Monday, July 21, 2008

post 999 - Christmas cards

My favorite of the Christmas cards


and three socks....

Saturday Mary and i talked all our friends into signing up for Jim Gensheers Christmas card class... we had great fun with Jim as one of his jobs is to entertain us... we learned how to paint his Christmas cards...fast and quick...he does the background washes on some in 20 seconds...and entertained us with a stop watch and not looking as he did it...even the newbees left with cards they were proud of...and they should be ..their cards were lovely

BYTW he sells these for $5 each...a steal of a deal...we all left with at least one or two of his originals...they are 5x7, include an envelope...on 140# Kilimanjaro paper

after a fast lunch at River Club near our friend Illes house and where EVERY golfer in North Augusta had decided to sit down and watch the British open...drink beer and talk LOUDLY....we went to illes to paint some more cards...i made 13...no idea how many everyone made all together but Jim was gracious enough to lend Sue and Ille a watercolor palette and he lent us all stamps, sponges and the wine cork wheely invention...it really does great trunks...tired but happy i got home about 7:30...i know my puppies have forgotten who i am this summer!

oh how were they made? generally the skys were washed, big trees swished in quickly with ultramarine, a touch of raw sienna and indigo, a swosh swoshed across the foreground for shadow, trees were scratched and then salt added using the hula technique...put the board on the floor and sprinkle salt from the hip as you do the hula:> Then we let them dry while we did the next one...small trees were added with rigger brush...posts with the wheely...and some brush with the fan brush...and last but not least a toothbrush to splatter snow on our winter scenes...course i am NOT telling his special techniques that make it easier to do...its all in the details of how you handle the equipment...such as holding the rigger brush at at 90 degree angle...and hold it close to the top while you paint all the trees in...the small ones that is


another winter dawn...opps four trees...should do odd numbers...posts are all done with the wheely thing

not bad but perhaps too many trees done with the rigger brush?


this was done entirely with indigo with a touch of ultramarine...the trees were done with a stamp
wish i had made the post into a tree...but i like it ...



love the sunrise on this one...although i used too much salt...oh well...


this is one of my favorites...would you believe the tree is stamped? made in class


I made this one at home...late at nite...i am going to go back in and make the trees longer with the wine cork wheely thing...slices of wine cork impaled and glued on toothpicks that make stripes of color...you can go back over it again....use heavy undiluted wc


Okay so i thought it would look Christmasy to do one of the freeform cards in red and green...should NOT have used thalo blue with it too...who ever heard of a red green and BLUE christmas card:>

a fall scene...
this is the one with the 20 second wash...slap slap with the water and then slap slap with the color- trees done with the wine cork wheely thing... A purple and orange one done the same way...i like this one although i think TOO many branches...less is better with these...and faster!!


My son Drews size 12 and a half sock...he picked the yarn out himself after much careful consideration of the catalog and its color way swatches...checking to see which ones the store had and what colors they knitted up into..

16 comments:

Kunstrxns said...

lovely cards, such a wonderful winter feeling on a hot day.


Sharon

MaryO said...

Your cards are all beautiful, Margaret. You'll enjoy sending these out and your recipients will be delighted! Nice socks, too, I haven't done socks in a long while.

Linda Teddlie Minton said...

Maggiemaggiemaggie! You never cease to amaze me. Simply beautiful cards. Can you post a picture of your cork wheelie thingy? I can't imagine what you are talking about!
Keep it up, Girlfriend ... you are entertaining and inspiring me at the same time!

Stephanie said...

Love them! You are all set for the holiday season! (after you make how many more??? Love the knittd socks too. Great job!

Margaret Ann said...

OOOOH MY! These are extraordinary! Absolutely glorious with color....teach me, teach me, teach me!!!LOL Just super!

I want to dive right in to one of those snow banks right now and rool around in the fluffy white stuff...it is so freaking humid here! :)

kazumiwannabe said...

Elles sont super, super belles, ces cartes! It was a bit strange to see these winter trees at first but I got used to it and now I feel refreshed... Anyway they all look fantastic.

Marva Plummer-Bruno said...

Your cards are gorgeous! The top 3 are my favorite! Marva

Minerva said...

Wow! I love these cards! The colors are so vibrant, and no, I can't believe the tree is stamped...
Love the socks too :)

Anetka said...

great, great, great stuff!!!! I love them all and I wish I could make them too!!!

ohhh...I've got long way to go...but what an inspiration you are:)

Gillian Mowbray said...

Your cards are fantastic. You'll have some very pleased family members this Christmas. x

Anonymous said...

These cards are just stunning. I want to do some toooooooo! Even though our Christmas is summer, I still want to do them.

Lisa Adams Reed said...

Maggie,
These cards are great! What a fun way to cool off in the heat of summer. (107 here today!)
Lisa

Rita said...

I LOVE your Christmas cards! People will love receiving them! What a special thing to do. :)

Heather Pregger said...

Your cards are beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Maggie,
Your cards are spectacular! I love the soft colors and the wintry feeling you get looking at them. I sure wish I was on your Christmas card list. I'd really love to learn how to do these as well. What on earth is the wheelie thing??

Keep up the beautiful work! You are an inspiration for me.

Carole Blackburn
caroleannb@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

Hi, did you make your own stamps for the trees? We did some in an art class, but never thought to use them so cleverly. I just do watercolors and make cards to sell.