Turning Old Business Cards Into Arrt

 As I've mentioned in a previous post, downsizing a home with over 40 years' worth of stuff in it is a lot like conducting an archeology dig. You find all kinds of things you've forgotten you had. One of the items I came across was a box of my old business cards. I had never liked these cards. The type was much too small, and I didn't like the design so I had long since replaced them. Reluctant to toss them out (that's the packrat in me) I wasn't sure how I might use them so I simply left them sitting on the shelf.  

 

One afternoon I was looking for a piece of scratch paper. I grabbed one of the cards as a substitute. Then it occurred to me that the blank side of each card would make a great little "canvas" that I could doodle on in the evenings while watching TV. This concept soon expanded to include collage, then collage with mixed media. 

I really like the idea of working small, on cards that otherwise would have ended up in the landfill. It's a great way to stay in the art-making mode after larger projects are put away for the night. Their compact size also makes them quite portable. They fit easily into a small box or tin; add some Pitt Artists Pens, Sharpies or other sketching implements and a glue stick and you're all set to travel. 

Pictured above are two of the eight pieces I've completed so far. They're great fun to do, so I plan to continue making business card art until I run out of business cards or I run out of inspiration, whichever comes first!

Text and images ©2022 Lynn Edwards

I'm Back!

It has been almost a year since I last posted on this blog. The past 11 1/2 months have been chaotic, to put it mildly. Coping with the pandemic restrictions and then contracting and recovering from Covid took their toll, as did losing beloved family members to illness as well. Hubs and I also decided to move across the country to be closer to my relatives, and began the daunting task of sorting through 40+ years of the accumulation of "stuff." Over the years our basement had become a magnet for everything we couldn't figure out what to do with, or where to store it. So tackling the basement was a lot like sifting through an archeology dig. We found items we hadn't seen in years. 

Halfway through the basement clean-out, inflation reared its ugly head. Watching the price of everything from bread and milk to a tank of gas soar to unprecedented levels, we looked at each other and said,  "Moving might not be such a good idea right now." 

Our plan had been to sell our place here in Georgia and move into a retirement community in a new home state, close to family. But the prospect of rampant inflation teamed with a recession brought our moving plans to a screeching halt. So we've dug in right where we are and the basement challenge notwithstanding, are staying put, at least for now. 

Giving up my fabulous studio was something I was dreading. Parting with the home we've worked so hard to renovate and improve was going to rip my heart out. Even worse was the prospect of saying goodbye to all our friends here who have been such an important part of our lives. We will have to make that move at some point (aging in place isn't for us) so each day we get to stay on here is precious. Facing change isn't easy but as a wise man once said, "Change begins at the end of your comfort zone." I hope we can enjoy this comfort zone just a wee bit longer...!