8th December 2019
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In my last post I said it would be a good idea to start using this blog as more of a diary, adding to it as things happen rather than leaving it for ages and forgetting what the heck happened three months ago. So that’s what this is, first attempt at an ongoing post. Here goes.
I’ve mentioned Swapbot before, you can read about it here and here Some of the swaps are collaborations wherein 4 or 5 people contribute some art to a postcard and then post it on to the next person. When it is complete it goes back to the person who started it. My first involvement in this was to begin a card, put it in a decorated envelope and send it to my swap partner.
This being my first go at this, I was wary of adding too much and not leaving enough room for the other participants, so I kept it quite minimal, for me. It’ll be interesting to see how it has evolved when it comes back to me, I’ll keep you posted.
Next up I received a postcard that already been contribution from 2 others, it arrived like this..
in this envelope…
I added my bits to the card..
and to the envelope…
and posted it to the next person. I hope I see it when it is completed , but a drawback of Swapbot is that you can’t post photos there, unless you work out the black magic that is Markdown code, which I have not done. I’m hoping that the person who started it, and gets it back completed, has mastered Markdown, or alternatively posts a link to their Flickr or Instagram where they have shared the photo. I’ll keep you posted if there are developments.
In other swapping news I received this lovely fabric postcard on the theme of “Into the Forest” it was made by Barbara Nicki Lee Seavey from the USA.
We are both members of a Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PostcardFabricArt/
I made this card on the same theme and posted it to Australia. It hasn’t arrived yet, but hopefully it will, it’s always a wee bit of a risk to send it “naked” , that is, without an envelope.
edited to add: I’ve realised that I can’t publish this blog until my card arrives in Australia because I wouldn’t want to make it public before the recipient has seen it, so I’m going to remove the photo, and will add it to a later post when it arrives. I guess that it is the nature of an ongoing blog, mention things as and when they happen.
I’m also taking part in another swap, to make 2 Christmas decorations and send them to someone, and I receive 2 from another person. I made and sent these..
I haven’t received my ones yet, but when I do I will keep you posted.
I made a scarf for a customer, this is her 3rd one, she told me what colours she wanted, all 6 photos in this slideshow are of the same scarf.
Funny word scarf. Funny peculiar, not funny haha.
9th December 2019:
This weeks Made on Monday took me by surprise, I was surprised that it was Monday again so soon, the weeks are accelerating alarmingly as we hurtle towards the next decade. I’ll let you into a secret, I usually make my Made on Monday piece whenever the darn fancy takes me and then post it on my Facebook and Instagram on a Monday, but that’s just between me and you, okay? At about 2pm I realised I hadn’t made one this week, and if I didn’t get my act together I’d miss the scarce daylight to take a photo.It gets dark early in the Highlands of Scotland in December. I grabbed an A4 card that I had previously covered with painted papers with a view to using it as backgrounds for postcards. I cut a 5×5 inch square from it and added some organza strips which were leftover from the scarf in the photos above, which were usefully filed in a pile on my workshop floor. I used my new Posca pens (marker pens filled with paint) to draw some lines and dots. No time to let the paint dry , light fading dramatically outside, I quickly added some handstitching, so quickly in fact, that a couple of the stitches got caught over the edge of the card. Hurry, hurry, just go with it, need to catch the daylight! Yay, finished, but too late for photo taking in my usual spot which is on the doormat at the front door of my house, which is made of glass (the door that is, not the house) and lets good light in, but it was already too dark for that. Have to brave the wind and rain, nipped outside, round the corner out of the shadow of the house, chasing the meagre daylight, laid it down on piece of white card, it blew away! Luckily it landed face up or it would have included the extra medium of mud. Hmmmmm, mud, must give that a try…
So this has been my first diary type blogpost, I enjoyed writing it, hope you enjoyed reading , would love for you to leave a comment if you’ve reached this far, even if it’s just to say “hiya”!
Fran, I love this new diary habit. Your art is wonderful and varied, and so inspirational. I’ve been fascinated with your source materials, so please when you add mud – I’d love to see what you create!
Thank you Laura, watch this space for a mud update 🙂
I have a similar filing system , the floor! When things get put away they are hard to find aren’t they. Interesting read especially your made on Monday pieces
Thanks Lea, out of sight, out of mind, as they say!
Hi Fran, I enjoyed reading your diary, it brightened up my Tuesday 😊👍
Thank you Helen, I appreciate your comment, it can be lonely in the blogisphere! 🙂
Love the diary and love everything you make. What an inspiration you are!! I especially like the “Made on Monday” card. Isn’t it amazing what you can create without having the time to ponder and critique it along the way? Will be looking forward to many more diary entries. Thank you!!
Thank you Jackie, yes the Made on Monday was made in a bit of a frenzy, and it ended up ok, I quite like it. Sometimes too much time and or choice can be paralysing, artistically, I think. I hope to keep up the diary style blogging, I’m working on the next episode as we speak 🙂
Fun reading, I did it from my armchair wondering where you get the energy!
I take naps 🙂
fascinating work. enjoyed reading the post. Should probably try to do something similar blog wise myself, but keep forgetting about it/ too busy.!
I enjoyed writing it, the challenge now is to keep it up!
Hello Fran, this is Marina, your new greek HM friend. I love your work, so inspiring! The colors and the textures, lovely!
Hi Marina, thank you, nice to have you on board, your Happy Mail to me will feauture on my next blogpost, watch this space 🙂
Love the postcard at the end. Glad it didn’t get muddy as lovely bright colours. Enjoyable blog thanks
Thanks Sally, that’s th good thing about “mixed media”, a bit of mud is an extra layer! although I was very relieved that I didn’t have to wait for it to dry 🙂
love the ‘dear diary’ – my blog diary only has about 2 entries a year! Must do better. Fab speedy MoM – still working on mine, haha!
I might only manage 2 a year, the proof of the pudding will be in the blogging!
Just found this – love it – the stream of consciousness style of writing, and the MoM piece with its bold stitching. Things we make quickly without overthinking are often the best!
Thanks Isobel, I had fun writing this post, trying to keep the spontaneity up, but it’s not so easy !
Ciao, Francesco, mi sono divertita molto a leggere. Tu sei un vulcano di idee! Cosa mai vorresti fare con il fango?? Sei fantastica, come i tuoi lavori: pezzi unici, speciali, colorati e pieni di vita. Sei di ispirazione 😊🥰😘
translation : “Hi, Francesco, I had a lot of fun reading. You are a volcano of ideas! What on earth would you like to do with mud? You are fantastic, like your works: unique, special, colorful and full of life pieces. You are inspirational 😊 😘”
A volcano of ideas, I like that , thank you ! 🙂