postcards and new friends

the great big stitched postcard swap is over. i sent my postcard off to travel half way across the world to christchurch, new zealand. the theme was "home" and after much thought, i decided to base my postcard around the tulip magnolia. this tree is very prevalent where i live in georgia and is absolutely beautiful during it's blooming period. such beautiful white flowers with pale pink and orange accents. 

i iron transferred a photo i took of the blooms during a walk last spring onto plain canvas. then i roughed up the image so it would look a bit weathered. next, i went about embroidering - and of course i had to add in a ton of french knots which are my favorite.

 

for the back, i did the same iron transfer process of an image i created with our addresses and a faux post office stamp. then i embroidered a little message to my postcard pal. finally, i sandwiched a piece of mat board between the two layers for added stability and the postcard was finished.

i think i am officially hooked on blog swaps. they are such a great way to meet new internet friends and be exposed to different creative techniques. sign me up for the next one!