Over the years I found that I had an affinity for making different kinds of greeting cards. I tried as often as i could to send out handmade cards for the holidays and for birthdays. Working with antique fabrics and trims for as long as I have, I incorporated textile fragments that were too small to make anything else out of, and these even sold fairly well in our antique shop. Because most of what we carried in our shop was of a French origin, I became familiar and knowledgable with chromolithography. This was a technique of art reproduction used widely in 19th c. France among other places that allowed a larger number of reproductions to be made with out the tedious element of handcoloring. Artists who traveled abroad to document other people, botanicals, animals etc., were able to share images of their journeys with a wider number of people. Also, figures and flowers were reproduced to be used by young girls as sort of paper dolls, for them to create their own fantasy world.
I bought a cache of smaller sized chromos at a flea market next to Versailles, figurines, flowers & animals, and most seemed to be from the late 19th century. This small collection has been a constant source of inspiration for me, and incorporating them into my greeting card designs was one outlet. As can be seen here, I am currently working on reproducing images from my collection and placing them on backdrops of either real settings for a slightly surreal effect, and placing them on a fabric background. I plan to make them in limited numbers, and they will be available for purchase at Sparkle Studio.
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