96th Post: Pop-up Card Story & GIVEAWAY!

As promised, here is the story of the pop-up card I made for the 2011 Six Degrees of HLM International Card Swap!  The idea came to me a few years ago--I wanted a challenge, and to learn about pop-ups.  I borrowed some lackluster books on the subject from the library and scrutinized another couple of pop-up cards I'd received and kept from over the years.  Then this February, I attended a friend's art night one wintery Thursday evening and developed this prototype (remember to click once on each photo for a closer view):

It didn't close properly, and the measurements were far from exact, but it worked, and it helped me to develop my design for the final card.  So I began cutting out or creating the various components.  Roads, buildings, trees, suns, lakes, sailboats, the grassy forefront, the blue sky, and fluffy clouds.  Not to mention the base of the card, made of black cardstock.

Then I began to assemble.

I knew that I wanted it to be not only a pop-up scene but also an actual card, where a message could be written without obstructing the view (haha!).  So I designed this tri-fold cover for the card.  You'd unwind the string from the button, unfold the top flap to reveal the message first, then carry on unfolding to reveal the surprise that is the cityscape.

To hold the card open for display, you can fold the top flap back and re-tie it to the button.

Here is some detail:

And so, in honor of my approaching 100th post, I am offering you a chance to win one of these most excellent cards.  If I were to try to sell this card, I'd have to charge some exuberant amount of money for the time it took to make it. So I'd rather not bother, and instead I'd like to make your day!

To enter your name for the giveaway, there are many things you can do. The more you do, the more times your name will be entered into the drawing:

1.) Simply leave a comment on this post. (For instructions, see right.)

2.) For an additional entry, become a follower of my blog!  (Click on the Follow button to the right, right below my contact email.)

3.) Tell your friends!  For anyone who either leaves a comment (and tells me you sent them) and/or becomes a follower, you get another entry. 

4.) If you live nearby, signing up for one of my classes (click here to learn more) gets your name entered into the drawing two more times.

Anyone can enter--I'll send this card anywhere in the world and include an envelope.  This drawing will close at midnight (mountain time) on Tuesday, July 12, and I'll announce the winner in my next post.  Remember to come back next week for another giveaway (one each week through my 100th post), and good luck!

(Special thanks goes to my photographer sister Ashley for taking these fabulous photos! To see more of her work, click here.)

"Handmade" Paper & 95th Post

Hey there art fans!  In my last post, I mentioned making "my own" paper, and I wanted to show you what I meant.  I got this idea straight from someone else,  and despite being skeptical throughout the process of making it, I think the final product is brilliant  The three little ones on the right are how I took last week's paper to the next step, having taped over the edges to make a frame and then painted.  I don't know exactly how these will turn out, but have no doubt that you'll see it here for sure.  The big one on the left I made today, with a different matte-finish 

glue--which actually didn't work as well as the first one, with straight-up Elmer's.  

I know the idea comes from an artist who was featured in a recent issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors, but I unfortunately don't know who (I only had a chance to glance at the article).  The technique involves tearing up papers that look good together into strips, then gluing them down to a smooth piece of plastic (like a thin, malleable cutting board) with a brush.  First, brush glue on the plastic, then lay down a strip, then brush glue over the top.  Continue until the whole plastic sheet is covered, then leave to dry completely.  Once dry, peel the whole thing off the plastic and there you have it!

Today marks my 95th post, which means that I'm five away from 100!  Wow.  I'm amazed to have carried on this long.  So, to celebrate, starting next week I plan to give something away every week to a randomly selected reader.  Please come back weekly for the next 5 weeks (I post on Wednesday or Thursday) to find out what's on offer and how to win.

Newsletter

Today I spent art day doing all sorts of things: making Grandma's b-day card, shipping some stuff off to Dad, talking the business of art with my friend Brittany (who came over to share art day with me), trying a new technique for making "my own" paper, setting up a Parsley Art Facebook page (Like me!), and creating my first ever e-Newsletter!  If you didn't receive this in your inbox today, contact me (using the address to the right under "Contact"), and I'll put you on the distribution list.  You'll get the newsletter once a month, and I vow to not pass your information on to anyone else.  


If you are arriving to my blog to learn more about my Here and Now in the Studio, see below for more on the skirt, and I'll post very soon some good photos of the pillow and the gray quilt-pieced thing, which is actually an ice pack holder.

Long Time Project

I bought the fabric for this skirt two years ago, inspired by warm weather, a need for some new clothes, and a desire to become the ultimate skirt-maker-ista!  This week, ahem, I finally did it!  I am particularly proud of the invisible zipper (photo #2).  There are certainly mistakes in the skirt, but I learned a lot, and it is wearable and fits me perfectly!  The pleats are an idea I borrowed from another beloved skirt, but they don't really show in this skirt due to the busy-ness of the print.  That's ok though.  I know they're there, after all.  :) 

Painting Skills

This is a scan of my first successful painting in the style of Gaelle Boissonard. In my painting lesson, I wanted to learn how to do shading and background texture, and Barbara and I created this background together using gesso, a comb, the opposite tip of a paintbrush, a meat tenderizer, and splotches of watercolor paint.  The green paint itself is a mixture of watercolor and acrylic!!!  I never would have thought to do that.

The main lessons for me in this project were the use of white to create depth in the body, and having the patience (aka taking the time) to make different shades of the same color to get the shading right.  Working on a painting really takes time.  And you can't do it all in one sitting.  

The scan didn't capture the entire painting, but I'm planning to keep this one to hang up in our house so maybe sometime you'll get to see the whole thing in person.

A week later, I continued on the theme and created this card for my friend Katie who got a job she really wanted!  After hanging up with her on the phone when she announced the news, I couldn't stop smiling!  I felt like it was almost my own accomplishment!  So that is what the card says: Friendship is when another's victory feels like yours.

Finally for today, here is me at last week's First Friday, with my "sculpture" and wearing a "featured artist" button.  The leg fit right in to the bike-themed show, and I had a lot of fun just being a part of any show at all.  You can see it on display throughout the month of June at the Poudre River Arts Center at 406 N College Ave in Fort Collins.  Of course, you can see replicas at a Brave New Wheel (105 E Myrtle St) and at the Cycologist (217 Linden St), and you can buy fashionable bike bands at any of the three locations.