Some favorite postcards

I love postcards based on the book, Sol-Äggett (Sun Egg) of Swedish Author/Illustrator Elsa Beskow. The sign announces the Happy Frog cafe, where "Guests are forbidden to eat each other."
   This went to an 8-year-old girl in Germany, who loves animals.

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

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 . . .

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.

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

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!

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!

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