Altered Playing Cards, Week 13: to Bee or not to Bee

Before we look at my Bee or NOT BEE playing cards this week, I want to call your attention to Seth Apter's blog post concerning the 5 X 5 project I told you about earlier this month.  To see my entry and how I created it again, please go here.  Although I recognized the names of a few heavy hitters (aka mixed media artists), the only people I have internet contact with are Jo Murray, a fabulous mixed media artist, and Seth.

Per Seth: "It has now been decided to sell each piece individually rather than in small groupings. Prices were set by Paul and Ann at the gallery and each artwork has been priced at $35.00, $55.00 or $75.00."

I was sure my piece would be offered at the $35.00 price, because I had seen so many, many I felt were SO much better than anything I could have made.  Can you imagine my surprise, when I saw mine had been placed in the $55.00 price category?  Yes, I was truly blown away.  I will let you know if it sells.  If you want to see it on Seth's blog, you have to scroll down under the first question category until you see Bleubeard and Elizabeth.  It is the piece directly under our name.  And of course, if you want to buy it, I would be over the MOON, since it would be the first piece of art I have ever sold.

Now let's get to these playing cards.  Claudine, our lovely host, chose Bees for Week 13.  I must have spent four hours looking for an image, ANY image of a bee.  I have no stamps, no images, no NOTHING of a bee.  And I had already spent more time than I hoped to spend on just looking for a suitable replacement.  I'm so busy trying to get my Christmas cards and gifts together (last minute E should be my name, I guess), I simply didn't have time to do much else than find something other than a bee.

So I went with butterflies, since they at least have wings.  That's my justification and I'm sticking with it.

No step out photos, since I simply had NO time to take them.

I started this (and the next) piece by spritzing my handmade shimmering mists on gesso.  I tried to allow the mists time to dry, but of course, I got impatient and used the heat gun , which caused the mists to pool.  I used a Hero Arts butterflies stamp randomly on the card, then wrote the word "Believe," because I couldn't think of anything else.  I realize you can hardly see the word, but it was the only pen that would write on the mist covered gesso.  Note how uneven the gesso was, too.  Not ideal for stamping, and certainly not ideal for someone who does not stamp well.

This card was a disaster from the beginning.  After drying the mist with my heat tool, I used my stamp in the exact middle of the card.  And of course, that's where the gesso had pooled, too.  So the stamp didn't (stamp, that is).  I tried to remove the ink, but it had already dried enough to smear the image, which made an even bigger mess.  That's when I decided to try stamping it two more times, but again, I didn't get a very good image.  The words are: "Fly, art frees the soul."  The UM stamp was designed, created in her oven, and sold by the owner Joanie of Mrs. O'Leary's.  I think they are made for Inchies.  I added a bit of glitter to the top of the wings in all three butterflies.  I had originally added red ink (nearly DEAD red ink pen, I might add) around the outside of the card.  After the disaster, I decided to add red around the images, too.  The ink pen sort of took on a drunken meandering, so I think I'll say it was just the butterflies soaring along and around the card, and possibly attempting to break free of this challenge.


As always, thanks for visiting, and thanks for your continued support of my art.  You have NO idea how much it means to me.

BTW, if word verification is present, just ignore it, and hit the "publish" button.  It wasn't my doing, because I never, ever want anyone to feel they need to jump through hoops to leave me a comment.