52 cards in a year challenge
Are you in for a fantastic challenge? Do you find that you love to make art but don't have time to make large projects? Do you want to practice new skills or refine skills you already have?
This challenge is for you!!
Goal: To make 52 art pieces in one year
Equipment needed
- One packet of playing cards. You choose the size mini, normal or jumbo
- Lots of little bits of fabric
- Glue, double sided cello tape
- Thread hand and machine
- A box to put your finished cards in
- a variety of art supplies: ones you like using or want to experiment with I.E. paints, coloured pencils, pens
- Printing supplies: Stamps, stencils, cotton reels, corks
- Sewing machine if you are working by machine
- needle: hand and Machine
- scissors
- left over beads, ribbons, rings etc from previous projects
- Paint brushes
- Any art journals with designs in them that you would like to use
N.B. As this challenge progresses you may find you need additional materials for new cards depending on what you want to do with them. Mostly you will be using equipment you al ready have at home. The only thing you may need to buy is a pack of cards.
To start
- Write a goal or a few goals of what you would like to achieve in the next 52 weeks. Here are some ideas to get you started
- To experiment with new mediums
- To Improve my machine quilting
- To experiment with printing
- To make series of work based on one idea
- To try new construction techniques
- To manipulate fabric in more ways
- To learn how to appliqué
- To make art work every week
2. Write a list of ideas of what you would like to do on each card.
For example: You may have chosen to experiment with new mediums.
- Week 1-4 :Textile ink
- Week 5-8 :Intense pencils
- Week 9-12: Crayons
- Week 13-16: Acrylic paint
- Week 17-20: Water soluble pastels
- Week 21-24: Resists
3. Collect all your basic equipment together in one place that you think you will need for each card.
This is just one idea of what you could need
4. Make your first card
Making the cards
- Cut out 2 pieces of fabric 1/2 inch wider and longer than the playing card. This will be the fabric you will be working on and a backing piece for later. Remember that the extra 1/2 inch will be cut later so the fabric fits the card, so don't put any art work in this area as it will just get cut off.
- On one piece of fabric Create your card top
- Quilt the top you have created if needed.
- Then attach the art to the card using fabric glue or double sided cello tape.
- Take the second piece of fabric and glue or use double sided cello tape to attach it to the back of the card.
- Trim the fabric almost to the card edge
- Edge the card with your choice of stitch. A close zigzag or button hole stitch works well.
- Take a photo and record in a book anything you would like to remember for this card. Recording ideas and process is a great habit to get into for future art work.
- Keep going for 52 weeks and then evaluate your progress at the end of the challenge.
My 52 art cards:
Ideas to start you off on your journey
My goals for my year were
- To make art every week
- To experiment with different mediums
- To enjoy the process
