The Muse - Inspiration Deck Survey Results

What program do you use to manipulate your images?
Paint Shop Pro
Photo Express
Photo Impact
Corel PhotoPaint
Photoshop
Print Artist
Adobe Photo Deluxe
PaperPort
Corel Photo House
CorelDraw
Paint
Color It

To what extent do you manipulate your collages in your computer (if applicable), i.e., colorize, compose, size, etc.?
Size
Special effects
Correct scanned colors
Source for images
Compose
Layer
Color
Adjust contrast
Printing
Reversing Image
Complete card
Reducing
Tiling
Brighten
Sharpen
Create backgrounds

Do you print your own I-Deck cards on your computer (as opposed to having them color copied by a professional)?
Print Myself - 21
Have a professional print - 25

Do you have a inkjet or laser printer?
Inkjet - 16
Laser - 3
Other - 1

Do your collages usually use found images such as magazine articles and book pages or do you stamp and color most of the images you use?
Found - 12
Stamped - 1
Mixture - 33

Comments:

Name:: Dreamcatcher aka Karen Marchant

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Creative expression abounds in the Inspiration Deck. There is always several deck entries that give me pause for thought and encourage me to stretch my creative talents.

My entries seem to form in some misty recess of my mind and as I work they just emerge.

Very enjoyable to me and satisfying to see the end result of my creativity.

Name:: Juliann

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Sometimes I even do ALL the decks original.. meaning I hand collage each and every card (the one I am submitting now is all original)

Name:: Susan Peterson

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One of the best parts of the I-deck is being able to receive samples of 20 other artists on the list and making only one collage to achieve this feat. At the beginning of the I-decks, Lloydene sent a set of inspirational quotations with the deck to attach to the back. Some people used them and some didn't, I loved the idea and even used one of the quotations to create my collage for the next I-deck.

Name:: Sylvia

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I have been with the I-Deck since the beginning. I had never done collage before so the difference between my first and what I am doing now has been phenomenal. Mine are mounted and kept in a decorated clam shell box. Every one who sees them raves about the project.

Name:: Stacy

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I create each card in my art journal, so I always have the original in a safe place. I then make copies on my copier.

Name:: Raven

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The I-Deck is truly an inspiration for me as it gives me a regularly scheduled opportunity to try out various styles and techniques on a small scale... things I might not otherwise take the time to do when doing regular work or working on a larger scale. It's like "lab" work for me. It's a chance to exercise and try out other styles and methods.

Name:: Nancy Allen

I usually use images from clip-art CDs in order to avoid the copyright problem. I print the images I want to use and compose the collage, then do the same on the computer to get the best detail. Sometimes I find that the original collage doesn't work very well when reduced and I can change it easily.

Name:: Nancy Curry

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This is the most inspirational swap I have ever done. My first collage was done back in Sept. and it has been great since. They are all unique and I have learned something every month.

Name:: Susan Houghton

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I have both printed on a couple inkjet printers, & used a commercial copy service, and prefer the latter for higher quality and richness of color. Each month has brought me a whole universe of inspiration from the wonderful art I receive. I'm very visual & the I Deck brings the cards into my hands so I can see how techniques discussed on the list are really used. Thanks to all!

Name:: Judy Christie

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My February I-deck card was a scanning experiment accident. I liked what happened so much that I decided to send it on.

(Ed. Note: So did I!)

Click for larger image

Name:: Laurie Early

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I love the vivid reproductions/reductions I get at Kinkos but find that service there varies. It would be helpful if we I-Deckers could draft a short note with instructions that we could give to inexperienced techs there. This should help to ensure great results for us all.

Name:: Robin Gasser

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I do print my own deck cards but I have an HP 150 color copier which will clone and reduce all at one time. I get 6 cards to a page and I copy onto photo paper.

Name:: Kelly Quaal

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The Inspiration Deck is not only inspiring when receiving other artwork, but I use it as motivation to make sure I make at least one collage a month! Since I am new to collage, I have to make sure I keep trying new things. I try to incorporate something new (for me) each time so that I don't get complacent about my art. I usually find that new idea from someone's card the previous month.

Name:: Jo Reimer

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Haven't done this yet, but I will laminate my cards with my Xyron and use them as sort of a combo Inspiration Deck - Block Buster Deck. When I'm stuck for direction to take, I'll sit down and deal myself a little game of Art Solitaire, making piles of 10 cards. Sort the contents of one pile into pairs, get out my journal and study the 2 cards and write about what I see in the cards, and then after putting the cards away write about how I can make artwork based on the words I've written.

Name:: Pat Taff

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This is so much more than a swap - it's truly been a inspirational exchange of art. It's made me stretch as an artist.

Name:: Annette Cramer

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A wonderful way to see what others are doing and to receive really quality artwork!

Name:: Patti Gibbons

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I would love to submit some of my more left of center items in someday....(evil laugh)

Name:: Donna Cartagena

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This is such a creative and amazing way to get inspiration for your own artwork, discover new ways of collaging and of course a great way to see some beautiful artwork from people around the world!!

Name:: Pamela Allen

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I am new to the collage medium and arrived with a painter's experience and aesthetic .Most of my images and fragments come from my own drawings or excerpts from paintings, and I don't use stamps or text or magazine cutouts. I have been learning the virtue of computer manipulation though, which brings all kinds of new possibilities to the medium. My collages so far look like "paper paintings"

Name:: Jennifer Hutchings

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The I-Deck is one of the most valuable artistic tools I've ever come across - I find I work harder to produce my best art because I don't want to let the other participants down - and receiving the cards is sheer joy!

I have learned, that color-copying is far superior to scanning my collage and printing cards at home - home printers just can't match the quality of a good color copier.

Also, I'd like play with more people who are doing digital art. It's great fun and I'd like to be able to enjoy the same sharing of skills and discoveries that we have among those doing more traditional collage...

Name:: Judy Clark

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The I-Deck has been one of the best tools for sparking my creativity, which I can see changing and evolving every month with each new collage. It's so beneficial to see everyone else's contributions, too, which is where the inspiration comes in! I wish there were a little more interaction between the players for purposes of how-to discussion afterwards (only if desired) . . . maybe this will come eventually.

Name:: Donna Hanson

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I have enjoyed being a participant in the I-Deck since it's inception. It has been such a great wealth of inspiration and I recommend that everyone participate at least once. My only disappointment is that now that the deck has been separated into 2 groups I've missed out on seeing the progression of the other participant's work.

Name:: Margot Behsman

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I copy my images on my Color Copier that I have. I also have the laser Black and White and a inkjet color printer for the computer and want to in the future work more with the Corel system. I really do love this ID project and have been involved with it ever since Lloydene first started it. This has been a very fun and rewarding experience, I would advise anyone to join-- You will be very rewarded with the fun little collages that you receive once a month.

Name:: Jill Ehlert

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It is wonderful to see the many different styles the collage artists use in the I-deck. This is not only inspirational but educational, but a wonderful learning tool. This deck gives us the opportunity to see the many different ways of working and the variety of materials one could use. Each card seems to have its own existence in space, it's own reality. These cards also create the opportunity for a dialogue between the maker and the viewer, a way to meet someone somewhere in cyberspace and to discuss the working process. From a technical point of view an interesting aspect to this is how well the image translates from the 5 X 7 format to the much smaller 2 1/2 X 3 1/2 format. Just goes to show you that bigger isn't better.

Jill Ehlert

Name:: Laura Bettingen

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I print out the card on white glossy cardstock ... colors are brighter and truer and the weight is very compatible to this project. My first month I scanned an existing collage of torn papers and used it as a background, then printed that out 5 by 7 and over-stamped with black archival ink with collage images for the final reduced product.

Name:: Lou Ann Leonard

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I very much like Lloydene's idea of doing a full sized collage (5 x 7) and reducing it to a very manageable size for mailing and storing.

Not wanting to miss any of these wonderful works of art keeps me participating in each month's deck.