Today watercolors

Today I made a
Stencil and used watercolors to create the images...each one is unique..it's a subtle image but wanted to experiment to see if watercolor could hold it's own with a stencil...




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Cranking away

Short on words sorry...


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April 23 time time time is...

What does time mean to you????


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April 21 and 22

Didn't write yesterday sorry folks...wouldn't you know it the second day into my project something huge happened in my personal life that changed dramatically (for the better)....

So I have been struggling to stay focused and on track...today's cards are going to be full of flowers.....

Spring has sprung and I am thrilled!!!!!

Keep posted...


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Day 6,7,8

April 18, 19, 20

All the cards were made on their respective days..just didnt get mailed until today..

Funny how life gets in the way of the best laid plans....

Sorry I've been kind of blog quiet....my life had a HUGE change of events..for the good....

And I am adjusting without giving up the project..just a bit of a delay in the mailings..starting tomorrow the 4/21/11 I will hopefully be back on track...

My mind is whirling whirling whirling!!!

today's cards are part of a puzzle..then the puzzle gets split up and sent to the far corners of the globe...

Take care
Diane



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Day 5 a slow start

At the auction today..picked up some goodies to make today's at s with...alwAys great free stuff in the discard pile here...

Will check in later

Diane


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Day 4 - blowing in the wind

Technique...using a straw blowing around drops of watercolor paint on the cards..drying then "seeing" what appears on the card..using a prismcolour fineline pen to capture the images..

Pics coming soon...


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Day 3 theme: the day my life changed

Well dear friends..a most incredible event happened in my life today and today's ATCs reflect that event.

The love of my life came home to stay today.... That's all I can say about something so personal and incredible..but what I've said speaks volumes about the strength and determination about true love...

May you all be fortunate enough to know this too....

Peace....
Diane


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Day 3

Got these great sheets of stick on figures from Ikea's discount bin for $1.00

Cut them apart for the start of today's theme


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Day 3 -Sunday Slow Day

Didn't wake up at 0530 today. Decided that since I didn't have a mailbox pickup deadline since it's Sunday..I can take my time in getting to the studio...

So here I am...studio bound and ready to roll!!!


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Day 2

Today's cards go to:

Martha in Ontario Canada
Marilyn in Minnesota
Teri in New Jersey

Enjoy..
Diane


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Day 2 finished!

The watercolor wash I did over each of the drawings has dried and so has the modge podge! Im a huge Modge podge fan use it alot!!!

So here are all the little Jizos lined up and ready to be mailed.

They are one of my favorite things to draw...brings a smile to my face and hopefully yours too!

Peace..


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Day 2-the pieces take shape

I've just been cutting free form some shapes that "feel" right to go with the base figure I drew on each card..the outline of a little Jizo.....still adding to the layers..


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The pieces of today's puzzle

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Day 2 arrives

I'm in mystery mode today..I have a giant ziplock with all sorts of beautiful papers and textures but with a common theme of red (my favorite color)...so here it goes!!!

I have a pot of water for tea on the stove and music by Muse playing loudly this Saturday morning!!!




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Day 1 complete!

The ATCs are made, the envelopes sealed, stamps on..off to the post office! Great!!!




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Day 1's theme:Breaking out!

Feels good to break out of my slump..being back in studio..mind whirling..ideas flowing...

Day 1 of the project is going well..almost done with my first set..

Will
Create labels for the back of each card...

Someone suggested I write the time I created these
Cards...maybe some synchronizing of creative thoughts in the works?

Now
Sure..let's see how it goes....




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Day 1

Feeling like I am opening the door to a cage I created for myself...time to break out and create!!!!



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Day 1

Writing the story..creating the canvas...my thoughts spread out on the first 12 cards..now to start the next layer...


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Day 1

Pictorial...gathering bits and bobs to get inspired!


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Technically only 1 hr and 45 min until the Daily ATC Project is launched! Woohoo!!

I am so very excited about getting the project started!  I am going to wait until 1201am 4/15/11 and start on it just after midnight tonight.  I will wait until I step into the studio to decide what kind of theme I am going to create for this first day.  I will take pictures.

Mary in CT
Bev in England
Dar in Canada

The first three folks to sign up for the Daily ATC Project!  Ok ladies...here we gooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!

I still have openings for the Daily ATC Project

I have 33 spots left for the Daily ATC Project.  That means 66 people have signed up already!  Wow...that's awesome.

There is still time to sign up your friends and family to receive 4 ATCs from me in the month of May.  Send their names and address to my eamil at lotusbud2@yahoo.com so that I can add them to my project calendar. I have dates May 5-15 left to fill.

Many thanks to all of those from across the globe that have signed up to be a part of the project.

Thank you.

Diane

4 days until the start of the Daily ATC Project

Getting very excited about the project starting on Friday! Wow can't wait to get going...I've got the envelopes ready for posting, been making notes for themes to use, thinking of techniques and textures...I dream of ATCs....lol


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Synchronicity at it's best

Synchronicity is the only word that comes to mind when it comes to this project.  A couple of weeks ago I went to an auction (I love going to live auctions).  While browsing the boxes of junk and stuff I spotted a crate full of giant ziplock bags, each filled with scrap booking papers, different themes, colors, with all sorts of bits and bobs to match...woohoo my heart skipped a beat!  I had to win the bid on it!  So when the auctioneer came around and started the bid out I was ready.  I got the winning bid at $11! Now I usually don't spend over $2-3 at a time...so $11 was a huge leap for me. Well, I just looked through the crate...and there are exactly 30 giant ziplocks!  Sound familiar?  30 days of creating ATCs!  Wow.....Maybe that was a subliminal hint for me to launch the project.  I wont collage every ATC that I make for this project because I would get bored real fast and I loved to paint and draw and write on my ATCs without the complication of collaged material.  Yet, there are some fascinating themes in those giant ziplocks that get my creative juices flowing already.

Very excited to get going... 6 more days!

In the studio late tonight..

Just got a burst of energy (probably right before I crash)...spent 13 hours outside working in the garden/yard...just couldn't pass up a rain free day here in Rainier, Oregon.  I was just thinking about a crate of decorative papers that I picked up at an auction.  Going to go through it all..not sure what is really there...the variety, the colors...its a fun mystery to discover.  I am thinking that I am going to group together colors or designs into little piles...prepping for the Daily ATC Project for next week.

Just updated my profile.

I just added a few tidbits to my profile.

Also, I have reached to May 2, 2011 on my Daily ATC Project Calendar! 

13 days to fill in with 39 more people.

Yeah!

Taking a Chance....

As art provides a window to the soul....so does my ATC website at My Picture Trail ATC Album from Years Past.

Most of the ATCs featured here on this website were made a few years ago during a very emotional time in my life...Great highs and great lows emotionally..Depression was running rampant..I isolated myself for months at a time and only created ATCs...hundreds and hundreds of them....Not all of them made it to the site and most I have given away to friends and fellow artists.  Such is life...always changing.

Take a look at my website...take a peek into my mind...it's not always pretty, yet it is a fertile ground for creativity.

Some thoughts for the day....
Diane

May 1st is Bryan's Day!

Bryan is serving in our military in Korea and he signed up for the Daily ATC Project.  He then asked to sign up his Mom, Sister and his good Friend Greg!  So May 1st is officially "Bryan's Day" here at the Daily ATC Project. Thank you for serving Bryan.  Stay safe, stay strong!

Reaching far and wide

A soldier stationed in Korea signed up to receive ATCs from my project. Today he signed up his Mom, sister and best friend! Wow..how fun! And I feel honored to do this....

Thanks to all for being part the Daily ATC Project.

Diane Johnson


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Location:Price Rd,Rainier,United States

Some creative ideas

I have been working to organize some materials in my studio and I am beginning to see a pattern of materials.  I have started creating little piles for my daily creations.  Challenging myself to use materials and objects and colors that I normally wouldn't put together.

Some other ideas:

I will create ATCs from what I would normally throw in the trash can (not to worry nothing gross) like labels, wrappings, junk mail, etc.

Another idea, use items I find in my back yard.

I have so much material that I have collected, that I will have an unending supply of "stuff" to create with.  Just have to stretch my brain to get the creative juices flowing.

Another task...go to Home depot and load up on paint samples (and not get caught)!  lol

Some days will reflect my mood and my energy.  Hope those wont be too dark in nature.  I suffer from clinical depression and though creating art helps my mind...some days are just damn dark.

So there you have it .... a glimpse into the workings of this being...

In peace,

Diane

Yeah to my first followers of the Daily ATC Blog!

Thank ladies for following my blog on this exciting art project.  So far I have enough participants to fill up the calendar from April 15 - April 30!  I am waiting for several folks to send me their mailing addresses to finalize their spot on the calendar.

How to sign up...

I will be making 12 ATCs a day for 30 days straight starting April 15, 2011.

If you would like to receive 4 of these ATCs, email me your mailing address to lotusbud2@yahoo.com

This is not a swap, this project is more or less one giant RAC (random act of kindness) project. If you would like to send some in return that would be great fun for me..but it is not a requirement to participate.

Anyone can sign up... Friends family..everyone!

Surprise someone you know and sign them up for the project so they receive a surprise in the mail! (8 have two so far like this).

Enjoy and I hope you find some fun in my work....

Here are some older examples of my ATCs

Www.PictureTrail.com/revjishin

Cheers!
Diane Johnson



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10 more people signed up

Very excited about the ongoing interest in the Daily ATC Project.




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Another 10 folks signed up today for my project!

I've been diligent in keeping the calendar with names and addresses up to date. I have the envelopes already hand addressed. Today I looked in my studio at the tons of materials I have to create a wide variety of ATCs. My sewing machine is also going to be part of some of the process...making some ATCs with sewn parts...fun fun!!


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Location:Price Rd,Rainier,United States

Participants from Around the World

Locations of foks that have signed up to receive my daily ATCs:  WOW

Norwich, CT

Lancashire, England

Ontario, Canada

Lexington, MN

North Brunswick, NJ

Miami, FL

Floresville, TX

Bluffdale, UT

Quakertown, PA

Temple Terrace, FL

Hinckley, OH

Chattanooga, TN

Vancouver, WA

Antwerpen, Belgium

Broken Arrow, OK

Waynesboro, VA

an APO Address from a Military member

Cloquet, MN

Yormouth, ME

Reidsville, NC

Remember, you don't have to send anything in return.  If you haven't signed up yet, do so today.

Cheers!

Diane

Wow a Kick in the Head!

I just received an email from a fellow ATC artist accusing me of being a scam!!  Wow...really?? (I wrote)  it was a long email questioning me about my motives and how I can afford the postage and the cost of materials.  Yikes...I have been getting such wonderful encouraging responses and then BAM ... A kick in the head!

My feathers were ruffled at first, but then I had to smile at myself and say "Oh well, not my issue so I wont own it"....

Just posted the Daily ATC Project to ATC_Fun Yahoo Group

Just posted the project to another 541 ATC artists on yahoo groups.  Initially launched the announcement on artisttradingcards yahoo group - over a 1000 members there.  25 participants so far...need 90 total for the 30 day project.  I hope it happens.

Going into studio to clear a work space

Walked into my studio this morning..uggh! I have to create a space in order to work.  I have been collecting material, bits and pieces and odds and ends for several months with this project in mind.  Now I am coming down to the deadline.  Time to turn up the music.

Going mobile

Now I can blog about the project using my iPhone! Much easier than jumping up in the middle of my studio to get to the laptop...ok call me lazy or nerdy! That's me...


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Location:Price Rd,Rainier,United States

Resisting the Urge to Start

I am resisting the urge to start creating the ATCs now....uggh!  I am excited about day one, April 15th.  Creating 12 cards, sending out 4 cards to 3 people across the globe. Then do it all over again for 29 more days straight!  Yes...for 30 days I will create 12 cards a day then I will mail them immediately by 1:00pm Pacific Time.  I better get some stamps and envelopes ready.

Launching the Daily ATC Project: April 15, 2011: Sign up Today

Hello!
I will begin an ATC project beginning April 15, 2011. I will be creating ATCs on a daily basis, setting aside a couple of hours a day for 1 month straight. I would like to mail them out by 1pm daily from Rainier, OR (my personal challenge..creating daily, sending immediately).

Now this is where you can help.

If you would like to be the recipient of one of my daily doses of ATC, please forward your address to me. I will inform you as to which "date is yours". As I plan to create a minimum of 12 daily, I can assign 3 people to one date. You will receive 4 cards as a result of your participation. No need to trade (unless you would like).

Fun part is that knowing there are two other folks that have cards created on the same day. Might be fun to compare.

Thanking you in advance for your participation. I look forward to the artistic challenge!

In peace...
Diane Johnson
Lotusbud2@yahoo.com