Gift Tags From Old Wrapping Paper

I found an old roll of Christmas wrapping paper from last year in the back of the closet. It was tattered and torn and looking like it was ready for the trash. A 'normal' person would have tossed it out, but not me... I had to find a way to salvage bits and pieces of the shimmering paper. So I made some holiday gift tags with the pieces that I could save and sent the rest of the roll to the recycle bin.

Mixed Media Reflections

Every now and again I end up working on a piece that takes on a life of it's own and goes in a direction that I never intended -- this is one of those pieces. The original idea was a woman dancing, but as things turned out I ended up with a someone watching her dance. So I kept the face that I inadvertently inserted and called the piece 'Reflections'.

Buttons and Retro Paper Note Card

When I saw this paper I immediately thought of adding buttons to it to add a 3 dimensional feature. I trimmed out the lower half of the card blank with a strip of the paper, then added the button to the center circle. I was lucky enough to find a button that was a great match.

Thank You Card

I've just finished working on a set of thank you cards for a customer who is having his son send handmade thank you note cards to all the teachers who wrote recommendations for him for his college applications. This card was a favorite in the batch...

If Nothing Ever Changed Note Card

I've found another saying that I really like and figured that it was worth putting it on some cards and bookmarks -- "If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies..." even I have to remember that sometimes... :).

I've been busy trying to add some new cards to the ETSY store... I just added these blank note cards today. They are blank inside, so they're perfect for writing a quick 'thank you', or just for keeping in touch with friends and family.

Believe In Yourself Collage

I had to find a way to incorporate one of my favorite quotes into a piece of art. So I decided to work it into a mixed media collage that I was working on. It's a simple piece -- acrylics, paper, pages from an old thesaurus, and moulding paste -- but I like the message in the art.

Note Cards

These are the most recent note cards I've posted on Etsy. I've been playing around with pictures that I take ( mostly of flowers) and seeing what I can come up with when I manipulate them just a bit.

Note Card To Say 'Hi'

When I was designing this card I was thinking about how we've moved away from keeping in touch the old fashioned way -- writing a quick note to someone and sending it via snail mail instead of email. I thought about how nice it is to get something in the mail other than a bill or marketing stuff. So with that in mind I worked on a card that just says 'hi'.

Hand Painted Heart Bookmark

I've been working on some bookmarks for my Etsy and Artfire stores. I posted this one on Etsy. It's a simple hand painted bookmark with 3 multi- colored hearts. I love hearts and what they stand for.

Mocha Child

I recently received a special mention from All About The Buttons that really made my day. She took the time to highlight blogs and bloggers that she thought were special and I made her list! I thought that I would pass the torch to another blogger and wonderful artisan -- Mocha Child -- she makes spectacular cards that are truly stunning.

This one is one of my favorites. I love the striking design and the contrast that she uses in the layout. Just beautiful! Make sure to stop by her Etsy shop and check out her work.

Mixed Media Art Card

This is a blank mixed media art card done using colorful torn handmade paper, beads, and coated yarn. I used 140lb watercolor paper to create the card blank and the piece is mounted directly on the front. What I like about these mixed media art cards is that they are cards and gifts rolled into one as they would also look great in a frame.

Positive Inspiration

Being able to encourage and inspire someone is always a wonderful thing to do. I think that making cards with great quotes on them is perfect for encouraging someone when they need it.

For this one I chose a Christian D. Larson quote that I printed, matted and mounted on onto a deckled edge card blank.

Happy Earth Day - Handmade Paper Bookmarks

Whenever Earth Day rolls around I always try to think of earth friendly projects that I have worked on -- whether it's up-cycling old napkins for cards and bookmarks or blending scraps of old paper to make new sheets of paper -- and I always hope that I've done my part to be a bit more Eco friendly.

These bookmarks were made from old bits of scrap paper blended together to make something new.

Friends Forever Card

I think that you should always let your good friends know how much they mean to you. Even if they aren't close by and you don't get to see them often, you can always send them a card or drop them a quick note letting them know that you're thinking about them --you could always send them an email, but a nice handmade card is always better.

Simple Thank You Card

This is a simple thank you card done using linen card stock, a 'thank you stamp', and a butterfly cut from some fabric scraps. Sometimes a clean and simple look is the way to go.

Paper Collage Card

I love pretty papers, well truth is I just love paper... Anyway, I really like these papers and had to use them somewhere, so I made this simple collage with them and added the little bird that I cut out from a scrap piece of painted paper paper that I had used in another project. Once I had it all done I trimmed it out with a coordinating paper and mounted it to the front of a card blank.

Teapot Note Cards

I just added these to my Artfire store. These were printed from an original watercolor that I did last year. I have a thing for teapots and I actually have a small collection that always serves as great inspiration

Recycle Old Note Cards To Make New Cards

There's a lot of talk about how much trash we've all been sending to our dumps and landfills, so it made me think about ways to recycle some of the old note cards and note papers that I have lying around. Sure they've been used and written on, but the the images on the front are usually still in good shape -- so why waste them?

For this card I trimmed the front of an old note card that a friend had sent to me awhile back down to size, matted it out with red card stock, and mounted it onto the front of a card blank. Now it's been up cycled and it's ready to go in the mail once again.

Using Torn Paper On Cards

I've recently opened a store on ArtFire and I decided to add some new cards that I did working with torn pieces of paper. For this one I chose a solid card blank that worked with the paper I had torn. I added the torn sheet to the front and embellished with a 3 dimensional sticker.

I've Been Tagged

I've been tagged! The very talented Etsy seller All About The Buttons has tagged me, so I'm going to keep this going.

Here are the rules:

~ Link to the person who tagged you

~ Post the rules on your blog

~ Write six random things about yourself

~ Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them

~Let each person know they've been tagged



OK-- here goes--



1. I taught school for many years but now that I've discovered the more creative side of life, I'm enjoying every moment of artistic expression.

2. I love spicy foods.
3. I love to travel, even though I don't get to do it often.
4. I'm a HGTV junkie, but will settle for a good episode of 'House' or 'CSI'.
5. I don't like to bake -- it's too labor intensive for me -- but I will devour baked goods!
6. I'm a huge fan of 'do unto others as you would have others do unto you.' I think that it makes the world a better place.

Now I'll pass the torch on to

Vision Your Dream
Mocha Child
Esteem22

Social Graces

ACEO At All About The Buttons On Etsy

I've been poking around one of my favorite stores on Etsy -- All About The Buttons --and found this ACEO (Art Cards,Editions, and Originals). All About The Buttons was inspired by this wonderful paper used in the background of the piece and then she added ribbons, beads, chain, and her signature element, buttons to add to the whimsy of her creation. This is a great piece that would add a soft touch of color to any setting.