Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves....Mail Art!

I was born in the wagon of a travellin' show 
My mama used to dance for the money they'd throw 
Papa would do whatever he could 
Preach a little gospel, sell a couple bottles of Doctor Good

You know when you get a song stuck in your head? A while back I happened to think of this old song from Cher - popular when I was growing up - and I COULD NOT get it unstuck! So....I suggested Lenna, Jo and I use it for our latest Mail Art theme! Not that it helped any LOL....

Lenna was first out of the gate - I think she was channeling Cher for this one. She has been experimenting with  gelli plate monoprinting which produced a wonderful back ground on which she added images of Cher. We've been exchanging stories of what we were doing in 1971 (OMG that's like over 40 years ago!). Well done Lenna!
Gypsys, tramps, and thieves 
We'd hear it from the people of the town 
They'd call us Gypsys, tramps, and thieves 
But every night all the men would come around 
And lay their money down 

Jo's showed up in a rich red envelope (VERY Gypsy) with a group of gents (like the song says, the men would come around). 

Inside was her card with a palm for reading one's fortune - she printed it on fabric which give its a cool effect (check her blog to find out more). I love both of them and how we managed to go in very different directions....

As for mine, well, it is a tale of sorrow that I share LOL...I've been taking 21 Secrets and learning all kinds of new stuff - so thought I would try a "tiling"technique taught by Kate Crane for the base. 

Of course this took a little longer then planned 'cause I had to cut out all the different sizes of music and glue them down in different ways. You then put a good layer of gesso on top - but just enough so you can still see the music peeping through. 

That was not too bad but then things got interesting. I sprayed the top with Tsukinek inks (never used before) which never did quite dry properly but, okay, I'm experimenting. Another technique Kate teaches is just lightly splashing water after you ink to get the "blotches". Still okay... and then it happened.

The cursed tissue paper transfer....I've had pretty good success with this so far and, in fact, the first card I did it worked like a charm. But goodness it took not 1 not 2 but 3 ATTEMPTS to get it to work right on the second card (lets just say I think I got a tad overconfident in my use of products). With great relief it finally worked - only to find out that the second copy of the wanderlust definition went MIA (which, as you might guess, miraculously reappeared two days after everything went in the post). FORTUNATELY I am an old dictionary hoarder and was able to find another one (phew) - which is why they do not look the same. 

Then when I stamped with acrylic paint I got carried away and had to quickly remove a couple of times what I did (seriously it was not pretty - my walls are still blushing at the salty language they heard)..... Well, we are all our worst critic right! I've recovered from my ordeal (but I won't reveal who got the tissue paper "challenged" one ha, ha). Hoping my next cards for Beth/Leslie  and Jo/Lenna "behave"! Enjoy. Jewels