This was part of a collaborative deck based on dance themes. Mine is an homage to the work of Sister Corita Kent, whose posters and other graphics often used script flowing across other larger lettering. The text reads: "No one can choose the womb from which they are born, but I was born from a Gypsy and blessed be her blood." It is a translation of a lyric from a flamenco song.

This collage was included in a "chunky book" – a four-inch square embellished book – with a Sixties theme. I had great fun going through old Life and Look magazines to find just the right mod girl to have her head fed.

This collage was part of a quotes deck. It illustrates a quote from the comic "Sylvia" by Nicole Hollander: "Can you imagine a world without men? No crime and lots of fat, happy women!" (Just kidding, of course. Mostly.)

These two collages were part of a tarot deck based on characters in literature. The 10 of Swords is taken from Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time and illustrates the character Mrs. Which forcing the young heroes to take a clear look at the shadow that covers their beloved home planet. By looking clearly at the shadows of our lives and our culture, we are empowered to do something about it, rather than simply turning away in fear and loathing. (You can read an excerpt from this scene on my Madeleine L'Engle pages.) The 9 of Pentacles shows Countess Ellen Olenska from Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence. This card traditionally shows a woman in a walled garden who enjoys her solitude and her independence. In my version, Ellen also embodies the element of sacrifice that comes with this card, for choosing her own path rather than abiding by society's expectations. (I made the title of the card in the style of a formal calling card of the period.)

Another card from the literature deck above, and the character is, of course, Lucia from E.F. Benson's wonderful Mapp and Lucia novels. Lucia embodies the creative, commanding, inspiring and passionate nature of the Queen of Wands, and my little homage to her is in the style of sheet music of the era. The little box that can't be read very well at this size says "Tilling Music Publishers" – Tilling being the village where Queen Lucia reigns supreme.

Another chunky book contribution. This one had the theme "The Word on the Street" – signs, graffiti, and such. At the time, I was living in a very small town and I passed this mushroom-buyer sign every day. It wasn't quite in keeping with the urban edginess that made up most of that book, but hey, it was the word on MY street!

This deck was a storylines collaboration – each person got an unfinished sentence to complete and illustrate.

My contribution to an angelic-themed deck. Madeleine L'Engle again provided the inspiration, with her idea that angels must truly be terrifying to look at, because the first thing they always say upon arriving is "Fear not!" In her book "A Wind in the Door," an angelic being is presented as a whirling mass of wings and eyes, which I collaged here, using wings and eyes from Burne-Jones angels.

This collage was part of a "Between the Worlds" deck for Halloween. It's a combination of digital and paper collage – I copied the people's images from my collection of antique photos, laid them out on paper, then scanned the group and floating them as a transparent layer over the background. The text is from Loreena McKennitt's haunting "All Souls Night": Standing on the bridge that crosses the river that goes out to the sea, the wind is full of a thousand voices, they pass by the bridge and me...