maraviviano.com

I have joined a swap Tag’ You’re It! - “The idea for this swap is tags of course! Your atc could be a tag, could contain a tag on it, or could have a tag dangle off of it. Open themed.”

I had some ideas early on about this swap, 1. Create a tag made out of acetate that turns to reveal different layers but when closed has a lot of visual depth.

2. Create an ATC that holds smaller tags in pockets. Also have each of the tags be different. I then expanded on that idea to have each of the small tags be a different technique that people might be able to use in their future cards. I am going to push my mind to come up with a total of 18 different techniques spread over 3 cards.

For the August challenge our Triangle ATC Club decided to do shaped ATC’s, that is something that is still within the 2.5 x 3.5 format but a different shape than the rectangle.

So far I have done 2 different shapes, a onion dome and a head. The dome seemed never middle-eastern or oriental to me and so I have done India themed illustrations. The head actually came from thinking India -> mehndi -> hands -> bady parts -> head. Then I thought the shape of a head lent itself to the idea that what you see on the exterior of a person isn’t usually their true self. So with these cards you have a bland, by the numbers exterior and a crazy, all over the place interior. I quite like how they are turning out and it is a good way to use lots of different scraps and bits of things that I have laying about.

Transfers are something that seem to be difficult for lots of people, including me. Some images refuse to transfer, barely transfer or work wonderfully, even if you follow the same instructions. I found that vodka, acetone, gesso and metallic paint work well. Tape transfers work well, if you are fine with all of the soaking and rubbing of paper.

Here are the cards that I made for our Workshop Book Study - Transfers

All but the last one were done using the following steps:

1. On ink jet printer, print photos on Epson photo paper
2. Paint paper with metallic paper, thick but not sloppy
3. Put the photo face down the paper, let set for a minute
4. Rub the back of the photo with medium pressure
5. Wait 10-15 minutes and then pull off the photo paper

It has been awhile since my last post because around April 15 I found 3 14 to 21 day old kittens in my front yard and started hand-raising them. Around May 1 I found another litter mate of those kittens and added her to hand-raising routine. Of course they are weaned now, but are still a lot of work! Then at the end of May we were on vacation out of the country for a week. It has been a busy 2 months.

Anyway here are some ATCs that I have made recently, first were for the May ATC club meeting and the theme was Animals.

These are the cards for the June ATC club, the theme is Things to do Outdoors, I was very influenced by my time in the Bahamas. The scans came out a bit wonky and some really dark because there are lots of 3D things on the cards.

There is a swap going on in the ATC World group that is about alcohol inks. I made these cards with the idea in my head that I will join this swap, though I may keep them to add to the 100 cards that I am trying to make by November.

The Triangle ATC group decided at our last meeting to have a themed swap suggestion for our next meeting, Sunday April 13, that is Things That Fly. A small gang from the group got together to craft and chat and we all worked on our cards. I had decided early on that I was going to do something unconventional. Flying saucers, Superman, flying time, and then something not all that odd, fairies. Here are the cards that I did. Most are on alcohol ink backgrounds.

You know how it is, best laid plans of mice and men and all that jazz. After saying I was going to start putting the classes I have taught on my website for over a year I finally added one class! Go me! It is the Alcohol Ink class that I have taught a bunch of times and a pretty simple page at that, just pictures and descriptions, but it should serve. The link is http://maraviviano.com/classes/alcoholink.html.
Feedback is appreciated. I am always learning new things about the products I teach with, so this isn’t then final word on alcohol inks, but does include everything I have samples made for at this time.

Maybe this first page will get me going on the rest of the classes I have taught, and a general updating of my site.

I am feeling good about myself right now, as of 3:30 today I have finished my cards for the study group that don’t have to be done until the end of March! Maybe I will use this “free” month to join some swaps on some other groups.

This month was Chapter 9 - Magazine paper and Nevr-dull - which is a really horrible smelling product used to clean metal things that you can find at auto stores. What it does to magazine paper when applied is to remove all of ink on the page, so if you apply something to cover some of the ink and then remove the left over bits you get these weird designs. That is assuming that you lived to finish the cards after inhaling the fumes from the can of Nevr-Dull. After that have fun getting the smell off of you and out of your house. Definately going to recommend doing this either outside or when you can have the windows open. Anyway after that is dry you apply color to replace the ink you took off of the page, oil pastel, colored pencil, something transparent. At the end of the process you have a background that you may or may not like and now you can make a card from it.

I was in a weird place when I started making these cards, my husband gave me his x-rays, or maybe they are MRI pictures, from when he was diagnosed with cancer. He thought I could do something “craft” with them, but it was weird to do. They seemed so important to what was going on with him then. SO I left them sitting for a few weeks then decided to put them on a couple of these cards. It was a bit cathartic for me but I am worried that they will upset the people that get them in the swap. Hopefully they will read this and understand.

The other swap that I have done this week is also being hosted on the group ATC World, it is called Dragons - Awesome, majestic, fascinating, Dragons have been part of mankind’s recorded history for hundreds,if not thousands, of years. Share your visions of these wonderful creatures with other dragon lovers.

I did a few techniques for this swap. Gouache on watercolor and bristol, one stencil and one intuitive watercolor.

I am participating in a swap on ATC World that is Architectural Elements - All cards should feature all or part of an architectural element, such as a window, doorway, brickwork, column, etc.

Here are the cards that I have done.

There are two white front doors. The second set of images are from the inside of the front doors and the screen door. Of the second set those are my first attempts with Stampscape stamps

To make the front doors cut paper 3″x3″. Cut two pieces each (all inches) 7/8×1 1/2, 7/8×1 1/4, 3/4×1 3/8 and 3/4×1 1/8. And a brad or nail or something similar.