Playing with Gel Prints

Still having fun at the online Gel Printers Summit 2025. Even found one of my Poetry Friday pals in there! The summit is organized each year by artist Drew Steinbrecher.

I’m “behind” already, but participants have lifetime access to the courses, which is great. Here’s my latest adventure. I strayed far off course from the project in Tania Ahmed‘s wonderful session but ended up making a little triptych on vintage library cards with leaf prints and bits of stencils.

Here were some earlier play-prints from courses with
Rebecca Chapman and Kellee Conrad – again, very far afield from the actual instructions!

Well, as mentioned, I’m behind, so back to it….

World Card Making Day!

Happy World Card Making Day 2025 – October 4! I’ve been busy in the studio making handcrafted cards featuring authentic vintage elements, my own art, vintage rubber stamp and letterpress block impressions, and antique illustrations. I’m starting to get them listed in my Etsy shop, with many more on the way. (If you live in the SC Lowcountry, you can find some at The Beaufort Emporium as well.)

I love thinking that something I’ve created might serve as a tangible way for one human being to connect with another, perhaps bringing a smile. I’ve kept a zillion cards over the years myself!

Some new arrivals in my Etsy shop, in the Handmade Cardhttp://www.etsy.com/shop/artsyletters?section_id=55731462 section.

art and text copyright Robyn Hood Black

My new cards are 5X7, made using archival cardstock with matching envelopes.

Here’s to cards of all kinds, especially handmade ones – from crumpled crayon masterpieces to professionally designed individual works of art. Maybe today’s a good day to make one of your own, and make someone else’s day?

For a history of greeting cards from ancient Chinese and Egyptian traditions to 15th-century European printed ones to Victorian Valentines and Christmas cards, visit the Greeting Card Association at https://www.greetingcard.org/history.