Sunday 29 January 2012

Sunday 29th Jan

Well I missed the linky widget for last week's post card challenge, so here are 2 weeks together, just scroll down for the China episode.
I have made up a few more 'rules' for myself - as if it's not already enough of a challenge.
The cards have to speak for themselves, so there's no extra info about the characters or their stories
The stories fit with the time they were written
The image and the text have to tie up fairly closely (already broken that one - see China)
I have to  try something new
But rules were made to be broken!


BRAZIL
Here I drew leaves and made stencils and masks. The text is deliberately (but perhaps not effectively) very rough)










It says:
"Dear Miss                 Rio July 1969
Bet you didn't think you'd hear from me again, but here I am. So much has happened. My Mum has become a hippy!! (probably a mid life crisis - I mean she's ancient) Anyway, here we are in Brazil. I wanted to be a hippy, but my mum says I can't be one (or have lipstick) until I'm older. I said hippies go to India, but she said it's groovy in Brazil too - they've got this TROPICALIA thing going on - all funky, psychedelic art and music 'n' stuff. Not that I'm allowed to go to hear any of it without her, and she's busy volunteering OUR services to help poor people living in a favela (Brazilian for slum!) Not that we have the requisite* skills for this - mostly they help us!! Bet Mum's hippy-hood won't stretch as far as my education - I'll be back in September. Still, the heat, the colours (and the smells!) will live with me forever, and will no doubt do me good, if ever I get to be a writer.
Love me
*fab word            PS Mum is making our post cards now (sorry)


CHINA

 For this I did a digital image, and printed it on some lovely old hand made Chinese paper (with strange bits in it) Unfortunately that meant a lot of the shading and detail in the image was lost, but I am treating this as a learning experience and trying something new each week.
It says:
                                             Aug 1969
Dear Amy
As you can see, I'm in England. Bernard's ill, so travelling is out of the question & so I'm sending you a card from somewhere no-one is going - China - what with the Cultural Revolution, earthquakes and a border war with Russia!! (For once I think your beloved exclamation marks are justified) Look it up if your sojourn* in a favela has left you out of touch with current affairs. I'm sure it's doing you good, but don't neglect your studies - I always felt you would do well (you already have "gone far" - ha ha, as you would say). Seriously though, I am concerned for you, and hope everything is alright at home (wherever that is right now). You can write to me, you know, between cards, if you'd like.
Take care
Mrs Ambleside
* a new word for you?     PS Thought I'd better put this in an envelope

11 comments:

  1. Both your cards are wonderful Jan :D I especially like the printing on handmade paper...the image may be feint, but that just gives it a more magical quality :D XXX

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  2. Both of your cards are lovely! I will have to look that word up too!

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  3. great to have you back. lovely postcards, forget about the rules.lol....

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  4. Love the colours in the Brazil postcard (that mom made ha ha) & adore the rough texture & mistiness of the Chinese one, I think I had a paper similar once & it had petals in it to make it scented, maybe they are the mysterious 'bits' LOL - great post!

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  5. So glad you could play again this week! I really love your China card!!! ♥
    See you next week! :)

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  6. love the hippy colors and striped text for Brazil card. Mom and carnival are in sync. hahaha. Fabulous China card. The bits and soft color of the Pagoda (?) along with the handmade paper make it feel very old. Beautiful. Is this a transfer? love it. Can really feel the frustration that Amy is having with her "mid life crisis" of Mum.

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    1. Thank you for your lovely comments. I created the Chinese picture with a graphics programme, lots of layers to get age and texture and the pagoda is a brush (digi stamp) which I made quite faint.
      So glad my view of Amy is coming thro - never done any writing since O Levels (shows my age) so a bit unsure about it.
      J

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  7. both cards are wonderful, love the funky text on Brasil. The paper you used for China is wonderful, the bits actually make it wonderfully vintage looking.

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  8. I have to say the China one is very beautiful. The paper you used just gives it such a serene feel. Fantastic job!

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  9. Great cards, love the printing effect on the China postcard. A good experiment I would say.
    Jen x

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  10. Super cards and I agree, the printing experiment was very successful. I love the effect you have achieved.

    Janet xx

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