POSTCARDS, POSTCARDS

I recently joined two fiber art groups. I wanted to combine my love of PSP (Paint Shop Pro), fabric and yarn. In one group Fiber Art Traders, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FiberArtTraders/, they have several exchanges going on at the same time like making dolls, transforming Altoid Tins, ATC's (Artist Trading Cards), and fabric postcards. Someone comes up with a theme and gives a deadline. You sign up before the close date and post your trade. Once the trade closes, the exchange hostess/host will then assign the person that you will send your item.

The first exchange I have tried is the fairytale fabric postcard. You could either send it naked (not in a clear envelope), or you can put it in an envelope. I decided to send them without an envelope. This is my submission for the fairy tale postcard exchange

Yes, Jack and Jill are not fairytales but I found this embroidery and wanted to use it.

The next exchange that I joined is called Art2Mail (www.art2mail.com). In this exchange, there is no theme, 25 people send cards to each other for birthdays, and just because. We will send until April. I am quite behind on my birthday cards and will send out some belated ones. This is an international exchange. We have members from the U.S. as well as the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Norway and Germany.

This is my first PC which I am calling "Baby It's Cold Outside". I have 6 more to do and I am finished with the first batch. The cards have cost me a 39 cent stamp because I have not got the weight right yet. When I took the fairytale postcards to the post office the lady charged me an extra fee for hand cancellation. The postage I had to buy was 52 cents. Yesterday when I took my Art2Mail cards, it only cost me 39 cent. In fact, the postmaster was looking for snowflake stamps because he thought they would look better. So that I did not spend the day in the post office, I had to assure him that I liked the quilt stamps because most of the people that would be receiving the cards were quilters. I have a bunch to take today and we will see what happens.

The coat on the lady is made with a fringe technique. I have purchased some great fringe embroidery from www.emblibrary.com. If you are looking for inexpensive embroidery designs, this is the place.

To get the fabric so that the printer ink will adher, I first soak the fabric for 5 minutes in Bubble Jet Set 2000. Once the fabric dries, you iron it to freezer paper and cut to fit your printer. This is the same paper you find at the grocery or you can buy precut sheets and the solution from http://www.cjenkinscompany.com/. If you plan on washing the fabric, it is suggested that you use Bubble Jet Rinse. As you can see, the colors are very rich. I did not buy the fabric rinse because I had no plans of washing it. A lot cheaper than buying those sheets from Joann's or Michaels.

That's it for today. I have been spinning and trying to get some weaving done. When I went to the ACC (American Craft Council show, I really got inspired to weave a room divider. More about that later, I have a germ of an idea and I am still working on it. Also, I have purchased or made lots of purses over the years, a lady at the show told me how to display them. I want to work on that this week. Somewhere in there, I promised to make something to put in my daughter Eatsy's shop, make a large apron for my niece that is dressing up as a bunny for Easter to entertain some children at her church, as well as finishing the purses for the International Purse Exchange and the Knitted Purse Exchange.

I really will get everything done...Really! Oh NO, I have a quilting class on Saturday. Can someone loan me a couple extra days for this week, please!!!!!!!