Funky Chunky Postcards

Happy mail is one of THE BEST THINGS...I love it so much! I love sending it, getting it, making it and collecting it.  Mostly I love making it.  Now, like many of you I have a box filled with extra stuff from projects. It's my catch all box and I use it for everything from art journals & jewelry making to these FUNKY CHUNKY POSTCARDS.  The rule about making these postcards is that there are no rules. You just keep going until your content with the final result. Transfer, spray, decoupage, glue, glitterize, spray some more, embellish and then keep going. Check out the video below for my particular process.  Have fun and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

I can't wait to send these out!

This one even has fish tank rocks glued to the edges!

Watch how I make these here AND if you want more videos,

check out my Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/MarkMontanoDesigner/featured

EVERYTHING I USED FOR THIS PROJECT:

Marabu Art Sprays: https://bit.ly/3q2zj0A Surebonder Glue Guns & Products: https://amzn.to/3bOpfiZ Re-Design with Prima Royal Burgundy Decor Transfer: https://bit.ly/3Kl6UdO Re-Design with Prima Imperial Garden Decor Transfer: https://bit.ly/3CmZOT9 Re-Design with Prima Fragrant Roses Mould: https://bit.ly/3HzClQL Re-Design with Prima Wing and Locket Mould: https://bit.ly/3sn7aS3 Re-Design with Prima Everleigh Flourish Mould: https://bit.ly/3Ltw3Vd Re-Design with Prima Clearly Aligned Decor Stamps: https://bit.ly/3u2irZ8 Surebonder Glue Guns & Products: https://amzn.to/3bOpfiZ

I think it's time for another postcard swap!

These Decor Stamps from Re-Design with Prima are amazing!

Hot glue in silicone molds make wonderful embellishments. 

Just paint them in your favorite colors!

Embossing in gold is always a winner on my cards!

Send some happy mail!

International Postcard Swap!

I'm hosting another POSTCARD SWAP!  I hope you'll join our artists from all over the world who are exchanging stacks of 10 for 10.  I've posted the rules below. 

Upcycled, layered & colorful!

Watch how I made my postcards here OR

Watch the video on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/OS3cTGrhsUI

RULES:

Join our international POSTCARD SWAP! The theme for this swap is UPCYCLED, LAYERED & COLORFUL! Use your imagination!

*THE FIRST 40 PEOPLE WHO SIGN UP (and send me a screen shot of their paid participation fee AND their mailing address) GET A 5" X 7" GEL PRESS!

To be eligible you must send a screenshot of your paid participation fee to me at MarkMontanoNYC@aol.com with (GEL PRESS CONTEST) IN THE SUBJECT! Please include your mailing address in the email. We are going to try to get these out quickly so you can use them for your cards if you want! *Contest opens at 7 a.m. PST Friday morning, September 25th, so entries before that won't be considered BUT you can get everything prepared beforehand to email me at that time.

UPCYCLED 4" X 6" MIXED MEDIA POSTCARD SWAP RULES:

1. There is a $10 fee to participate in the swap in the US and $15 if you are participating from another country.

This covers the cost of envelopes, organizing with my assistant, packing and 1st class postage (with tracking) for sending the postcards back to you.

Please use my PayPal.me account here: paypal.me/MarkMontanoDIY *Use the FRIEND TO FRIEND option when sending the participation fee.

2. Postcards are to be 4" x 6" in size (no smaller or larger) and no thicker than 1/8". Create any kind of art you want! Make them colorful, sparkly, upcycled and something you're proud of.

Deadline is November 15th, 2020 meaning cards need to be here with me by November 15th.

3. Everyone submits 10 cards and gets 10 different cards in return. If you want to send 11, that's GREAT! *On rare occasion a card is destroyed in shipping OR a participant's cards get lost in the mail and arrive late...I keep sets of cards for them as well just in case and an extra is always appreciated.

4. Please sign your postcards on the back so people know who made them and include a social media handle so that you can make some new friends! You could also clip a business card to each postcard. Just let your new friends know who made it.

5. Make sure that you print your return address CLEARLY so that we can easily address your package and get it back to you without a problem. We ship everything in 6" x 9" manilla envelope. If you want to enclose a return envelope, that's awesome, too!

6. Please (try) to use an upcycled material like cereal box cardboard, newspaper, phone book pages, thin corrugated cardboard, magazines or old book pages. Whatever you toss out that can be incorporated!

7. Please put 4" x 6" pieces of wax paper between each card so that they don't stick together. Sometimes heat and humidity during transit can cause some paints to stick together. Wax paper will insure everything is pristine.

8. Send postcard packages to my studio: Mark Montano 2126 Cove Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90039

9. Deadline is November 15th, 2020 meaning cards need to be here with me by November 15th

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU MAKE!

A few of the postcards I'm exchanging!

Dollar Store Happy Mail

I try to send a piece of happy mail every day.  I'm obsessed with sending colorful art through the mail in hopes of causing some excitement when a friend finds a colorful letter from me in their mailbox.    Since I've been stuck at home, I've been sending even more happy mail and finding experimenting with new techniques to jazz up inexpensive envelopes and paper from the 99c store.  It's a terrific challenge, for sure.  This colorful stationery was made with leaves and art sprays and I just love the way it looks.  I made the sprays with Marabu Graphix Aqua Inks which you can also use with a calligraphy pen...How cool is that?!  Make art, sweet friends, and then send it through the mail!  It's a great way to Make Your Mark, too!

Write ON!

Leaves from the yard make the most amazing mask stencils!

Watch how I press leaves in the microwave!  It's so easy!

Watch how to make it here OR
Watch this video on my YouTube channel here:  https://youtu.be/BZe6FGiJkmU

Mix the colors and then blot...So easy!

Going postal!

Iridescent Watercolor Stationery DIY

I had such a calm, lovely evening making this beautiful, shimmery stationery!  After I printed out my envelopes and postcards, I poured a glass of wine and sat down for an evening or watercoloring and it was soooo relaxing.  Only after my 2nd glass of wine did I discover I'd been rinsing off my brush in-between colors in my wine glass and not in the water jar.  It happens!  For this project I used Cosmic Shimmer Iridescent Watercolours purchased from the awesome site www.Joggles.com.  If you want some seriously cool art supplies, check them out!  When they dry, they have a beautiful metallic iridescence...You're going to LOVE using them!  Right now we need to send more cards and letters to help our postal service and to send love to people we're not able to be near.  Reach out and connect in any way you can, my sweet friends, and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

 My stack of iridescent love ready to send out!

 Check out the video to see how wonderfully they shimmer in the light!

Watch how to make them  here!

Watch on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/HcYg_y243gQ

 Print on watercolor paper and cut into 4 postcards 

Print on watercolor paper and cut into 4 postcards

 Print on standard copy paper or card stock, cut & fold

                                    Print cut and fold.                         Print on watercolor paper & cut                                                           

With love....

Pop Art Postcards

 How many Amazon boxes do you get per week?  I probably get 3 - 4.  That is a lot of cardboard and truthfully, I feel pretty guilty about it.  To assuage my guilt I try to make as many projects as I can out of cardboard.  Check out my cardboard tile projects!  These postcards are an EASY way to send out some happy mail and use up tons of cardboard.  The kids can join in and learn how the old folks used to communicate before texts and emojis!  Make someone's day by sending them a funky, handmade postcard and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

You ROCK!  I swear, you do!

Americana Neon paints from DecoArt make me super happy!

E-6000 Spray Adhesive and E6000 PLUS are my go-to adhesives

Make your own rubber stamps with toy foam letters and E6000 Plus!

Watch how to make them here!

Can't wait to send these out!

Wish you were here!

Watercolor Postcards DIY

I've written letters and postcards my entire life and will never stop no matter how much I communicate with computers.  It's a habit I'm happy to have.  Everyone loves getting something fun in the mail, right?  So much better than all of those grocery store fliers and AAA offers.  These watercolor postcards also double as little works of art that everyone you know will enjoy receiving.  I guarantee you'll see them on your mom's fridge next time you visit!  Remember to make art, send real mail and always Make Your Mark!

Too pretty to send?

Keeping in touch!

 I printed the back of the postcard first and then the images to paint

WATCH THE MAGIC HERE!

STUFF I USED

Home Printer

Unicorn SPiT

Watercolor Paper

Art-N-Fly Water Brushes

Coloring Book Pages

Postcard Template

 HERE'S HOW

1. & 2.  Remove the back plug on the water brush and fill with water

3. & 4.  Pour the water in a small container and mix in a few drops of Unicorn SPiT

5. & 6.  Stir and fill the water brush

*DO NOT REMOVE THE BRUSH CAP

7.  Carefully plug the end of the waterbrush

8.  Make an entire set with each color of Unicorn SPiT!

9. & 10.  Copy your favorite coloring book pages onto watercolor paper and cut into postcards

11. & 12.  Start watercoloring!

OPTIONAL:  You can print one side of the watercolor paper with my postcard template and the other side with your coloring book pattern