This is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween!!

 I'm trying to gear up for my annual Halloween month long blog celebration!

HOWEVER, while I have a few projects done, I'm starting to seriously doubt how much will get accomplished. I have a few more in various stages of completion and a whole lot that are still ideas in my head. 

So I decided not to throw any pressure on myself this year. October will be what it is. I will share as many projects as possible as I get them done. Some will be my assemblages but most will probably be small art journal pages or tags or cards. I haven't yet done my annual Edgar Allan Poe 8 X 10 canvas but it is in the priority chart.

In the meantime, please head over to my Etsy shop if you are looking for some wall décor this year. A little Halloween fun to change up the season. The canvases listed are pieces that I have shared here on the blog in past posts. Keep checking back to the shop as I will be adding more items as I get photos taken. Mostly Halloween cards but I may have a few more small canvases that I have yet to locate. 

Here's a few photos of what's over there and you can find more detailed photos at the store.

The WiccaPedia is an altered configuration book dedicated to the various types of witches in the world.

Small framed canvas measures about  5 X 7. Napkin decoupage.

ATC tray with vintage vibe. Some 3-D elements in a shadowbox format.

The Steampunkin. Canvas with many dimensional elements attached.

Day of the Dead canvas. Colorful flowers are dimensional.

There are some other things over there with more to come so don't forget to take a look if you are in the market for some Halloween decorations this year. (Let's face it, who doesn't need new Halloween decorations every year, right?) 

Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/ChocolateDragonPaper

Also check out my Facebook page and follow me there for updates to the blog. 

Don't forget Pinterest, if you like to follow my Color Palette journal. All those palettes are a board over there!

I also post to Instagram if you just like to see pretty pictures of works in progress. I am also known to post about my real job: Chocolate!

Thanks for sharing my links and posts with your friends! Every little bit helps. You never know what is going to catch someone's attention.

Stay well. 

--Wy

The New Normal: Phase One

While Covid-19 is still here, still viable, still causing a global pandemic, here in New York State our Stay at Home order (PAUSE) has basically been lifted. We must wear a mask in public, we must social distance, and we must not gather together but we are slowly transitioning back to a new normal. Thus, I have changed my titles to depict this slow re-opening of my state. Since it officially began in the North Country on May 15, I will be counting the days from there.

If you are looking for a Graduation card (it could also be used for other occasions), go over to my Etsy Store and check out the 4 recent listings for cards. You can choose colors and add a personalization to them and if you select a new shipping address (other than your own), I'll make the custom card and send it to your graduate directly. I always offer Free shipping on single cards and my shop has a free shipping option for orders over $35.00. (Full Disclosure: I do average in a cost for shipping to my usual prices just as I add in any Etsy Fees to my listings. So just remember "free" shipping isn't always "free".) The photos on the site are just card examples. Colors will vary with your selections.

Here's the store: Chocolate Dragon Paper Arts

Here's the 2 cards I did:

They are both easel cards and the colors that would be custom are the base of the card, the mat, and the colors in the background of the stamped image. Stamped images by Hot Off the Press.

There are 2 other cards on the site that my sister makes that are much more elaborate. An explosion box and an accordion card. Same deal. They are made to order and sent to the graduate or I'll send them to you with an envelope if you want to add a gift card or cash. On the accordion card, you have a choice of sentiment and a color (for the card base).

Anyway, all the details are at my Etsy Store. Please allow time to make the card as well as to ship it to you. I use the USPS to ship and will not expedite. Only First Class mail for cards. If you get other things or a lot of cards to a single address, I may upgrade you to Priority Mail. (It's still free.)

Thanks for the support! My sister and I make unique cards and no two ever look the exactly the same, even when we want them to! And all of these cards are great for displaying.

Remember to wear your mask!

Wash your dang hands!

And above all, stay safe!

-Wy

Purple Zines

If you saw my post back in September about the Master Detective, I hinted that there would be more Zines on the horizon.

Here are two, in fact. My Etsy Store currently has copies available for purchase. They are small and lightweight to mail in a standard envelope. They are hand-cut and hand-folded so they are not perfect but that is part of their charm.

Anyway, here's a little look at them. I purposely did not take a photo of all the pages or get up-close photos because I think it ruins a bit of the fun when you get it in the mail. But it's enough to demonstrate the style of the Zine.

The Lab of the Undertaker:  I made the original from a piece of mixed media cardstock. I used mainly ink spray for the purple background. It has a great watery look with lots of variation in the color. The cover is supposed to resemble a door with the ornate, creepy knocker.

The above photo is the first page spread. Each Zine has three, then a decorated cover and back. This gives you a feel for the Lab. I used mainly Tim Holtz ephemera and the paper pack he released several years ago called The Laboratory. (I admit that this paper pack is probably one of my all time favorites. It has everything science related as well as cobwebs and skeletons. I swoon every time I gaze at that Periodic Table.)

This is mainly a work of collage elements that are black and white. It's not creepy or scary but very much a science lab vibe.

Houdini:  I have always found Harry Houdini to be a fascinating character. He was an escape artist that became so well known that he was called upon to debunk many a Medium. Perhaps, it could be said he was the original Ghostbuster. But the stories that surround him grab my imagination. The fact that he died unexpectedly on Halloween night and that he left with his wife a password in case he could be contacted in the afterlife. His immersion in the surreal and magical world of the sleight of hand provided him a very unique point of view.

This Zine is again done in a purple inked background and features mainly collage work. I used a collage sheet of Houdini as well as stickers and cut-out rubber stamp images. I added several quotes of Houdini as well. I tried to make the Zine a progression of his early escape artist days up through his debunking of Mystics and Mediums. The last spread is about his death. 

I hope you enjoyed taking a look at these little Zines. Stop over to my Etsy store to see all my Halloween items for sale, if you are interested.

Remember all through the month of October there will be a new post here on the blog featuring a Halloween project. Some are large canvases, some are small works. Art journal pages, ATCs, index cards, greeting cards...all kinds of stuff. Even a party!

So check back every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday for all kinds of Halloween inspiration.

Thanks for taking a peek!

-Wy

Divination Deck: The Green Set

If anyone is so inclined to check out my Etsy Shop, you'll find a new item that I absolutely love. I have plenty of ideas and plans for this in the future but for now, check out this link.

Chocolate Dragon Paper Etsy Shop

This is the Divination Deck. It has been in the making since 2013 and I finally just pulled it all together. I'll give you the story here and a few photos of my favorites.

Allow me to explain what it is and then I get into how it came into being. The Divination Deck is a set of 16 individual cards, each with it's own traits. These cards when shuffled and placed in a particular order or spread may allow insights into future events, choices to be made, or just why you feel the way you do. You can use them to divine the future or probe more deeply into yourself. It is similar (but different) to Tarot. This being said, I created these cards for pure entertainment purposes; a showcase of my artwork.

The cards are standard playing card size (2.5" X 3.5") and are printed on 100 lb cardstock. Each card has an identical back. They are laser printed and hand-trimmed, so there are some minor imperfections that vary from card to card. The set comes with an instruction sheet that outlines a simple spread of cards as well as the traits that each card represents. After using the cards a few times, these traits can be easily memorized. The set with instruction sheet is packaged into a small coin envelope. (Mostly, because I don't quite have the money to invest in printed card boxes but I hope that will be possible with future sets.)

The Story:  A few years ago, I bought a book called Wizardology. (Remember those "ology" books? There was a whole slew of them. I loved those books.)  In that book, was a deck of "Wizard's Cards" to be used for divining the future. It was a set of 8 as I recall and had two different meanings depending on whether it appeared right-side up or upside-down. I was fascinated with the cards and the book encouraged the readers, aspiring wizards, to create their own deck.

Cards have long been used for Divination. Tarot cards are best known for their Major Arcana but the whole deck is a workable card game. I had always been interested in the Tarot but was intimidated by all the cards and meanings. I saw this Wizard's Deck and thought it a nice slimmed down, bare-bones sort of Tarot. So I made my own deck.

Of course, I couldn't just replicate the one in the book. I didn't like the fact that each card had a double meaning. So I separated each into it's own card. Each card represented two "traits" and a personality type. For the simple spread, two spots were determined to be people of influence and yet not all the cards were connected to a person. So I filled in all these gaps to make the deck work the way I wanted. I wanted certain things to be Clear and others to be Interpreted.

My first Divination Deck was born.

This idea percolated on the back burner until I began making trading cards, both ATC (artist trading cards) and LTC (letterbox trading cards). (Letterboxing is a hobby I used to participate in on a regular basis. While I still like it, I just don't partake like I used to.) The idea of the Divination Deck resurfaced as they were "cards". I loved to make alternate playing cards; like the Queen of Spiders (instead of spades) or the King of the Jungle. They were cards that could be used as gaming cards but also just admired for their art.

Anyway, I pulled out the idea and created a set of Divination Cards for a letterbox postal ring. Each card was handmade and stamped with a hand-carved rubber stamp I had carved to fit my theme. I even stamped a background stamp on the back of the card so the deck could be used. I made a deck for each "player" and included the "rules" of the deck and how to use it. I was rather proud of it. I made a set for my brother that he used to keep about his guest room, in case anyone had a hankering to tell the future.

The idea fell again by the wayside. I had made a deck; project finished.

Except that a few years ago, I took up art. I became an addict of making things with paper and paint. Once again, the Divination Deck idea called to me. What if I could make these cards with my own artwork and scan them in to reproduce decks? My job at The UPS Store educated me about how scanned artwork could be reproduced on a small scale. My idea became to make the artwork on a 8 X 10 or 9 X 12 canvas or paper that could be easily scanned into a digital file.

That meant I had some limitations. First, if I intended to sell them (and I did), the artwork couldn't include anything that was copyrighted. So if I collaged, I had to be careful about what I added. Second, these works had to be flat. The scanner wouldn't read 3-D items well and could leave a shadow. Thirdly, I had to stick with vertical layouts and rectangular proportions. Since these would be cards, it made no sense to do a landscape or make the artwork square. It would be a waste of printing.

So it began.

"Shadow" was the first "card" I completed. The original artwork is a mixed media piece on an 8 X 10 canvas. I debated on adding the actual word to the artwork and decided against it. The word could be added to the digital file for the printing of the cards. This also added another limit to the art. I had to be sure I had some "blank" space to add the title of the card.

It took me two years to complete all the artwork and most of it was done this last year. After I did "Shadow", I slacked off. I finally set my goals down on a check list and marked off which cards I had done and how many I had to go. Looking at the check list was a great inspiration to get it in gear.

The last couple of months has been scanning and setting up the file, printing and trimming.
It's finally completed. If you're interested in owning a deck, I have them for sale at my Etsy shop.

Do these next two cards look familiar?

These were tested right in my art journals. Pages that were shared right here on my blog.

Who knows what my future art journals will inspire?

This first deck is my Green Set. I figured I should give it a name as I plan to make other sets with different artwork. (I already have two cards done for a new set.) I will even change up the backs and add a different "spread" in the instructions.

I do have plan.

But the Green Set will be the set that will be unlimited, I think. Other sets might not be.
So thanks for hanging in there with me. Thanks for reading to the end!
I might not have too much time for blogging during December. (I hope to get my art journal assignments done, though!)
So have a Happy Holiday.
-Wy
Need that link again? Go HERE.

Red Carpet Studio Challenge #83: Julie & Julia

 Time for another Challenge over at Red Carpet Studios! Our movie this time around is "Julie & Julia".

Our theme is FOOD! With Thanksgiving right around the corner, what better way to celebrate than to feature food! We also have a great sponsor and prize for this Challenge.


Our sponsor this time around is one of my favorites: Jackbear Stamps!

Jackbear Stamps features HAND-CARVED rubber stamps! Jackbear makes each stamp with care and precision in fine quality material that stamps well with both dye and pigment inks. His shop features unique and unusual images that are hard to find anywhere else. He is offering a $15 coupon to be used toward any purchase in his Etsy shop. This coupon may also be used toward the purchase of a custom stamp. (If you do choose a custom stamp, please be sure to give Jackbear plenty of time to carve it!) 

Check out his shop policies for additional details about his stamps. 

 Jackbear also happens to be my brother and I hope you'll give his little Etsy shop a look see. He is quite capable of carving almost anything even portraits from photographs!

But I gush.

Here's my little project:

 

 Blank Recipe Book:  I decided to go "full blown" Julia Childs. My intention was to make a little recipe card book. My size isn't standard (it's actually 4 X 5") and I didn't get a chance to make the pages actual recipe cards, like I had hoped. BUT I did get it all together and it'll make a nice little blank notebook to keep in my purse or by the computer when I need to jot down a quick recipe off of Pinterest!
 

On a white piece of cardstock, I stamped my cake image (Hot off the Press) and colored it in. (Chocolate cake is my favorite!) I stamped the words of the Julia Childs quote using an alphabet stamp set in my stash. I just used my markers to add the polka dots to the background and add boxes around the words. Lastly, I just used a metallic Distress Stain to go along the edges to add a bit of shine.

I cut regular copy paper for the pages and the covers are recycled cardboard. I bound it together with The Cinch for a completed project! Books are my favorite thing to make!!!

Have a great week and Happy Thanksgving!

-Wy

Be sure to head over to Red Carpet Studios to share your project that relates to FOOD. I'd love to see what you're working on.

Wanted: A Little Courage

So I have been trying very hard to tie up loose ends on my project list. I have completed and cleared all my ATC/LTC swaps. Finished! I have a single postal letterbox to complete and that is only a logbook and I've already got a good start on it. It's a "greek temple" logbook that only needs some information and adornment. I did up my stamp and cards for the upcoming Steampunk Halloween event and at this point, it's really too late to do anything else for that. My brother and I leave on Friday for our drive to Maine and I'll be working all week. I will only have time to pack and double check that I have everything and then check out other letterboxers PTs and stuff.

So I'm basically in pretty good shape for the upcoming holidays.
And that means, I can now work on stuff without a looming deadline. To be honest, I think I work better with a deadline. It makes me focus and make decisions. It makes me accept a piece as it is or I may just keep working on it, adding here or there, or deciding that "it's not good enough" and trashing the thing. A deadline with people relying on you to meet it, allows me to ignore the inner critic and GET IT DONE.

So now I can focus on my art journal a bit more. I have done some more pages and I do need to take some photos of what I've been doing.

Now I can play with some of the stuff I've been hoarding over the summer.

Now I can get to work on inventory for an Etsy shop. Yeah, I may take the plunge and try to make an Etsy shop. I'd like to sell greeting cards, tags, and altered books. I'm a bit nervous about it.
One, I'm not professionally trained and/or educated about Art. Is my stuff good enough? Would anyone buy it?
Two, do people really still mail greeting cards and use the post office anymore? Is there still a market for it? I hear that Hallmark is shutting down a plant that is 1/3 of it's operation. The post office is closing centers. Is Mail going extinct?

But even though all that seems practical and reasonable; I get so excited when I think of opening the shop. I think that I'll make my own paper goods and sell them. That maybe I can do it and say "that's my job".

So here's to liberation! To freedom! To dreaming the big dreams!

I've been using manilla tags (#5) to mop up my ink messes from my art journal and other projects. I am now getting a chance to go back and decorate them up and play with them. On many, I just practice my Zentangle (of which I do so hope to get better at but some designs I just don't like. So I'm sticking with the ones that grab me). This tag, however, mopped up Black Marble Dylusions Ink spray and a touch of Broken China Distress, I think. It just whispered Halloween to me.

So I stamped the background lettering (an ATC background stamp by Lost Coast designs) in Fired Brick (Distress). I dabbed a bit of water here and there to make the lettering bleed a bit. I stamped my focal skull (Craft Smart...from the dollar bin in Micheals...seriously) in black Color Box pigment ink and embossed with Ranger's Black Sparkle embossing powder. The skull and bones were colored in with Smooch ink, some form of red. (My bottle isn't labeled with which color it is, sorry.) Added Washi tape to top and bottom. Glued on black vine and added a paper rose which was ivory but I colored it with a Festive Berries reinker (Distress, Ranger). So yes, I painted the rose red just like in Alice in Wonderland! (hmm, now there's an idea!) Then, stained the plastic white skull accent in corner with Gold Adirondack Alcohol Ink (Ranger) and glued to tag.

Before I put it on a card front, I'll thread some black and red ribbons through the hole to finish the look. Overall, I think it will make an interesting card front. I might not be able to give it away; I'm so in love with it!

Wy
"A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage." ----Sydney Smith