Help! Robots are taking over the local elementary school

 

 

Breaking news:

SHREWSBURY(AP) – Area  children were surprised to find an army of small robots hiding on their school playground this morning.  Each robot bore the message “Countdown to June 13^th”.  Head custodian Joe Mahoney was puzzled.  “I don’t know how these little guys got here.  I came in  around six o’clock in the morning and I saw no signs of activity.  They’re quiet little fellas.  Did a good job hiding themselves until recess time.  I'm worried. It feels a little bit like an invasion.”  When asked the significance of June 13^th, Mahoney said “well, that’s the last day of school.  Whatever it is they’re planning at least they have the decency to wait until the kids are gone.”  The children seem unconcerned.  “I found this one inside the tunnel, and my friend  found that one under the bench” said a toothless first grader who wished to be identified as Shammando.  “We hope we find more after lunch.”

Authorities are puzzled by their sudden appearance, but find no evidence of hostile takeover or foul play.  Local residents report seeing an unidentified middle-aged woman riding a bicycle and carrying a bag full of shiny silver objects in the vicinity of the school at 5:30 this morning.

 

 

 

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you can do this

Okay, I know I've already gone on and on about how much I love the index-card-a-day challenge at Daisy Yellow and how it all starts again Friday and I CAN'T WAIT.  

I know.

I'll try not to repeat myself.

But I keep bumping into people who kinda want to do this but are afraid.

so I'm here to say, shut up.

you can do this.

it's an index card for crying out loud.  not a masterpiece.  

and sure, I made some cards last summer that I really love:

but I also made some that were less than stellar.  that were "quick-get-it-done cards." 

some were downright ugly.  

it's not the point.

I'm going to show you some of my "I'm too tired/not inspired" cards

even the ones that aren't pretty make me smile when I see them because they make me remember.

my very first card!

made around midnight in desperation

put my hand on the copier

picked up a scrap of Max's drawings

spatters and words

rubber stamp and messy writing over messy paint

actual nail polish.  this one cracks me up.

this one cracks me up too.  took about a minute.

lists are a perfectly acceptable way to use a card

I was working on something else and had lots of paint left on my palette.  did a crappy job with the rubber stamps.  oh well.

Cut up some extra painted paper from a different project.  and I like the way it came out.  but it's still just scraps of paper on an index card, y'know?

more leftover scraps put to use

circles made with water color crayons and smudged.

See?

this is loose.

this is casual.

this is fun.

make something small every day for two months.

don't over think it.

share it.

because it's not about being "good enough"

you're just fine.

go here and read about it.

http://daisyyellowart.com/icad/

or go here and see what people posted in the flickr group

http://www.flickr.com/groups/daisyyellow/

now go dig out the index cards.

you can do this

see you there.

New Art Swap Group

Hello Lovelies!

I'm very excited to be starting an art swap blog called "Mail Me Some Art"

(How's that for straight-and-to-the-point blog naming?  None of this mysterious "who the heck is Rushmore and why does she have a blog" business).

I was running a swap group on Flutterbye for the last month, but sadly, Flutterbye has shut it's doors.  Before she closed it, Amy asked if I'd consider keeping the group alive in another location.  

So here it is - launched today with two new swaps.

And guess what? 

 I'm making this sooooo easy on you.  

There's nothing to join.  Nothing to post.  No one to hunt down.  

You make the art and I do the work.

I know, right?

It's the best deal in town.

Here's how it works.  I list new swaps on the blog and post a "send by" date.

You make something and mail it to ME by that date.

I do NOT keep it all for myself, as tempting as that may be.

Instead, I photograph everything, post it on the new blog with full credit to you the artist, and then mail your art to someone else.  

No more worrying that after pouring hours into your fabulous one-of-a-kind piece of artwork your partner skips town with the mailman and leaves you high and dry with nothing in return.

If you send something, you get something. 

If you forget to send something, you get nothing.

It's that easy.

All I ask in return?

Include the cost of return postage in the envelope you send me.

Lots of ways to do it.  Details on the blog.

We'll focus on paper-based swaps that are quick to make and easy to mail.

(post cards, ATCs, tags, envelopes, inchies, etc.)

SO - go check it out!

Join a swap.

Leave me a comment.

Make a suggestion.

Follow the blog so that you can enjoy all the inspiring art that gets posted, even if you don't want to swap.

There's even a place you can post your address if you want to find new mail art friends.  

What are you waiting for?
Mail Me Some Art!

Look what I bought today

A huge package of index cards.

Why am I so excited about this?

Because Index-Card-A-Day 2012 starts FRIDAY!!!!!

 

I took this challenge last summer and it was one of the most fun things I've ever done.

 

Hosted by the fabulous Tammy at Daisy Yellow,

the idea is to draw, paint, doodle, write, collage (etc.)

on one little index card each day for June and July.

and then (if you feel like it) post your work on your blog, or flickr or somewhere and link up with other ICAD artists.

 

Here's why I loved this challenge:

• it forced me to create every day, even if it was just for a few minutes.  even if I didn't think I wanted to create, I was always glad I did.  and I often was so inspired by my 10 minute index card that I kept working on other ideas and projects.
• the materials are cheap and readily available.  don't like your card?  recycle it and grab another.
• the small size means it's finished quickly. I find 4"x6" far less intimidating than a blank journal page.
• it was really low-pressure.  the goals is creativity, not masterpieces.  if you miss a day, you don't get kicked out of the club.  there is no club.  arrive late to the party? no problem.  don't catch up, just start.
• Tammy provides optional prompts so if you're feeling stuck for ideas you've got a starting point

and the biggest reason I loved it:

• the flickr group was so friendly and supportive.  When I started ICAD last June I wasn't very comfortable sharing my art in public forums.  I pushed myself to participate and met some wonderful, funny, supportive artists who have now become blogging friends and mail-art buddies.  I gained a lot of confidence.  It made me a better artist, a better blogger, a better commenter on other people's work.

I keep my cards in this little open box, and a year later I still flip through them regularly and use the scanned images in other artwork.

They became a chronicle of my summer.  Many of them bring me right back to what I was doing and how I was feeling the day I made them.

and it all starts again in four days!

That leaves me with just one question:

 

of books and winners

It's giveaway day!  

48 of you left lovely comments on my last post and most of you were able to say at least one nice thing about yourself.  And since I kept making more little books all week, we have a total of TEN winners.  That's how much I like you guys.  and how much I like making books.

I see all of these as "blank" books.  Books that I hope you use for journals or notes or scraps or lists.  Books I fully expect you to add to with more paint and glue and paper and markers.

First name out of the hat was Jez!!!

She wins this little duct tape journal filled with my painted papers:

6"x5"

This next duct tape journal goes to my favorite Salamander Dreamer, Amy.

 

5.5"x8

this next one goes to Andria:

 6.5"x10"

The next one goes to Jill Eudaly

 4.5"x5"

This funny little junk journal goes to Lisa Wright which seems very fitting since she is the leader of the messy book group, and this book is full of all kinds of weird bits and scraps.

 5"x8:

This piano hinge book goes to Sunshine Shelle.  The cover is hand painted, and the pages are a variety of yummy handmade (but not made by me) papers.

 5"x6"

This next one's a blank notepad made from shipping tags, and it goes to Jaime

 4.5"x2.5"

Here's another little blank note pad, heading out to Julia (aka Pan's daughter)

 3.5"x4.5"

This wee one goes to Denise Mulligan

 3.5"x3.5"

and finally, the teeniest of the bunch goes to Carol (aka Bloody Frida)

 2.5"x2.5"

Thank you all so much for all the lovely comments you left.  It was killing me to not send something to everyone.  I have so many more books I want to make and so many lovely art friends.  I may just have to send out some surprises in the coming months....