In today’s happiness announcement section: I am finally allowed to reveal the great news that I am part of yet another beautiful art book! Yay!

New book by Sarah Gardner is called Share your joy - out soon in a bookstore near you

I am a very small part of someone else’s art book and I feel really proud and happy that I got to be in this particular book, because it is about something I feel has helped so many of us, and that is the subject of sharing art. If just making art is great, what about getting to share it with people? So fun!

As you all know, I have been sharing my art journey on this blog for soon to be 20 years, but I also host a twice annual and rather big DIY Postcard Swap here on the blog where anyone signing up gets to really share their art with the world. And that’s what this book is all about! Making things to send away, things like postcards, note cards and artist trading cards.

Who wouldn’t want to experience (and read more about) something as fun as that?

Share your Joy - DIY Postcard made by Sarah J. Gardner, photographed by Hanna Andersson, Studio iHanna

I am looking forward to reading the book and seeing all the beautiful art and photos of the art, as I am sure it will be totally up my alley.

The books is not out yet but you can pre-order it on Amazon and that always helps the author who is Sarah Gardner, someone who has been participating in the swap I host for years and years. She is one of few who always sends me an “extra card” and I truly treasurer them! One is sitting above my computer as I write this. I am sure several of you already follow her juice instagram account and blog, and/or has gotten a DIY Postcard of her through the years (all postcards in this post is by Sarah).

Mixed media shareable art

In any case, the book is called Share your Joy – and that’s a link to the amazon listing in case you want to pre-order (or take a peek inside it already!). The book will be out the 5th of September, but I wanted to let you all know what’s coming up on the book horizon!

I have always enjoyed Sarah’s art style. She is into bright colors, pink and mark making, just like me. She takes beautiful photos of what she creates as well, and this book is true labor of love.

Here’s a bit of the book blurb:

“Working on papers you have painted and that can be drawn and painted over (what Sarah calls art papers), you will learn to use collage, stenciling, found objects, watercolor and acrylic paints, and more to create art to share with others.

Included in the book are:
* Step-by-step projects for making shareable art
* Interviews with art swappers who’ve sent and received art for years
* Inspirational prompts, quotes, and affirmations to keep your creativity levels up
* Suggestions for how to make inspirational journals and sketchbooks to work inside

Experience the fun and happiness of making shareable, mixed-media art with Share Your Joy!”

Share your Joy - DIY Postcard made by Sarah J. Gardner, photographed by Hanna Andersson, Studio iHanna

My contribution to the book will be about the DIY Postcard Swap that I have hosted for over 10 years – and why I like sharing my art in the way of postcards!

I won’t say too much about it – you’ll just have to buy the book to read what I wrote! Here are some of Sarah Gardner’s beautiful postcards from my personal collection, just to give you an idea of how yummy her art is:

Share your Joy - DIY Postcard made by Sarah J. Gardner, photographed by Hanna Andersson, Studio iHanna
Share your Joy - DIY Postcard made by Sarah J. Gardner, photographed by Hanna Andersson, Studio iHanna
Share your Joy - DIY Postcards all made by Sarah J. Gardner, photographed by Hanna Andersson, Studio iHanna

I can not wait to hold this book in my hands! I’ve been in a couple of other books before, but it’s been a while now and this is very exciting. I hope loads of people find it and get to read it, because creating shareable art is really a true joy and Sarah is the Queen of Happy Mail!

Also read: Sarah’s DIY Postcard Process – with a video from the author herself from a few years back

Links to explore further

Click on over to Sarah’s blog and add it to your blog reader (I recommend , pre-order her book and make sure you’re joining the DIY Postcard Swap this spring, it is about a week until the doors closes for this time.