Swinging in the Breeze

 

I hung my weathergrams at a local park.  You can see them swinging in the breeze (and enjoy the sounds of birdsong and children playing) in this short video.

Remembering the Days with #12daysofweathergrams

Before Christmas we had a few clear, cold days.  These are reflected in my weathergrams.

I hope you are all enjoying the twelve days of Christmas!

 

Merry Christmas!

 

#12daysofweathergrams Inspired by Nature

And, in honor of the snowfall that never came:

My friend Janice says she's going to make some - I can't wait to see them!

 

Getting Started for Christmas 2021

It's too late to mail any more Christmas cards, but I can get a start on 2021.  These are more of the designs I traced using a Posca Paint Pen.  The first background is acrylic paint on old book paper, created when I cleaned off my brayer during a gelli printing session.

The next two are mounted on gelli prints.  I enjoyed using handmade paper so much that it just might be time to gelli print on the wrong side of my remaining scrapbook paper!

 

Loving Them For the Gel Prints

 

I made a few more Christmas cards using the designs I traced with a Posca Paint Pen.

I really enjoyed making them using gelli prints for the backgrounds.  I was able to use some dark prints that I haven't found other uses for; I guess red is only a colour I use at Christmas.  Also, the prints were too dark or busy to stamp directly onto, but perfect for contrasting with the white border around the Christmas motif.  Now I want to get out my gelli plate again!

#12daysofweathergrams

 

The Westcoast Calligraphy Society is running a weathergram challenge on Instagram.  Weathergrams are hung outside between Solstice and Equinox.

Each day, I write about the way that nature has surprised me.

You can read a short, beautifully lettered book about the Weathergram here.  The book is by Lloyd J. Reynolds, the man in Portland, Oregon, who invented them.

When is a Peel-Off Not a Peel-Off?

 

I don't think you can buy these Christmas peel-offs any more, but I love the designs so I traced them with a Posca paint pen.  At first I used carbon paper and a stylus to transfer the design to cardstock, but my very crafty sister suggested using a light box.  It worked like a charm - I was able to see through the cardstock and skip a step.

And In Another Colour

 

The Christmas Card Factory is Still Open

 

Watercolour Wreath

 

I attended a short Zoom class on Sunday afternoon with 279 of my closest friends (haha!), sponsored by the San Diego Chapter of the Society for Calligraphy.  It was fun, as usual, to slop paint around, and the scheduled event gave me the creative kick in the butt I needed.  The opportunity to attend these remote programs has been one of the few blessings provided by the pandemic.

Happy Holiday Art

Santa's elves have been busy making cards!  They all took Joanne Sharpe's Art Sparks 5:  Happy Holiday Art and made a selection of bright, cheerful cards.