Finally a Crusader

When I first started blogging, I didn't really "get it."  I would go visit these amazing sites and see challenges or creative prompts and hadn't realized that people are using those projects as a means to learn, experiment and connect with one another throughout cyber-space. 

I didn't really even know what "linking" meant or if it was OK to talk about other blogs and what they were doing.  And usually I'm so busy just trying to keep up with my own little corner of the universe, that there's no chance for me to join in the fun.

But being that it's Michelle Ward's 40th Crusade I thought it was time for me to try becoming a "crusader" myself!  Whoop Whoop...

It started by cleaning the house, and my resistance to throwing out the newspaper that was sent to me snuggled in a care package from my g'friend back home.  This was not just any newspaper, this was the Mesabi Daily News! In English people!!  Laugh if you will but when friends heard I was reading the crumpled up newsprint they used in their boxes as packing, they started throwing in People magazines and whole papers too.  God bless friends.

(Please understand it takes me 20 minutes to read a blurb in a German newspaper that says, "Wednesday Main Street will be blocked from 10:00-12:00 for maintenance."  It's very much like that scene in Rocky II where Adrian and Rocky are lying in bed and he's reading a novel to her pregnant belly.  He's determined to learn how to read after his illiteracy has been exposed while trying to shoot a commercial dressed as a caveman.  I am in no way making fun of illiteracy here, I'm simply saying that my level of literacy in German equals that of Rocky's in his 2nd film).

So long story short, it's hard for me to recycle a newspaper that's in my native language.  It's like when the Letter R was haunting me. But then I noticed something even better... the Mesabi supplement is on a different heavier-textured paper!  The supplement is what the Comics are printed on, (we always called them the "Funnies" on the Range.  There they were, all my old friends: The Lockhorns, Blondie and Dagwood, Beetle Bailey, Garfield, not to mention the Peanuts.  It was a sentimental reunion to say the least!

Then I spread these old friends out and took my acrylic paints, an old Ikea squeegie, some stamps and other plastic textured items to make marks with (a plastic berry basket for the checkers and an old pudding cup for the big circle) as well as some new stencils I recently cut.  I had so much fun slapping it all down without a sense of worry because I was putting it on something that could be thrown away if I wasn't happy with the result.

Once the sheets were dry, I cut them down into some tags and postcards.  "Cutting down" is not one of my best skills, but then I remembered that one of my earlier mistakes ended up inventing the ninchie and decided to trust the process. I made a slew of stuff because I never have enough "extras" to send along with my mail art envelopes and prizes.  So things pile up around here until I make ATCs or little surprise enclosures.  Now I finally feel a bit ahead of the game!  Check the postcard I made for Grandma using the "negative" part of the heart paper from her recent ATC. 

This whole experience has me really itching to attend a class of Michelle's someday.  Right now there are two on offer at Valley Ridge Studio near Madison Wisconsin.   One's called "Roll With It" where you paint on 25 feet of paper.  I guess when Michelle talks about changing up the scale of things she isn't kidding...!  But for now, here from Germany, I've had fun taking this lesson in scaling.  Thank you Michelle! And for those of you who are blocked, bored or just want to try something new, go do a crusade!

Comments

[Anne]

I love that story and am glad you found a way to use the treasured newspaper. Painting on a 25 foot roll sounds interesting, but MESSY!

[iHanna]

Welcome to the team, TJ, I hope you will join in a lot of future crusader adventures! Love the layers in your work - yummy stuff!

[teri]

I loved reading your story, and welcome to the team, TJ!! I'm so happy to meet you and will be back to visit you again. xoxo-teri

[Lay Hoon]

The layers look so yummy for me.

[Linda]

Hey TJ it's Rachel!
I claim the top left. My beautiful, bevied, beaded, birded, eye-hooked hanging frame arrived today. I LURVES IT! <3 <3 <3

KTHXBAI ILUVSYOU
~Rachel

[Michelle Brown]

Great you could join us! Blog-land is an amazing place to inspire creativity and find other people "just like me"!

Love your pieces. Getting messy is half the fun.

[Julie Stenning]

Fab result.

[DJ]

I was thrilled when my very own "Studio Mailbox" tag arrived with a cerci this past week!!!!
THANK YOU!
Thank You!
thanK yoU!

[ROBIN]

I am INTRIGUED by your blog! I am one of the "other" Americans living in Germany who signed up for the Flying Lesson e-course; delighted to meet you! -Robin

[sheila]

Great to have found your blog through the Crusade and love your ideas.

[Rosemary Griffin]

Gosh I love the tags, welcome to the crusades, I started in January and it is really fun.

[Regina]

What a fun post. You make me want to get up and play with my paint!

[inge]

Hello TJ,

nice story to read :)

I love how you use the ikea squeegy to draw the ink on the large papers ! I would never have thought about that : would use the old "creditcard", but this works much faster and surely will give different effects.
Damn, just something I can't throw out when it's old ...LOL
I love how you can reuse things , so I like your project a lot !
greetings from Belgium
Inge

[Cath]

So glad you could join the Crusades - I have missed the last couple but always have fun when I get to join in. Love the photo with your painted hand, it's a familiar sight!