Crooked Tree Cottage Creations: Mysterious Moths-A Peek-a-Boo Project

I fell in love with vintage postcards asa child when I found my grandmother’s immense collection in our farmhouse attic. It was tattered and torn and many of the postcards had escaped their tiny photo corners and were mashed together. They were scented with mothball and mildew. They are the inspiration for this artwork.

Supplies: GSLC Chunky ATC Blanks, Digital Downloads, Digital Manipulated Images, Ink Jet Printer, Maroon Watercolor Marker, UHU GlueStick, Ranger Glossy Accent Dimensional Medium, Small Plastic Spatula, Scissors, Tartan Fabrics, WeldBond Glue

Gather Supplies.
Create Digital Design of your Downloaded Images- Mine are Moth Clipart Images from Etsy and Emerald Isle Vintage Postcards
I Removed Backgrounds, Changed Sizes, and Added Vintage Postcard Backgrounds.
Print You Digital Designs.
Edge Prepared Digital Pictures and GSLC Chunky ATC Blanks with a Maroon Watercolor Marker.
Glue Prepare Images to GSLC Chunky ATC Blanks using a UHU GlueStick.
Cover with Ranger Glossy Accent Dimensional Medium using a Small Plastic Spatula.
Allow to Dry Fully.
Use a GSLC Chunky ATC Blank to Trace Tartan Material. Cutting with Scissors.
Use WeldBond to Glue Tartan Material to Back of GSLC Chunky ATC Blanks.
Next Time I May Cut My Fabric a Bit Bigger so More of it Shows Along the Edges.

Final Thoughts:

I wish I had seen all of the castles featured in these amazing vintage postcards when I traveled to Ireland so many years ago. I did visit Dunce Castle, it was a magical experience. I added the moths to the postcard to give them a more whimsical appeal. I find moths mysterious harbingers of nocturnal delights.

Dunce Castle is now a ruined Medieval Castle in Northern Ireland, it is the seat of the Clan MacDonnell. Its more recent claim to fame is that it was used in the filming of Game of Thrones. When we went there years ago Game of Thrones was not even on the radar.

Castles and Fairy Tales go hand in hand, “ I love fairy tales because of their haunting beauty and magical strangeness. They are set in worlds where anything can happen. Frogs can be kings, a thicket of brambles can hide a castle where a royal court has lain asleep for a hundred years, a boy can outwit a giant, and a girl can break a curse with nothing but her courage and steadfastness.” ~Kate Forsyth~

People are drawn to castles because of their grander and poise, much like butterflies get first glance while the moths go unnoticed. I loved combining the two in this artwork. I am a fan of juxtaposition, the noticing of the unfamiliar, the combining of the unexpected. Moths lifespans are fleeting but they have existed longer than butterflies. Some believe that butterflies evolved from moths.

Moths can symbolize immediacy and urge us to seize the moment, “at every moment something sacred is at stake.” As a moth is intensely dawn to the flame, it can symbolize a desire or an unfulfilled longing. It can also reflect or show a sense of unconditional love. Renewal and transformation are close to a moths memories. Moths can also camouflage and conceal so in this form we may think of them as protectors.