March's Postcard of the Month

All I could think of was the impending mud season.

Found this photo online - liked the white snowbanks edging the quagmire.

 (photo: George Soules, "Mud Season")

Not living on a dirt road these past 22 years, I don't really experience this so much any more... 

it's still white (and pink and orange and purple...) and frozen here, as I'm writing -

But I'm looking ahead - and, despite liking crocuses just fine (they'll be here soon!)

and having already done a crocus card last March

(I realize that this year's card is quite similar to last year's card!)

I don't actually like purple all that much. 

But I had these beautiful pieces of purple candy-wrapper foils 

and that lovely piece of rice paper that were just begging to be used...

 So these were the prototypes I came up with:

The first one I was ok with:

but the black on the lower right looked too heavy, 

like it had just been stuck on at the end (which it had been...)

And, once again, I had a yen to use some netting, so...

But it lacked subtly.

So, I shifted it to the left and used less of it... (also switched the sheet music to the right here)

But it still needed something dark on the lower right, 

and I decided I didn't really like those curls at the top...

This one was close - I dropped those rubber-stamped circles,

and skewed the black lace piece (lower right) horizontally in the final version.

The Fixin's*

The Steps

Here's the movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_5VHNuTCB8

Step 1 - I've had this pale purple paper hanging around for YEARS...

Step 2 - similarly hued tissue paper

Step 3 - such pretty rice paper!

Step 4 - tea bag envelopes again!**

Step 5 - various rice papers, for the next 3 steps

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Step 9 

Step 10 - MUD!  (brown rice paper)

Step 11 - nice, plum-colored tissue paper

 Step 12 - black 'lace' paper

Step 13 - a different black 'lace'

Step 14 - 'snow banks'!

Step 15 - this holey effect looks good when the glue's dried...

Step 16 - oh, yeah; it's messy.  :)

Step 17 - Spring's springing!!***

Step 18

Step 19

Step 20 

Step 21

Step 22

Step 23

Step 24 - Wouldn't be right if I didn't 'punch' something this month.  ;)

Step 25 - Green!  Wishful thinking!

Step 26 - I added these 'tire tracks' as the final touch.

Panel of 21 of March's postcards 

Fin.

*I ended up using black ink - not the pretty purples shown - to print the vertical lines (step 26) - 

using the ridged bottom of my plastic rice cracker packaging!

**

***l just wanted to give a floral 'impression' - not necessarily specifically crocuses...

Addendum I - VISITOR!!

We've had this magnificent Barred Owl visiting for over a week, as of this posting. 

This was the first day.

Sunset

I really liked how the sunset hit the feathers.

Companionable perchers.

Brave cardinals (we have at least 6 pairs this year!)

It spent a lot of time sleeping.

You should look startled, you tasty morsel!  Still safe, as of this writing.

Addendum II - Harbingers!
(ha!  I heard the word "harbinger' on the radio JUST as I was writing it!)

Thanks to my dear friend, Barb, our house now smells SO good!  

These are all booty from the recent Vermont Flower show, 

where Barb, a Master Gardener, volunteers her skills and brawn to help make this happen every 2 years.  :)

And Mum and I got back to our floral sketches this week, too.  :)