Cards and creativity

Another week has gone by and with it, I managed to make more greeting cards to add to my stash that is increasing on a daily basis.  I enjoy making greeting cards, but I find it difficult to fully complete one until I know which person in my family or extended family will be the recipient.  Consequently, some of these cards will still have more colour and or embellishments added to them.

Personalizing cards is the part of the process that I find extremely fun.  Adding colours or detail work that all tie in to the original design, but at the same time make the card more personal is part of my signature.  I want each recipient to feel the time, effort, but most of all, the thought that went into the process of designing their particular card.  The reality is that most people do not realize that I do not just grab a stamp out of my storage room, ink it up, place it in position on card stock and then sign it and send it off via snail mail.

Each card is unique in the way it turns out.  Even though I make two of each card that I design, each one will be unique in the colours used, the washi tape that adds a touch of whimsy or other embellishments that accent the subject matter.  I cut the card stock used for each card and keep a variety of colours on hand so that I can run into the studio and put a card together on a moment's notice.
Even when I am rushing to meet a deadline to get the card off in the post, I still take time to make every aspect of it personal right down to the envelope which also receives some detail work in the form of coloured stamps indicating that this is indeed for a birthday or that Easter is in the offing.  Washi tape also often accents envelopes now that I have a good stash of it stored away.  Might just as well make the postal delivery people smile if they glance at the envelope as they are out on their routes delivering mail.

What else have I been working on or thinking about?  Well, David Sandum (@DavidSandumArt) is working on another fundraiser in Norway by engaging Twitter folk to send in art pieces that will be sold.  His last fundraiser ended up in the library being able to purchase over 200 books for its children's library section.  You can get more details using this URL:  http://bit.ly/w84C8y.  You can also search through recent tweets for updates either by doing a search using Davids twitter name or using the hash tag #twitterartexhibit.  Contact David to let him know that you wish to participate  Once again, submissions are required to be postcard sized as this will allow many artists to participate.  The artwork will be displayed in the library once again and just as in the last exhibit, there is likely to be a fair amount of press coverage which will translate into a good audience going in to view the walls covered with art from all corners of the world.  So, to answer the question posed at the start of this paragraph, I am working on a submission to send off.  I am hoping to use the coloured inks that I have been playing with to make a memorable submission.

Other than these artistic ventures, the week has been spent reading a series of books.  Yes, I said a series!  I am currently almost halfway through the third book in "The Hunger Games" trilogy.  I can recommend this series for people who can suspend their beliefs in what can happen to the world if for some reason the structure and dynamics of North America should change and the entire continent be divided into territories ruled by a severe and harsh Capitol.  The series is a quick read as none of the books is lengthy.  But, I will promise that you will find yourself thinking about what can happen if rulers decide to be punitive and make life one that leaves the general populace deprived of the very essentials of life.  Maybe this book is a bit too dark for some and I will warn you that some passages are graphic, causing you to put the book down and walk away to make a pot of tea before resuming reading.  If this frightens you off, do not read the series, but if you like a thought provoking series of books, this one is right up your alley and will give you pause for thought as you plough your way through the books.

That is how my week played out!  I plan to work on my #twitterartexhibit over the next week as well as work on some more cards.  But, this evening is devoted to reading the last book in "The Hunger Games" series.  I am hoping that good overcomes the evil that has played out thus far.  I will let you know next week if the ending was what I was hoping for or if it fell short of what the story line really required.  Meanwhile, I am putting up some snaps of the cards I have been working on over the past week.

Have a creative week!

Sincerely,  Rutheemac