Back in the saddle again----

Yes, finally I was able to  spend the day in the studio.  I took breaks, even took an hour out for a short nap (while glue was drying).  For inspiration, I used an article out of Cloth, Paper, Scissors, issue 34, January/ February 2011, by Wen Redmond , titled Fabric Collage Mail Art.  I haven't made post cards in a couple of years, but my goal was simply to get back into the studio and actually make something!  I incorporated my two copies of the 1815 etchings, one of the gelatin prints I had made in December, some candy wrappers, and some scraps of fabric. 

 All of this was fused onto some industrial strength interfacing, and then embellished. I used bronze Lumiere paint and two Thermofax screens that I've had for years.  I did some FMQ'g, and then cut the various pieces.  Actually, I quickly found out that the healing shoulder is not up to using a rotaty cutter and had to get DH to help.  Everything was then fused to Flexi-Firm.  I've never really trusted the fusing to hold up to abuse, so  each piece was stitched around the edge.  Then I did some foiling.  Now, I used foils years ago, but in a recent art class was introduced to a new adhesive--Plexi-Glue.  Wow!  This is so much better than the old adhesive.  Mind you, the Plexi-glue could prpbably never be put through a screen, but I was mainly interested in lines anyway.  The final step was to paint the edges with the Lumiere paint.  I've never done this before,but rather like the effect.  In the end I had a small piece to matt for framing, 6 ATC's, and four postcards.  There were a couple of scraps that I turned into business cards.  I often make up scraps into business cards by simply fusing a regular business card onto the back of a pice of fibreart.  I give these to special customers--those who actually buy something, and keep the cheaper cards to hand out on request.  The fancier cards have become quite popular.

But now I'm tired.  It was such an emotional high to actually get back into the studio and produce something--and the shoulder is telling me that it's time to quit.