I started the DIY Postcard Swap back in 2010, and now eight years later it is still going strong – stronger then ever! And you are invited to join us!
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I started the DIY Postcard Swap back in 2010, and now eight years later it is still going strong – stronger then ever! And you are invited to join us!
Sarah, who does the most adorable abstract postcards, wrote to me a while back:
Your swap is the highlight of my life twice a year!
Sarah
I don’t think I could get a better endorsement for the DIY Postcard Swap than that, right?
Today I want to share the postcards I received in the DIY Postcard Swap last fall. I shared them as they came in on my Facebook Page Studio iHanna, and I think I contacted most of these people via e-mail to say thank you for the lovely postcards, but I rarely take the time to share the postcards I receive here on the blog, so today I thought I’d do that.
Do you wish for more Good Mail Days? Or are you asking yourself right now: “What is a good mail day?” From the description of the great book Good Mail Day, you will find one way to answer that question:
“ A good mail day is a day when, instead of just bills, catalogs, and advertisements, your postal carrier delivers artful, beautiful, personal mail from friends and acquaintances all over the world. Mail art is a collaborative art form with a long and fascinating history populated by famous artists as well as everyday practitioners.”
And I agree, although I call it Mail Bliss. Around here it’s not that hard to achieve… The DIY Postcard Swap that I host is easy to join, open to everyone who wants to create mail art or what we’re calling “DIY Postcards” – and you can sign up today. Yay!
I bought the above book back in 2014, according to Amazons records, and it is a favorite mail art book for me. And since the swap is in full swing, I thought we would look at some other mail art related books today to get us thinking about snail mail and mail art in preparation of the even. The more I host this swap, the more I feel related and in love with the concept of happy mail. I want to read everything about the things I love. How about you?
You have to care about your work but not about the result. You have to care about how good you are and how good you feel, but not about how good people think you are.
Amy Poehler
Roses for the Girls, a collage by iHanna.
I did a collage exercise once where you used bits of the same paper in different ways. You can see the result of that collage study here. These seven collages for my 365 Collages Project, are kind of similar. I used almost all the same bits of paper scraps and cut each piece into seven, to create cohesion.
The trick is to make similar collages but not to bore the viewer with too much similarities. I did not aim to make copies, but originals. Let me know in the comments if you think I succeed, or if you think they should be more diverse?
Hey friends! Today I am sharing how you can create your own Scrap Die Cuts. If you’re anything like me, you buy stamps sometimes when they’re on sale (or too cute to resist), but then rarely use them? This quick tips is for you!
I think the idea of stamps is great, but they work much better for people who make greeting card than they do for my Art Journal or notebooks, because they’re never flat enough to stamp into…
Commit yourself to lifelong learning. The most valuable asset you’ll ever have is your mind and what you put into it.
Brian Tracy
Marching to my own Drum, a collage by iHanna.
Still influenced by Easter colors with these 7 collages made during this past Easter holiday. They are number 57 to 63 of 365 art pieces I am aiming to create with collage this year.
I have titled each one and as I did so, I figured out a theme the theme. It is “kids moving forward together” or “lifelong learning”. I think most of these collages reflect that in some way, but it might not be evident if you don’t look for it. I love subtle themes, that don’t emerge until you’re already done with the series!
Even though Easter is very much over, I’m still wearing my new, Easter yellow hoodie and yellow skirt with orange flowers. It’s a color that I’ve been loving more and more over the past two years I think, and it is evident if not everywhere so at least in my wardrobe.
And during Easter this year my collages for 365 Collages went very Easter Yellow Inspired. I hope you like ’em!
I have three beautiful custom sketchbooks in my possession. I picked painted art journal pages of my own as cover art, and I am in love with these blank books.
Today I’m sharing a video review of them, including a pen test so that you can see for yourself how the paper takes watercolors and sharpie pens.
I love that you can have your own custom sketchbooks or notebook printed and shipped to your home these days. I got three different notebooks from a UK Company that makes all kind of custom sketchbooks, calendars and notebooks. I collect and use all kinds of notebooks, but if they’ve already got some iHanna sass before I start filling them? Even better!
I am trying to focus on the slow movement forward, towards my goal of 365 somethings in 2018. A few collages at a time, being glued together, scanned to the computer, then named, numbered and shared on the blog. I’m not very good at focusing on the progress and change, but with a project like this, that is so tangible and ease to count, I can see the pile grow! I love that.
As usual at this time of year I long for sunshine and spring flowers, but so far we’ve had more snow than usual this late in March. Snow in March is okay, but I’d much rather see some the face of Coltsfoot right now on the ground…
Still working to catch up to making 365 collages this year, still behind but that’s okay. I feel better now that I see some small progress, and no longer are at a stand-still. I rather move slowly than not at all, you know…
My goal is to make seven finished square collages each week. So I’ll keep posting collages in groups of seven, just so I know where in the process weekly-wise I am. So week 6 collages posted in week 12 of 2018. Yeah baby. Slow but progress.
Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Let’s take a look, I know you’re curious…
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