Walk Good – Vintage Going Away card

My friend's pastor is leaving their church and returning home. She asked if I would do a card for her. She wanted it to say "Walk Good" which is a Guyanese expression for go safely, bon voyage, God be with you, etc. I came up with this.

I love the image of the couple walking off into the twilight (the card is for both the Pastor and her husband), the lambs and other animals around them. I thought that a fitting image for a Pastor.

I thought you might like to know a little about how I made this card. This weekend I was at the Saturday flea market in Geneva. I found this German book for 1 Suisse Franc (about $1). The cover caught my eye and when I opened it, I was stunned by the beautiful images it contained. It's nice to take these old images and do something with them. I believe the original artists and book owners would be glad to know that they're still being enjoyed today. 

It's a large book, about 11" by 14" (29cm x 39cm).  The title in German means "Song of the Bell". I'm not sure when it was published, but sometime before 1886 because this inscription is written in the front cover.

It reads "Berthe Du Pasquier given by mother the 10 May 1886". I see this often in the old books I buy and I am always touched. It makes you think doesn't it? What is truly ephemera in this world?

The images inside the book represent different stages of life – birth, childhood, courtship, marriage, celebrations, worship, etc. This image says Abendruhe, which my translation program says is an "Evening Rest".

I scanned the image, changed the predominate hue to blue and cropped it square. The image isn't the only thing unusual about this card. The blue paper behind the image is vintage wallpaper and the ribbon is from a chocolate box last Christmas. The pearl button isn't a button at all, rather a thrift store earring I cut the back off of.

Material

Papers – Vintage wallpaper, Mahé Beu Nuit, Artemio Firenze, card stock. Vintage image from my collection. Thriftstore earring. Upcycled ribbon. Fiskar's Apron Lace punch. Artemio metal tag.