ICAD Beginnings

 It's that time again, ICAD or Index Card A Day began on 6/1, and this is a catch up post for the first 9 cards I've made. I'm not following prompts or a plan at all (unsurprising I know). I'm just sitting down and making. Most of these are continuations of one of the others because I like to go right off the edge with my pencils or markers.

The first two cards feature cutouts from a package of masks that was just getting thrown out. The chaos of the backgrounds illustrates how I'm feeling about the whole mask thing. Of course masks were necessary, of course. But now that I'm vaccinated and my state is reopening, what's the real story? Do I still need to wear one, should I, could I? I hate that it's so politicized, and so unclear.

This one uses a carved Prosecco cork stamp I made from our New Year's celebration. 

This time instead of an ink pad I inked it up with a Tsukineko Versa brush pen.

This one utilizes two things that have hung around in the box I use for ICAD that holds my markers and pencils, etc. The very worn-out strike pad from a box of matches (love the texture and pattern) and the remainder of an image from good old National Geographic that I've used previously. Those are on top of a Color Catcher sheet.

This one is a comment on the awful coffee we bought at Costco, so I'm suffering through it for 5 pounds worth. The bear was cut out from the coffee bean package by my DH. "Here, I thought you'd like this."

 And the JFC ribbon is from the soba noddles we eat. But we all know what it stands for right? 

I like how it got a bit distorted when I was ironing the card because it's made of some sort of plasticized material.

 Yes, I iron my cards, then tend to curl up a little after they get worked especially with the watercolors. 

Index cards are indeed not watercolor paper.

 I tried to hide my 'oh no this is awful' face from my DH, but he caught it unfortunately. 

It's a very different coffee than we usually get, a lot more bitter. 

This morning I added a little sugar and then it was passable.

I think I've made a version of this one in previous years.

I think this one might be my favorite of this bunch.

Sometimes the cards don't need all the white background to be covered up completely.

An in-process picture of how I finished the following card. Rows of clear packaging tape to seal in the pencil shavings.

I really really like how this one turned out.