'NOEL' CARD COLLECTION

Next weekend, I am taking part in an Artisan Craft Market at the Bishop's Palace, Wells, with the One Craft Gallery.  I have made some collaged Christmas cards which I call my 'Noel Collection', as they all feature that word.  I have discovered that 'Noel' is an early 19th century French word for Christmas, usually used as a refrain in carols and on Christmas cards...

I have used painted papers, as mentioned in my last post, plus stamped out images, letters cut out from old magazines, recycled Christmas papers etc. The 12 cards are all a square format which I enhanced with a white gel pen and black marker.  They were then outlined in black before mounted onto square, cream cardstock.

The advantage of using the randomly painted papers as a background, is that it establishes a colour scheme, that I would not have thought of if I had started with a bank white piece of paper!  Also, some of the shapes and marks in the background give visual pointers on how to proceed, and what sort of images to collage on top...