an art gesture a day (aagad!) - day twenty five...

Oh goodness - exactly one month to Christmas!

time to get making my Christmas cards!

 

** I've been making my own Christmas Cards since I was a teenager and over the years a funny set of guidelines has emerged --- cards must be inexpensive, quick and easy to execute, they must essentially be handmade - even if they involve some mechanical processes, they need to reflect something happening in my studio or life from the past year (like the major motifs or materials from my practice that year, or some BIG event....) 

Today I'm making my 50+  handmade cards - each one a little bit different to the others - so each one of my friends will receive something individual - made with my little hands - made with heart .... 



I'll share the final design AFTER I've finished the bunch and posted them out to my lovely mates.....

.....

its beginning to look a lot like...

Every year since I was a teenager I've handmade all my Christmas cards..... this year I thought it was time to introduce our kidlins to the affair.... so this year our cards feature paper handmade by the three of us, Sass then created an individual drawing on the front of each card....

We all did a bit of simple binding 

and EJ penned (most of) the 'Merry Christmas'es inside

(it's a lot of hard work for a 5 year old!)

et voila!

(I like this rendition best! there's something very pagan about EJ's 'christas'.... )

for all my bloggy buddies (and random stragglers) out there 

I hope you have a fabulous festive season - 

filled with good friends and good cheer 

and a super-duper terrific new year!

.....

Traditions (part one)

Christmas 2009 - featuring my efforts at hand marbling

Every year since the middle of my teens I've made my own Christmas cards. I can hardly believe that I've been doing this for almost three decades now – as I never set out to create a multi-decade tradition

If 'life is what happens when you're busy making other plans' - then traditions are things that sneak up on you and unexpectedly announce their presence.

Christmas Card circa 1983 (this is one of my earliest - so don't give me a hard time about it!)
I remember making these - it took me about a day to make each one (see subsequent development of rules below...) This card is also significant as it sparked my interest in the craft of calligraphy (mind you I had NO idea how calligraphy was done - these rather pitiful letters were hand-drawn)

Anyway

these days I hand make around 50ish Christmas cards– and over the years I've developed a set of 'rules' that govern the making of my Christmas card collection

rule 1. each card must be hand made (only minimal mass reproduction techniques may be employed)

rule 2. each year's design must be unique – never before used and never to be used again

rule 3. the materials of each card must be unpretentious and not precious

rule 4. the entire collection of cards must be able to be made in a single day of construction – so only very simple designs and techniques can be considered

rule 5. the card design must capture the 'zeitgeist' of the year ( by this I mostly mean what is happening in my little world....)

Christmas Card of 2004
features my then very pregnant tummy wrapped up with a Christmas bow...
the 'Unwrapped Presence' was of course EJ

Its a fun and delightful challenge and a tradition that I enjoy immensely – In giving a handmade card I feel that I am giving my friends and family a moment of time – a tangible token of our relationship.


This year - I'm adding a new part to my Christmas card tradition – I'm posting a digital version of my 2009 card here, at flickr and on my fb page - a gift of sorts for all my online friends and with it I'm sending everyone a special Christmas greeting –

peace, love and joy to you and your loved ones.

From ronnie by the creek