Friday, October 25, 2019

Post Crossing Story 2 - Leiden



You never know what will happen once you step out to make a connection. I joined Postcrossing in March 2019 and have enjoyed every card sent and received, each a small conversation with a person from somewhere in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world. I don’t think this “small world” story will ever be topped for me.
     The recipient for my next card was named Anne--she was located in Leiden, Netherlands. I was even more thrilled when I recognized the street name.
     In November 2006 - December 2010, I worked as part of a management team for a computer project. The large international team was stationed in Leiden.
     This is the message I sent on my card: “Hallo, Anne. I designed this card to commemorate my wonderful memories of your country. It’s a small world! I recognize your street name. I’m certain I’ve walked by your place!
     I've lived in southern California my entire life, except for 4+ years, ending in late 2010, when I worked in Leiden. For two years, I stayed at the Holiday Inn,  before moving to a company-leased apartment down the street. When heading back from the bus stop, on weekends, I’d sometimes cut through your neighborhood—a prettier route than the pedestrian/bike path. Central Leiden was so pretty. I gave up my car and bought a bicycle, but preferred to walk.
Tot ziens,
Kristi”

     Anne’s response: “Hallo Kristi! Thank you for a most beautiful and wonderful card! It's not only beautiful because of its design, which is lovely, but unique, because I've never received a Postcrossing card from someone who has actually walked through my backwater-y street. Wow. We lived across the street from each other when you were staying at the Holiday Inn, and now your postcard has traveled so many miles to get here. Life is strange sometimes, no? I love your lettering, it's so precise and fine. You must have practiced hours & hours. It was lovely meeting you like this, my dear former almost-neighbor.
Wishing you all the best,
Anne”


Anne and I are continuing to exchang messages and postcards.


More cards designs on Instagram: @KADmiumDesigns


Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Postcrossing Story 1

In 2014, I took a wonderful 2-D Design class at Coastline College. For my class project, I cropped a single sunflower from a photo of an entire field of sunflowers, which I had snapped in the French countryside. I enlarged and manipulated the image to come up with this result, which is still one of my favorites.

In 2015, I had created an ATC, with this basic design, and this week, I finally recreated it as a postcard and sent it to my latest Postcrossing contact, Sara, in Ohio. I must have mentioned calligraphy, since she sent a lovely acknowledgement, telling me that she had recently purchased a book and was having a little trouble with her writing. I messaged her, suggesting she contact her local calligraphy guild--they specialize in low-cost education.

I love how, via Postcrossing, we sometimes connect, ever so briefly, with people who live far from us.

More stories to follow . . .

Sunday, June 23, 2019

Hedgehog Postcard

This postcard was created awhile ago, as my assignment for Fraktur calligraphy class, with the wonderful Yukimi Annand.  I wasn't happy enough to post it until I added the red heart.
   Earlier this year, I joined Post Crossing. I LOVE regularly getting postcards in the mail from all over the world. Preparing the cards takes a lot of my time and the outside-of-USA postage cost really adds up, but for now, I'm enjoying this way too much to stop.

Sunday, June 2, 2019

Brush-Pen Lettering Class
















By request, I’ll be teaching another series of beginning brush-pen script classes in Chino Hills, CA - July 13, 20, 27. We always have a good time!
http://cpnl4.ntwd.net/~societyforcallig/calendar/flyers/0719_Darwick.pdf .

Coptic-Bound book

 Rosana and I got together to make
books. I was determined to buy nothing new and, for the cover, dug out a sheet of soft paper from the bottom of a drawer in my flat file. The accent piece was unearthed from a box of scraps I was saving for just such a thing. I have lots of scrapbook paper, also bought LONG ago, which I aim to use up. I used pieces cut from several different sheets to create wrap-around spacers for each signature. (Does anyone know the proper term for those spacers?)

I made a few errors with this and am chalking it up as a learning experience. I want to make another of these!

Kristi

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Scrap Collage

Nothing like a deadline to give me an excuse to create. This was the final round of our altered-book exchange. This page was the most fun to make and consisted of collaging color-coordinated scraps. I started with the piece of multi-colored tissue on the right, then pulled scraps with coordinating colors. I always try to include lettering--the word has no relevance, other than I liked the looks. The design on the lower left is clipped from an the "Ruby Red" one-color postcard I designed some time ago. The swatches on the left represent the various colors found throughout the collage. So much fun and I have plenty of fodder to make many more of these!

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Postcard #22: Sewing Notions

























Before calligraphy took over my life, sewing was my passion--designer and hand-tailored clothes, quilts, embroidery, upholstery. I remember getting up at 4 in the morning to sew a section on a pink ultra-suede skirt, or the pony-print for the seat on a French Provincial seat, before leaving for work. Those were the days. . .
   This is my latest postcard design.

I can find my nibs!!!

I spent part of the last two days organizing a few of my nibs, both pointed and broad-edged. In addition to these correlated cardboard "holders" in the base and lid of a small cigar box, I loaded boxes of vintage nibs into a larger cigar box. I should never need to purchase another nib in my lifetime!

Monday, April 8, 2019

Coptic-stitched Book with Vintage Covers

A couple weeks ago, the Inland Empire/Pomona Valley chapter of SfC sponsored a program at the Riverside Main Library, to make these coptic-stitched books, using the covers from discarded books. Amy Spencer did a wonderful job of teaching--I learned tips I don't remember ever hearing before. And, she had great tools I had never seen, such as a tearing bar (heavy weight to ease tearing of the paper to size for the pages).  While I was familiar with curved needles for other purposes, she had bent needles available, which made it so much easier to maneuver the needle between the signatures. Thanks, Amy!!!

While at the workshop, I decided to vary the design, so I waited until I got home to finish the book. My motto is Use what I have!, so I rummaged in the armoire in my art room and gathered muted colors of patterned scrapbook paper, chosen because they coordinated with the cover. I cut the paper to fit and wrapped each signature with a coordinating paper.  

Nothing from the old book will go to waste--the spine is tucked inside to serve as the bookmark and the pages of text will be fodder for collage.

Next, I want to make books with covers cut from Davey board and covered in a collage of favorite papers. So much fun!


My work can also be seen on instagram: @KADmiumDesigns

Monday, March 4, 2019

Snail Mail Postcard

My friend, Joyce, uses a snail as her personal symbol. (I use a heart.) I'm always on the lookout for greeting cards featuring snails, to send to Joyce--it's amazing what you find when you look. I once found a snail Xmas ornament.

It recently occurred to me that I should create a snail mail postcard to send to her. A couple days ago, I created the first draft and today, I revised the lettering from heavy brush script. This is written using Shaded, Open Script, a style designed by Anne Elser. I may redo the lettering again, later, after I've had more practice.

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Penguins for Postcrossing

I joined Post Crossing and the first mail assignment was for a woman in Germany, who loved penguin images. I took that as a prompt to design a new postcard--here's the result.

Mini-painting from class with Sherry Thornton

Created in class with Sherri Thornton, who is  teaching, again, after a break during which she worked full-time as a graphic artist. I'd wanted to take classes with her since 2003, when I saw work by her students.  We all had a great time--the techniques are simply fun!

Monoline Cursive on envelope

Envelope sent earlier this month. I'm enjoying  practicing monoline cursive, as learned with Anne Elser.

Saturday, February 9, 2019

Month of Letters

 For the second year in a row, I've been participating in Month of Letters. I've collected postcards and greeting cards during my travels and am now endeavoring to work through many of those. I'm also using postcards I designed, as well as the fold notes I've created as homework for Anne Elser's Monolinear Lettering class. So far, I've sent out more than one piece of mail per day and I aim to maintain that, even after February ends.


Monday, January 28, 2019

Loose Colored Pencil and Graphite Rose drawing

Drawing from last September. Marjorie Grace-Sayers and I frequently take drawing classes at the Norton Simon. The museum includes all supplies, including paper, clipboard, pencils, etc. I chose to make this drawing in my journal, since when I create them on separate pieces of paper, they just go into the trash or a file folder, rarely to be seen. The instructor brought flowers for us to loosely draw, after we examined a couple of the museum's Dutch still-life florals. Another class series is coming up--I'm looking forward to attending several of the sessions.

Quick Colored-Pencil Pear Drawing

Last year, I made a quick drawing of a colored pencil pear on a page of Barbara Steel's altered book. The strokes are quick and rough. I loved the bright colors on top of the yellowed page of text.  Maybe this round, I should pick another piece of fruit?

Found Art Collage

I had forgotten about this collage, created as one of my entries in Barbara Steel's altered book. I was staying with my mom while she recovered from surgery. I had brought a few things from home (scraps of watercolor experiments, used postage & green stamps, washi tape, and security envelope liners. I gathered more things from around my mom's house--candy wrappers, tea tags; then used her sewing machine to accent the collage and attach it to the book page. Fun! I now have Barbara's book again, and I need to come up with something different-- I'm in the mood for collage, again, so we'll see.

Thursday, January 3, 2019

Postcard #18: Collect Unforgettable Experiences

Finally, I finished these bright and cheerful cards--they should brighten a few mailboxes!

These are part of my digital collage project. The cards often start with clippings from a magazine. "Treasured memories" is lettered with a brush pen, which shows up well against the busy background.

I worked for 4+ years in Leiden, about 3/4 of an hour inland from Amsterdam. I loved Leiden--it was like a pretty, much smaller version of Amsterdam and that small town had seven (!) museums, most in the center of town.

My coworkers and I all had bicycles. Even though the company provided cars, bicycles could miss the "rush-hour" traffic jams. Those two- and four-lane roads weren't made to handle the every-increasing number of cars on the road. Plus, there were interesting things to see on the out-of-the-way lanes we could easily take via bike.

Whenever first-time visitors came to town,  they invariably wanted to visit Amsterdam, so a group of us would take the train and play tour guide. Way too many wonderful memories for a 4x6 postcard!!!