Index Card a Day (ICAD) 2023 - Weeks 8 and 9

The final weeks of ICAD 2023 came round so here are my interpretations.  Above are: Note to Self; Topiary; Weathervane; Museum (two of our local museums).

Yahtzee (I remember the adverts and knew this was a game - after asking Google, it was described as a game using five dice); Lemon or Lime; Winter.

The final week's offerings were: Bird (using a collage of various bits and pieces); Illustration and Peaceful (my favourite piano concerto to listen to)...

...Filigree and Mosaic.

It has been enjoyable but I'm not sure whether I shall take part next year.  We'll see.  On to the next project which is the Inchie Challenge with Amy Maricle from 7th-16th August.

Index Card a Day 2023 (ICAD) - weeks 5,6 and 7

Here's a round up of weeks five, six and seven of ICAD 23.  Above is: Evergreen; Playground; Charcoal (another of my somewhat grumpy charcoal faces); Cottage.

Perspective; Summer and Astronomy (an inked 'galaxy' background).

Week six was Imaginary; Metallic (using an embossing folder and silver card with black acrylic paint brushed on and them wiped off); Zodiac; Levels (another embossing folder)...

...Chandelier; Float or Buoy (using magazine collage); Trivia.

Week seven had Patina (using an embossing folder and acrylic paint dry brushing); Repeat (using one of my hand carved stamps, made from an eraser); Millefleurs; Wabi Sabi (which I chose to interpret using darning)...

...Vermilion; Raindrops and Focus.

Two more weeks to go and the challenge is over for another year.
 

Index card a Day (ICAD) 2023 - weeks 3 and 4

Here are the next two weeks' of ICAD.  Above, Seaglass; Alphabet; Sunflower and Xylophone. Inks, paint and magazine collage featured here.

Violet; Tranquility and Postage Stamp.

Unexpected and Enchanted Forest.

Inside Unexpected is a surprise...

...and a unicorn is hiding in the Enchanted Forest.  This one took a while as I kept changing the opening sections, cutting bits out, then putting them back.  I used a tree stencil with some inking as well as paper from a paper pad with the starry sky and the unicorn stamp which was embossed in silver. I finished it with lots of stickles (glitter glue).  It got there in the end!

Bubbles; Dictionary (using a piece of dictionary page with the word 'dictionary' circled; Indigo and Pinball.

Finally for now Asanoha, which is a traditional Japanese pattern based on a hemp leaf inside a hexagon. Thanks to the internet for this and for how to draw it too!

Some of these prompts are certainly giving me a challenge but it's an enjoyable one.
 

Index-Card-A-Day (ICAD) 2023 - weeks 1 and 2

Here we are with ICAD 2023.  Above are (clockwise from top left) Sapling; Polka dots or Graphic dots; Espresso; Map.  

Here are Stripes or Zebra stripes; Wildflowers and Treble Clef.  So far, I've used pens and watercolour, inks and embossing, collage and stamps.

Week two was: Butterfly; Fuchsia or Magenta; Glyph (any kind of purposeful mark, representation of a character or an incised mark).  I used texture paste for this and tried to get the look of an old piece of plaster.  Signpost is the last one on this photo.

Moonlight (music from the 'Moonlight Sonata'); Superstition ( I have been practising the lettering I have been doing in my talking sketchbook online class); Typewriter.  

I am being pretty literal with my interpretations so far, but we shall see as the weeks go on.  On to week three...

Online Art courses

 I enjoy learning new things and art and being creative, so I have recently enrolled in some online art courses.

Photos from Kate Crane's Etsy shop

There is Let's Draw! and...

Photos from Kate Crane's Etsy shop

For The Love Of Circles , both by Kate Crane.  Both of these are reasonably priced and show Kate's love of doodling and whimsical creatures, but also her pattern and watercolour skills.  She designs stamps and stencils for Carabelle Studios.  She is a calm and patient teacher and I am enjoying working my way through the lessons as and when I log in.  I love her style and have enjoyed online classes with her when she was a teacher on Wanderlust, the art journal course I am doing again this year.

I took part in Sketchbook Revival earlier in the year and this showcased many different creators all providing a lesson for a daily sketchbook practice.  I don't always create something every day,  but I try.  There were two artists I was particularly drawn to, so I have signed up for some classes with them.

First is Helen Wells, an abstract artist who is as colourful as her artwork.  She  has a such a positive  attitude, is an enthusiastic teacher and her classes are a joy too.  

Image from Helen Wells' website

I have done Art Journal Joy, where you create a sketchbook, using a black and white collage for inspiration and experimenting with shape, colour and lines.  I have ended up with a book full of pattern and colour, one which I can add to if I would like to and the knowledge that I can make more and more of these books to experiment, enjoy and have fun making.

Image from Helen Wells' website

I am currently working on Objects to abstracts, which is about creating a still life image with objects you like from around the home and then creating abstract paintings from them.

The final course I have enrolled in is another teacher from Sketchbook Revival, Joanne Sharpe. She combines watercolours and lettering. I have signed up to Art Sparks 16, which is a follow on from her Sketchbook Revival lesson. 

Also, Index Card a Day run by Daisy Yellow Art starts on 1st June, where there is a daily prompt (if you want to use it) in order to inspire the creation of an index card sized piece of art every day until the end of July. I have done this for the last three years and it does encourage me to use my art stash.

So, I have plenty going on in my creative life - I love it!

Index-Card-A-Day (ICAD) challenge 2022 - final Weeks 8 and 9

Here are the last cards from this year's challenge.  Above are: Detour; Space and Together.

Above are: Dawn or Dusk; Wander; Snowflake and Forest.

Here are: Luminous; Ultramarine (using watercolour) and Briolette.

Finally there are: Happiness and Prism.  Again, I used lots of Distress inks, stamps, stencils and some watercolour for these cards.  I found some of these prompts quite tricky (as I usually do), but managed to muddle my way through and enjoyed the creative processes.

Index Card-A-Day (ICAD) challenge 2022 - Week 7

It's the penultimate post for this year's ICAD challenge.  Above are: Scrabble; Whimsical; Travel.

Here are: Orange; Spin or Spinner; Chevrons and Wallpaper (my favourite William Morris Willow Bough design).

The last ICAD post will have all the remaining cards as the challenge ends on 31st July.

Index-Card-A-Day Challenge (ICAD) 2022 - week 6

In the hope that you aren't bored with this challenge yet (!), here are the cards from week 6.  Above there is Mysterious; Gelato (collaged seed plant catalogue pages) and Turquoise (inks and Tim Holtz stamps).

Top left there is Geometric; Ink (using a brush and ink to create the patterns); Bottom left: Verdant (magazine image collage) and Ombre.

The challenge finishes at the end of July, so we're nearly there!
 

Index-Card-a-Day Challenge (ICAD) 2022 - Week 5

Week Five of the challenge brought: Neon; Magical (a 'Galaxy' background with distress inks, white splatters and sparkly Stickles); Postmark...

...Sky (watercolour sparkle inks and a stamped image); Quatrefoil or Ogee; Rooster (collage made using some of my clean up sheets) and Yellow (using alcohol inks).

On to Week Six...

Index-Card-A-Day challenge (ICAD) 2022 - Week 4

The ICAD challenge is speeding along nicely this year.  Above from top left there is: Pineapple; Purple; Print (a ghost print from a recent gel plate session - I always seem to like the ghost prints more than the actual prints!)

From top left: Portmanteau (I chose the section in Alice Through the Looking Glass where Humpty Dumpty is explaining what the words in Jabberwocky mean and uses the word 'portmanteau'); Poem which is The Way through the Woods by Rudyard Kipling.  This poem left a big impression on me when I first read it at school and I have featured it before on my blog. It is a bit melancholy, remembering times past and seeing nature taking hold again but also has a slightly mysterious feel. I love the rhythm of the words too, "You can hear the beat of a horse's feet, And the swish of a skirt in the dew".  At the bottom is: Plaid (using two dies cuts layered up) and Parachute.

Lots more to come - we are nearly half way through.

Index Card a Day Challenge (ICAD) 2022 - Week 3

Week three of this challenge is done  - the time is going fast!  Above there is (from top left): Mix and Match (I did some paper weaving); Jukebox; Mango (with a gel print background) and Bitmap or Half Tone. 

Here is Selvedge (I scanned some of my material stash into the computer) ; Ouija Board and Solstice.  Again, all pretty literal interpretations, but enjoyable to do nonetheless.

Index-Card -A-Day (ICAD) Challenge 2022 - Week 2

Week two of the challenge and from the top there is Pictogram; Rubik's Cube and Found (in my case, I made some found poetry from my go-to book, which seems to have just what I need every time, The Trojan Horse by Hammond Innes).  I have been using distress inks, watercolours and acrylic paint this week.

Top left is Rainbow; Cyanotype or Blueprint (I chose to do a faux cyanotype using my gel plate and a fern leaf from the garden); Toy (layered Teddy stamp) and Mood Board (I used scraps from my collage box and was pleased to see all the different blues.)  I really enjoyed the found poetry, the cyanotype and mood board from Week two.  On I go!

Index-Card-A-Day (ICAD) 2022 challenge - Week 1

The Index-Card-a-Day challenge is on again.  I have taken part for the last two years and have enjoyed creating a small piece of art every day during June and July.  There are daily prompts, but it is up to you whether to use them, or whether to go your own way.  There are also guides to materials you may like to use.  The challenge is run by Daisy Yellow Art.  Above from the top are Asterisk; Peony; Maze or Labyrinth; Key.

Above are Flamingo or Pink; Daydream and Root.  I often seem to be quite literal with my interpretation, but again, this is up to you.  The cards to work on are index cards or pieces of card 6x4 inches in size. So far I have used inks, watercolours, stamps, stencils, dies and images from the internet.  This challenge is also really good for making me use what I have.

 I will post weekly so that there aren't too many posts to wade through.  How about joining in?  It's not too late!

Index-Card -A-Day (ICAD) challenge - Week 4

Week four of the ICAD challenge and more thinking required for some of these prompts (as always!).  Above are: top left: Meadow, Margarita (I broke this down to the ingredients and applied glitter round the edge to look like the salt), bottom right: Maple and Maroon (again, I looked for the description and then mixed some acrylic paint in a brown/crimson and brown/purple which I applied through a stencil).

These are: top left:  Matelasse, (a weaving or stitching technique where the pattern appears padded or quilted - I had to look that up!), Magician, at the bottom,  Marble.  Onto the next set of prompts!

Index-Card-A-Day (ICAD) challenge 2021 - Week 3

The ICAD challenge continues and is providing me with lots to think about.  Above, from top left are: Chartreuse, Trinket, bottom right is Parallel and bottom left is Colour wheel.  (The three primaries I chose gave rather sludgy colours when I mixed them, but I remedied this by using brighter shades around the outside.)

From the top is Sand or Sandcastle, Bridge and Inkwell. (I chose to ink well, using inks and a stencil for that last one).
I have found that I have turned more to using my inks for the challenge this year and am enjoying rediscovering them.  On to the next prompts!

Index-Card-A-Day Challenge (ICAD) 2021 week 2

Here are the ICAD cards for week 2.  Above, top left, Umbrella, Ampersand, bottom right, Library and Ribbon.

 From the top, Fairytale, Dice and Word cloud. As always, some of these are more of a challenge than others.  Some need a lot of thinking about.  What is really good about this challenge is that my huge stash of stamps, stencils, dies, inks, watercolour crayons, paints and other crafting stuff comes into its own.  I am often to be heard saying 'I knew that would come in useful!'

Index Card A Day (ICAD) - Week Nine

The Index Card A Day Challenge has finished after nine weeks and 61 prompts (plus two bonus ones).  Above are the bonus cards: One Staple Collage and Draw or Collage a Bird.  I used gel medium to stick the magazine pieces down and it left a few wrinkles, but they are just part of the image!

The final prompts were: Billiards; Tea Set; Arboretum.  Initially, I didn't feel particularly inspired by Billiards or Arboretum, but managed to create something.  Arboretum was a magazine collage, using a different glue this time.

The final two prompts were: Bossa Nova; Adventure.   I really enjoyed painting Bossa Nova, while listening to appropriate music, of course.  I bought a map stamp a few weeks ago, so was able to use that for the Adventure prompt.  The folded paper hides...

...the countries/places I have travelled to and had my own adventures.  Egypt definitely tops the list for adventures!

I have enjoyed the ICAD challenge and have used lots of different techniques and media to create the pieces. I found making one small piece a day was do-able and the prompts helped me to focus on ideas which I probably wouldn't have followed otherwise.  Deciding to use the prompts each day was also a good choice as again, the words weren't always ones I would have used.   I think my most successful pieces were the mixed media ones - Tiramisu, Camomile, Cappucino, Diagram - but I also like the ones where words have been incorporated too, such as Album and Orchard.  

Here's to next year's ICAD challenge!