This card was for my sisters birthday recently where she was soon to go kayaking as part of the group in the outer Hebrides. With only hazy memories of what this part of the world looked like the image was conjured mostly from my imagination (but with a bit of help from Google images) of what the trip might look from an above perceptive and rather than being isolating tried to emphasise the togetherness of the flotilla (forming HB for happy birthday to keep the card thematically relevent to the occasion) in a contrast to the desolate but beautifully sparse nature of the landscape. The sparkly blue card was used to provide both a sure surface for writing, give rigidity to the frame and to highlight shades of the surf where the darkness permeates through the crate paper at the glue. Lighter flossam and floculant shades were given by the use of regular tissues covered in glue, stretched or rolled into strips. The same textured paper (from the works used many times in many cards of which I cannot rate highly enough) was used to form the rocky outcrop and the natural pattern gives a slight otherworldlyness to otherwise a rather set image. This is doubly so with the dappled sun spots with the yellow patterned paper in the card front. People were not included within the kayaks, partly due to time constraints, the fiddlyness of paper required and to keep the card more conceptual than to mirror the possibility of any actual image.. However as the trip was yet to be completed I feel this aspect portends nicely with the idea that my sister had memories and an adventure still yet to explore. A kayak still yet to fill... along with the others yet to meet. Again this endlessness and dream like nature of the trip to be completed was purposefully created with the crate paper branching lazily over the edges of the card and not rigidly sticking to the frame or even the rest of the card. It was hoped in some small measure that this would be portrayed in the endless ocean waves of the paper.
Thematically the card content refers to an in joke about the possibility of encountering a killer whale whilst away, the minor but perceived unfairness of NCP parking charges and a reference to an obscure joke within an episode of the young ones. Where possible, this was made into a bad poem in a whirlpool configuration.
This being the first card of the blog, it sets the scene for what some of the messages within the cards look like. Content of the cards tends to depend on life events that are happening, in-jokes within family/friend groups, interests or plain random and this card is a good example of some of the types of things said. However, I would note that some of these things are very personal and would request any would be card reader to please keep this in mind (especially if you have questions) as you look through the site. I am naturally very reticent about ever letting my private life being given out to a wider audience (especially feeling facebook is somewhat over-rated) and I do not take the decision to put the content inside the cards up lightly.
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