...Thank you so much for doing such beautiful work, and putting so much thought into the outlay to make it "just so"...I will definitely be back to shop for more...I really love the uniqueness of your products; each one is truly a work of art...Thank you once again for beautiful art work, and for a graduation card that I will give my daughter with great pride on her graduation next week."

May 5, 2013

Teachers Rule

When I read the email soliciting parents to help with teacher appreciation week, I waffled between bringing in paper goods or making handmade cards for three teachers. The paper goods would have been a little easier, but not nearly so much fun.

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The first card I made was for a teacher who is quite diverse in her subjects. She teachers language arts, literature, history, and drama. It was easy to come up with elements: this year's drama productions, a couple of the books they covered, as well as the history themes. And well, she is just a Mel Gibson kind o' gal. (I didn't really have the subject of grammar thematically covered, so the inside greeting reads rough--full of errors. :)

The next teacher is the science and religion teacher, and also ran a science fair. I added a miniature science fair board to her card, as well as religious elements.

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The last teacher teaches math and is also the librarian. The 'thank you' tag is on a replica card catalog file.  I enjoyed spending a Sunday afternoon working on these cards, but I am glad I am not the one who gets to gather several classrooms full of student signatures!

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