Another Artist Postcard Becomes a Greeting Card

I like to play at Sunday Postcard Art when I can, when the theme fits something I have to work with and can use. Many of the regulars create digital art so they can save and store their work. I make most of my 4x6 art into 5x7 greeting cards, as I have done with today's share.  SPA's also a weekly challenge and I'm so slow, by the time I have a plan the challenge has ended. So, I kinda get excited when the planets align and I can play in a halfway timely manner!

Several weeks ago, I took some paper collage images out of my storage binder to fussy cut them to use, mainly because I rarely throw anything away and these aren't my favorite images so I wanted them gone from my inventory and I wouldn't have to look at them anymore. I soon realized I had enough images to make 4-6 postcard collages. An idea came to me to use 4x6 DCWV Stack smooth card stock bases in the same color families as the images (which I had grouped by color). Think monochrome-ish vintage collage, And after I made the postcards, I would mount each one on a greeting card base and have a set of note cards at the very least. (I do try to be open-minded and loose about what I can use.) This one turned into a birthday card but there's still others to be made.

So that was my plan and I fussy cut some of the images in spare moments here and there. I noticed last week that I'd trimmed out all of the pink ones so as there were a few monthly challenges for pink, I would do that one first. Then, the planets aligned. The SPA current theme of Faux Postage Stamps would be perfect because there were faux postage stamps among the images! It's like meant to be, right? heehee

  

So, the mock-up on left is how I arranged the collage at first. It looked dead and flat to me. I remembered I had a Deep Red stamp called Artist for Hire of a vintage woman holding a sign. The mock-up at right shows me fitting it in, albeit with a text stamp that I ultimately did not use. I liked this better. Plus, I added the greeting card matting to the mock-up to see how that would look.

  

I also thought the collage needed a background so I stamped some lace stripes using Deep Red Stamp's Vintage Lace Borders. I then stenciled over that using A Colorful Life's Lace Close Up stencil. I used Archival Pink Peony and Plum inks.

  

Then I proceeded to cover up almost all of that gorgeous background, but hey, it's what I seem to like to do. I used stamps for the sign from Sweet Stamp Shop, Artistic Outpost and Clear Dollar. A final addition of tiny mulberry Prima flowers and Nuvo Pink Orchid center-dotted pearls and done. Since the faux postage is French, I had to add French words as well.

 Then, it was on to adding my post card to my card front. Choosing the card base color was the most difficult part. I finally settled on this SU dark brownish pink card stock. To add interest and break up the plum-colored mat, I edge distressed it and then adhered stripes of some delicate pink lace netting from the stash that my mom gave me.

I'm so pleased how feminine and flowery and vintage it turned out, plus pretty dang monochromish too. Collage will probably continue to be a trick in my art bag because it's a great 3-D visualization workout I've been practicing for quite a few years now. I do feel that I've improved some and the amazing thing is to me, it's been an intuitive improvement. I love art best when it's that way. :-) Thanks for visiting and stay well and safe! XOX

MY CHALLENGES PLAYLIST:
1.   Sunday Postcard Art: Faux Postage Stamps
2.   Creations in Pink #22: AG in Mainly Pink
3.   Try It On Tuesdays: Lovely Ladies
4.   Outlawz Twisted Thursday May 21 - June 3: AG + Opt. Pearls & Lace
5.   Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #132: AG
6.   TTCRD for Week of May 19-25: AG
7.   Sparkles Monthly #128: Use a Real Stamp - used several listed in post above
8.   Classic Design May Challenge: AG

9.   More Mixed Media May Challenge: Ag + Opt. Pink -- I played the option!
10. Cutie Pie Challenge #147: Pretty in Pink
11. Crafty Creations May Challenge: AG
12. Simply Create Too Challenge #160: Use Flowers
13. Aud Sentiments #251: Sentiment + AG
14. A Place to Start May Challenge: Make Your Own Background -- I stamped and stenciled mine.
15. Country View May Challenge: Tea Party/Celebration - Birthday with tea faux postage