I found out recently that I would need an operation and that post op, I'd be fairly incapacitated for at least three months, perhaps as long as six.....groan.
But whilst life sends little challenges there are always silver linings, if you look for them and true to form, my news had one tucked away. Although I'd be incapacitated, effectively housebound and band from any heavy lifting or stretching (housework was definitely out for at least 6 weeks... yea!) I would still be able to craft. In fact it was being actually encouraged.... Now that is one silver lining.
So despite the relatively short notice I had enough time to plan what crafting projects I could do post-op, whilst recuperating and I set to making a list. I only recently found out about the official annual ICAD Challenge and knew that my impending hospitalisation meant I couldn't join this year's ICAD. I certainly didn't consider that one of my post-op crafting activities could be my own personal ICAD Challenge.... that was down to my partner.
As much as I adore flowers my gorgeous partner realised I might be over run with them once I was out of hospital, so instead greeted my home coming with an AMAZING goodie box packed to the gills with crafting bits & bobs. How wonderful was that!!! A crafter's dream.
In amongst the goodies was a ring-bound pack of 100 index cards which set my mind spinning. Why not do my own personal post - op ICAD challenge? So that's what I've been doing.........
I've been at it for a couple of weeks now or 15 days to be precise and I now have 15 PO ICAD's to share with you. What I decided to do, in addition to creating an index card a day, was to try something new. By something new, I mean a new technique or a stamp that I'd bought but not used or perhaps one in a set that I haven't tried... that kind of thing.
Ok, here we go:
Day 1:
For this ICAD I tried a new technique; masking off lines with masking tape and then watercoloring between them. When I removed the masking tape there was some seepage underneath, which I was cool with, I simply journalled in those areas.
Day 2:
Another new technique. I wanted to try out a faux encaustic technique using Seth Apter's texture bake embossing powders (vintage beeswax & patina oxide) and also stamping into the melted embossing powder.
I was really pleased at how this little ICAD turned out, especially my little bee which I stamped onto a piece of used teabag.
Day 3:
I absolutely love this ICAD....... Apart from messing about with paint, paper, inks etc my other passion is embroidery and gorgeous threads and fabrics. I don't embroider nearly enough these days but that being said, my silks and threads are never far away.
Today I had the over whelming urge to use this scrap of lace and to have a lazy afternoon reminding myself how to do French Knots..... it's a bit like riding a bike, I found. You never forget. Whilst I machine stitch in my mixed media work all the time, I don't do any hand stitchery. So that was my something new for this ICAD
I added a few Mother of Pearl fragments and a moth image.... I had originally planned to use a gorgeous butterfly I found moribund on the carpet the other morning but it was too fragile.
Day 4: For the love of books ICAD
I've been wanting to try weaving with book pages for ages now, so that was my challenge for today. It actually took me longer to cut my book page into even strips than it did to weave them together but it was fun all the same.
I added a touch of heavy gesso to bring the focus to the centre, where I added a circle of silver jewellery wire and a little homemade heart I found in amongst my stash.
Day 5:
A simple collage made up of stamped muslin on inked edged vellum, a postage stamp on a scrap of parchment and embroidery on a book page mounted onto a scrap of gorgeous coloured silk from my embroidery stash...... very simple but I love this one.
A wee close up of the embroidery and the lovely arched door stamp I found.
Day 6. Live Gently Upon this Earth ICAD
Believe it or not this was another technique that I hadn't tried, stamping onto a book page. The text is from a Chinese book on Buddism which I thought sat well with the delicate maidenhair fern stamp and the sentiment I wanted to use.
I stamped and then heat embossed the fern before colouring it, using Stamping Up watercolour marker pens and a water brush.
Day 7. Choose to see, everything has beauty ICAD
This ICAD is basically a used window envelope with a little washi collaging and Ranger Small Talk stickers. The seed head was collected on my now daily walks to build up my strength and fitness again. As I wandered along the footpath near home today, I noticed how the summer flowers are now blown and forming seedpods, which have their own beauty.
My something new was using the old window envelope instead of throwing it into the recycling.
Day 8. Do More Than Exist ICAD
Attempting a galaxy sky with Distress Ink & Oxides has been on my to do list for sometime, so today was the day. Plus I wanted to try out a brand new stamps, Altenew's 'To the Moon " stampset.
I think I got a bit carried away with my water & Radiant Rain Shimmer Mist (solar gold) splatters. But I absolutely loved the end result after using the three moon stamps that are in the set to create my moon.
I heat embossed the last moon stamp with clear embossing powder. There were tiny flecks of iridescence left in the powder from the last time I used it, which transferred onto my moon..... definitely a happy accident because the end result, a hint of shimmer, looked amazing.
Day 9. Random Doodles ICAD
I wanted to play with applying paint through some of my stencils and some random marking, with the idea of creating a background that I would eventually paint over, leaving the background peeking through in places. That was the idea. The reality was something different.
The picture above is the background I created..... Hmmmm, I wasn't happy but pressed on.
And this was the background after I'd painted over it and added random doodles....... I hated it and it was consigned to the bin tout de suite! At least I tried it.
To meet my challenge of creating an ICAD a day, I resorted to quick, tried and tested doodling with a black Bic biro, a touch of highlighting with a Faber Castle Pitt brush marker pen and some Glossy Accents for good measure.
Day 10. No. 79 ICAD
Another ICAD I'm pleased with.
I used masking tape, washi and torn book pages to create a background then a colour wash using Payne's Grey and a hint of Burnt Umber watercolour paint. My edges were highlighted with a charcoal pencil before adding gesso, scraped across the page with a pallet knife.
A scrap of ivory vintage lace and a Ranger mini plaquette completed the page together with machine stitchery in black.
Day 11: Home Rusted ICAD
I did some home rusting some time ago and the happy accident was the awesome markings left on the fabric that I used. You'll have seen it in an earlier post, as I used a piece on one of my ALAD/ASAW challenge pieces. It is without doubt gorgeous.
I couldn't resist using it for today's ICAD but I wanted to accentuate the soft pastel grey and beige of the fabric with some bright orange embroidery.
I machine stitched my embroidered piece to the index card but first covered it with a used teabag which just happened to be the perfect shade of subtle beige
Day 12: Circulation ICAD
Don't ask me why this ICAD is called Circulation because I have absolutely no idea..... it just came to me.
Whilst I've stamped on fabric before I've not stamped onto rough silk so that's what I tried today.... and it worked pretty well.
I decided to added a small tag to my card, so that was edged with Ranger Botanical washi, stamped with an Entomology bug which I coloured and then coated the carapace with glossy accents. A few Ranger Remnant Rubs were added to finish it off.
A few more Remnant Rubs were added to the silk (that works well too) along with a couple of feathers left for me by Ester (one of my small bantam flock) after she waddled through to visit me in the craft room (it's a regular occurrence in the summer when the doors are open!)
Day 13: Hint of Brush ICAD
I decided to play with Brusho today. I outlined the images left after spritzing with water with a Faber Castelle fine line pen and an a scrape that wasn't outline for my sentiment layer.
Day 14: Loose Threads ICAD
The jury is definitely out on this ICAD. I liked the technique that I'd seen on YouTube but not the end result. I pre-gessoed the card and adhered the thread with more gesso for texture. I think using the gesso with the Distress Stain I chose to colour the card was my mistake because it took forever to dry! Definitely a another try is in order but this time without using gesso.
In an attempt to add a little more interest I added mini art stone with some heavy matt gel.... Hmmm, still doesn't work for me!
Day 15: Art ICAD
For my background I decided to use a scrap of card that had formally been a Distress Oxide practice piece. For texture I used Dreamweaver stencil paste through a honeycomb stencil, a few pieces of torn vintage book page and then some stamping using Archival ink.
Next came a shop full of Ranger: Oodles and oodles of Ranger Remnant Rubs, a piece of film strip, a story band, typewriter keys and wooden letters, painted black.
And there you have it, my PO ICAD to date. It's been fun but I still have a long way to go to meet my challenge. Just hope my creative muse will last out.
From here on in I'll try to post my daily ICAD each day or every couple of days at least, so please stop by.
Happy Crafting
Carol. xx
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