No matter how busy my days are...I always find time to sit at the puzzle table. It's always quiet and calm...and I don't have to think about anything else.
I'm pretty excited about this one of a kind "Colour Collection" puzzle! The stamp puzzle is all put away so I'm ready to go.
Here's my wabi-sabi photo of the day. I just decided at this very moment that it's going to be a thing for a little while as I watch this fascinating process of decay.
I'm still plugging along on my Words of Encouragement tags...and as promised here are some of the things I've learned.
I do like sharing my process...and I know of a couple people who were interested.
I use a soft clot to burnish down the strips really well so they lay flat and get good contact with the glue.
I've tried all kinds of things for the tie...but for these skinny little tags I've settled on this cotton string.
After I slice up the front of the cards...I try to use the other 1/2 as my substrate leaving almost no waste. But what I found is that some of the cards have a glossy finish to the strips don't stick as well. So I'm only using the cards that have a matte finish for the base.
I've been using just a UHU glue stick...applying a generous amount. I've tried using gel medium...which is probably stronger...but it's messy and takes longer. The glue stick is just so easy.
I still noticed that some of the little strips fall off like the one here and that could be because some of the fronts of the cards I'm using are glossy on the back. Does that make sense?
So I've started top coating the each collage with matte medium hoping it sink into the cracks seal things up. And before I glue on the words I check each strip so see if any little piece needs a bit more glue.
I have white glue in a fineline applicator...so I can get it into tiny places.
Once the matte medium starts to dry a little bit I add some gold swirls with a fineline applicator to give them a little bling and texture. I'm actually trying to have more of a light touch than you see here. It doesn't take much.
Once they are good and dry...usually overnight I slice them up using my big guillotine paper cutter. Each of these little collages can make about 12 to 14 tags. If the words are short....I can get two tags from one strip.
I dust the edges of both the words and the tag with some distress ink and a sponge applicator. I've created a document of the words...fitting as many as I can on the page and printing them on cream resume paper.
I think it really makes a difference getting rid of that white edge. Can you see the difference between these two? It's subtle.
I'm having to dig deep to find much hope these days....but this project has been a good distraction so maybe there's a tiny bit of hope for me.
When I read your word “Hope”, it reminded me of this last paragraph of the book, “Don’t Let Them Bury My Story”, by Viola Fletcher, a survivor of the 1921 Greenwood Massacre in Tulsa, OK and her grandson, Ike Howard: “Today, as we face the challenges of the world, I urge you to remember that hope is not lost. Cling to it fiercely, with every fiber of your being. It’s easy to be consumed by the darkness, and feel small in the face of adversity. But you are not small. You are powerful, strong, and capable of rising to be your best self. You can find strength in your faith, in your truth, and in the light that shines within you. The world needs that light more than ever. It needs you. Take a moment to reflect on who you are, what you believe in, and what you stand for. Hold on to hope, stay true to yourself, and never let anyone bury your story. Your voice matters and your story needs to be heard. Today, I implore you to be that light, to shine brightly amid the darkness, and toner give up on the hope that lives within you. Don’t let them bury our stories.”
ReplyDeleteI know this is long, but I come back to this quote often, when I despair about our world and our country. We all need to shine our lights in the darkness.
What an incredible quote!!! Thank you so much for sharing this. The world needs out light! Let's be the light!
DeleteI feel more than only a "tiny" bit of hope shining out of this post, MaryAnn.
ReplyDelete• Your puzzle-making nudges me to activate some of my own calming practices—I'm thinking I might pull out a deck of cards for rounds of solitaire instead of internet rabbit holes.
• Love today's amaryllis wabi-sabi photo! Keep 'em comin'!
• I never get tired of process. Thanks for elaborating. I have several such large spools of twine, yarn, and string—your photo was very evocative for me.
xo
Calming practices are a must these days. I cringe and grieve as I read the news in the morning but let it go for a while at the puzzle table...in my studio....or out in the snow.
DeleteThanks for appreciating my long process posts. And don't you just LOVE a large spool of any kind of fiber!!!
Oh my, these are so wonderful. I have a chance for some uninterrupted time this weekend. I’m going to do some investigating and experimenting with glues for the pesky glossy cards. I’ll share any discoveries. And, yes, using the distress ink on the edges makes a big difference. I’ll try it, too. What an inspirational project coming at just the right time. We will be okay and we will make it but these moments of sharing the joy and camaraderie give us hope and help us move forward one step, one day at a time. You are precious❣️ BTW, I’m enjoying two lovely Christmas cactuses as they move through their stages much like you and your amaryllis.
ReplyDeleteThank you Louise! I'll look forward to hearing your findings. I'm thinking one of the solutions might be a light sanding of the glossy cards.
DeleteI'm excited to report on the next phase of my project....it has taken on a life of its own and is heading into the connection and community phase!
Enjoy your blooms!