Getting started with my DIY Postcards

I have started on my fall batch of DIY Postcards, and they’re going to be a fun mix of things (very mixed media) this time, I think. It feels like it’s been a long time since I created in this messy non-linear way and I had a lot of fun with this process.

In case you haven’t signed up yet, you can still join the swap that I host. You create ten postcards, in any style, and get ten postcards back of course, from all over the world.

Join the swap and then poor yourself a lovely cup of coffee (or preferred beverage) and start creating with wild abandon.

That’s what I did…

I started by taking left-over cardboard strips and cutting them down to postcard size (about 10 to 11 cm high and from 15 to 17 cm long). I usually do all of my cards the same size, but this year I just decided not to cut them down to a specific size. I just went with what I got from my scraps.

Advice: work with what you already have.

I painted some parts with gesso and added bits of papers from my scrap inbox using gel medium, then to hurry the process, used a hair dryer to dry the first layer so I could go on to the fun part of painting my postcards.

I’ve shared a little peek of my process on Instagram this week (follow me on Instagram, I’m iHannas there) and I’ll share the finished mixed media painted postcards soon, but here are a few of them with the first “ugly” layer:

Advice: It’s okay if it starts out looking like nothing much at all – just keep going!

I really enjoyed this process. Now I’m going to print the postcard backside and glue it to each finished piece. This was so much fun to me. Even this humble beginning, which felt awkwardly unfamiliar to me at first, was fun to me. I need to get to my studio more often in November, that’s for sure.

Wanna create postcards too?

If you feel like playing along, check out the DIY Postcard Swap.

xo

PS: Update – My ten finished postcards can be found (and admired) on the blog now.