Finished Collage Postcards | the Horse & Hound Edition
I am not going to say too much today, because it’s already been said with blog posts on the materials and the process this busy week, so if you haven’t seen those go back and take a look. Today I’m leaning back, sipping my coffee in a polka dotted rainbow cup and taking a look at my creations. I made +10 DIY Postcards for the swap using old commercial postcards that I altered with vintage book illustrations and collage, which is one of my favorite things to do.
When I started I thought I’d do something totally different (maybe a bit similar to the first time I altered postcards) but when the muse wants in there is no resisting the creative flow.
As someone who has made a lot of postcards over the years, I have learned to trust the muse.
I just let these happen on their own.
Here’s my Finished Collage Postcards
I started out with a few dogs, then it all went haywire from there… Let’s just say these are from Horse & Hounds, mam.
I usually never do “standing” postcards but ended up with three of those this time. But that’s okay too.
The dog had to be covered with a little vest because he was petted by a boy. I had to cut the boy out because he didn’t fit onto the postcard. The girl is picking sweetcorn in the US, thinking about a Swedish sugar beet root (not a radish!) – hence the text about a sweet friend. Get it?
That’s my pile for the swap. The last altered postcard will go out to a soon to be empty-nester friend that lives close to me:
Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to look through all these postcards that I just finished. With the added sentiments I tried to match the motif as best as I could. I also tried to be encouraging and sweet without being too cheesy. I’m not sure that worked out, but it was fun coming up with them. And sorry not sorry for trying to be punny. I am not offended if you didn’t LOL.
In the comments, let me know which of these DIY Postcards was your personal favorite – and why! And by the way, are you a horse & hound fan? ;-)
Before and after images are prevalent in my blog post on how to alter postcards:
BTW, it’s still count down time: four days left. I am counting down until the 10th of November because that is the last day to join the DIY Postcard Swap. Sign up today if you want to join the fall swap.
Are you on Pinterest? Then Pin this for later inspiration:
This post is part of NaBloPoMo where I write 30 blog posts in November. Thanks for reading and leaving me a comment, it encourages me to keep going. To follow along subscribe to blog posts via email or RSS. I also have a sweet Substack Newsletter about art, craft and creativity that you might want to sign up for so that we can keep in touch in the future. I’d love that. On instagram I’m @ihannas and on YouTube Studio iHanna. Take care and stay creative friends.
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I love the Joy is everywhere and the Let’s ride out the storm together.
All are great though, thanks for sharing! I’m excited to start making cards for the swap.
Thanks Robin! I look forward to seeing what you make as well, so please tag me if you share them anywhere online. These turned out very different from my usual style, but to me the postcard series is about trying new things and experimenting so it’s all good.
They look good! I love this idea but will not be joining you this year, as I already prep and send a lot of holiday cards this time of year! It looks like you are having fun though!
Thank you Kyra. Do you send out many Christmas cards and are they bought or handmade? I don’t send out many at all personally, which feels a bit sad. :-/
I love your postcards, iHanna, and the little quotes add such a nice touch.
Thank you. I had fun coming up with the sentiments.
I love all of them Hanna, such a good idea and such fun!
Thank you so much Roslyn, I appreciate that! Altering anything is such a great challenge, right?
Oh these are great. I prefer the cow postcards over the dog ones (scared and not a fan). It’s a very unique style with the vintage illustrations incorporated.
Thank you. Sorry you don’t like dogs, that is sad to me. But thanks for the input – that’s a good reminder that everything can be triggers or tricky, even when you yourself love it. 💕
What a fun collection! I think my favourite is the sweet corn one!
These are GREAT! I had a friend who made me one 20+ years ago – she altered the postcard then punched little holes in it to hang my bead-earring presents off (that she’d also made)… it made such an impression, I still have the earrings and the card!!
Hi Linda, thanks for leaving me a comment on the postcards. Making and creating is such a joy. Glad you have those earrings still.
Which one do I like best? That’s a tough question because I like all of them! But if I had to choose, I would say, “mend the world”. That is especially meaningful to me right now. I absolutely love how you altered postcards. I had never thought of doing that but you have inspired me to try it. Thank you for being an inspiration.
Thanks Terry. Mend the world is needed in SO many different ways, I thought it a good sentiment that could be interpreted in the way the receiver needs it to be understood.
So excited to be addressing my postcards and mailing them out tomorrow! I did watercolor of four redbud leaves with handlettered autumn quotes. It was really enjoyable to create them.
Thanks for letting me know Jean, your postcards does sound lovely! :-)
Sending mine out today!
Mine are in the mail! This is my first swap. I am enjoying it immensely and am full of ideas for the next swap. Thank you so much for putting this together!
Okay!
Back from the post-office – sent my postcards! Canada is waiting to hear if Canada Post will strike…eek!!
Thanks for letting me know Jenny. I heard about the strike. If some postcards go out late that is okay too, since they will arrive eventually, right? :-)
Mine went out in the mail today! Excited to receive some!
Thanks for joining the swap and letting me know Lou. I would love to hear what you created on your postcards as well, and how.
My postcards are going out in the mail tomorrow. I made them all the same. I used oil pastels to scribble fall colors on cardstock. I covered that with a layer of black acrylic paint. When dry, using a leaf pattern stencil as well as alphabet stencils, I scratched off the black paint within the open area of the stencils, creating leaves and the word FALL, all in the oil pastel colors.
Oooh lovely :) My postcards are sent – this may be the first time in my life I’ve finished something ahead of schedule!
Thanks Kerry. I’m glad you were ahead of schedule. I wish everyone was as organized (myself included, haha).
I’m just preparing to send my postcards for the swap but I’m seeing that Canada Post is threatening a strike, imminently. I don’t know if it’s better to send them quickly and rush getting them caught up in the backlog, or if I should wait a bit… What to do??
Hi Karen, I’m sure what ever you decided on that the postal workers will make sure the postcards are taken well care of. If they’re late I for one wouldn’t care, just as long as they reach the recipients sometime.
Postcards are in the Mailbox now.
I like let’s mend the world my friend.
My postcards are water color with a real leaf laid on and left to dry. Once the leaf was removed I used pen for details and a rubber stamp for words, then I used some pan pastels on edges of leaf backgrounds to make the leaf pop off the postcard.
Thanks Carol for the note and for describing your process, it sounds like your cards look lovely to me. So happy you joined the swap.
These are beautiful! I love horses in an abstract way, in that I love seeing them and would love to have one as a pet, but gosh they’re expensive and a lot of work and I don’t ride well. Dogs however, I adore and make me smile when I see them and I hope to have one again someday.
I love the creativity you embrace. I would join in and do this if invited to someone else’s house to do it, and the materials and inspiration were already there. I would bring wine or champagne or lemonade as my contribution.
Wish I could invite you over then, I love some wine and a bit of company when I’m creating. But getting started on your own DIY Postcards does not need to be too complicated either. A glue stick, a few cereal boxes cut up to postcard size and a magazine for collage fodder + a glass of wine of course. Then you are ready to get creating. :-)
Mine are in the mail! Had fun participating for the first time. Love your altered postcards!
Thank you Suzette, for letting me know and coming by the blog to comment.
I mailed my 10 cards out yesterday (Saturday Nov.16). I’m posting pictures on my Instagram.
That’s great to know, thank you Karen. Wishing you a very creative day.
Sending mine today. I used papers that I painted, stenciled, etc. in an online collage class
with Catherine Rains. I love postcards and appreciate this opportunity to give and receive
creative mail. Thank you!
April, thanks for letting me know. I am so glad you used a class to be inspired and make your DIY Postcards.
Yay, for creative inspiration.
Hi Hannah! Your postcards are gorgeous! Just dropped mine in the post this morning and wrote about them a bit here
Thanks for letting me know Jen, your postcards are hilarious and very unique. Love them.
/Hanna (no h at the end)
Oh yours are so good. I just did a collage background with some paint or markers on top. Now off to the post office to get them sent along their journey.
Thank you Erin, I enjoyed creating this little batch of collages. I hope you get many beautiful postcards back as well.
Cheers!
Hi there!
My postcards went in the mail today!! This is my first iHanna swap and I am so excited to receive all the wonderful small works of art that are coming back my way! I only made one design for all of my cards (I hope that is okay) and I used “mostly” recycled materials.
All my best!
Cheryl
Thank you Cheryl, we’re excited to have you join for the first time. Making a series of similar postcards is absolutely okay to do, as long as each one is handmade by you. I am happy to hear you used mostly recycled materials, that’s my jam too. :-)
I love the “life is easy, sometimes” cow postcard. I mailed out my postcards on Monday and received my first yesterday! Thank you so much for organizing this exchange!
Thank you Kathy, glad you appreciate the cow as I was thinking maybe most people don’t love cows as much as I do, haha.
Also, I’m glad to know that you’re enjoying the DIY Postcard swap!
Today I received 5 postcards! I am so excited!
I definitely will join this group again.
Thanks Mary Diane, that’s so sweet. I received my first one yesterday which is always great.