Pretty Painted Flowers Greeting Card

There's nothing like an original painting to brighten someones day. It's a great idea to send a little original art on a card for a birthday, a thank you, or just to keep in touch, this is  card for it. I painted these flowers directly onto the front of the card using acrylic paints.

Calabash Cards

I almost forgot to share... If you order cards from Calabash Cards on Greeting Card Universe (GCU) you can now get  free in- store pick up at most Target stores. So stop by Calabash Cards and check it out, or just click on the widget to see what's available.

Mixed Media Art Card

It's been a while since I made one of these mixed media art cards for my Etsy shop. I used some torn handmade paper in the background, and decorative floral paper and fabric for her outfit. Lots of fun to make... I think I'll have to make a few more.

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.

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

Mixed Media Card Design

This mixed media card incorporates a lot of the things that I like to work with -- handmade paper, jute (has great texture), card stock, and glitter. It's an abstract take on a 'Basket of Flowers', but sometimes that's the beauty of an abstract mixed media piece -- it can go in any direction that you're willing to take it.

Mini Abstract Art For Cards

Sometimes abstract pieces will add just the right amount of movement and color that you're looking for when you're working on a card. I created this mini abstract painting using water colors and acrylics. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it until I pulled out this fluorescent white card blank with the gold deckle edge -- then I knew exactly where it was going -- and 'Abstract Splash' ended up on a card and in my Etsy store.

Punched Water Color Flowers

I had some left over paper that I had done a water color wash on for another piece, and I couldn't bear to throw the paper away because I liked the way the colors had blended together. So I decided to salvage the scraps by using a flower punch to punch some flowers that I could use for a flower pot design that had been floating around in my head.

I used handmade paper for the background, some type of construction tape (I have no idea what it's called -- I just liked the way it looked) for the flower pot, and added the punched flowers above the pot to finish it off.

So I was happy... I was able to make a card and put the left over paper to some good use.

Mini Art for Cards done in Water Color and Ink

I love to create mini art for cards because when you give the card you also end up giving the person a small work of art that becomes a real keepsake. You can choose to mount the original art, or a copy of the original to the front of your card. The art for this card is done with water colors and ink on water color paper. I made copies of the piece and mounted the copies onto card blanks. It's available at my Etsy store as well as at my Greeting Card Universe store as a print on demand card.

Working with mini art pieces is always a lot of fun. Try putting some cards together and see what you come up with.

Simple Mixed Media Art Using Paper and Fabric

Have fun creating simple mixed media art pieces using paper and fabric. They are perfect for cards or for framing and hanging on the wall. For this piece I used torn pieces of handmade paper for the flowers, burlap threads for the stems, and scrap fabric for the flower pot.

Make Matching Bookmarks For Your Cards

Sometimes when I make my cards I'll make a matching bookmark to go with it so that I've created a little gift set for the person that I'm sending the card to. Not only will they have a handmade card that they can frame, but they'll also have a bookmark (something they can use all the time) to go with it.

'Happiness Is...' Handmade Note Card

One of best parts about creating cards is that they convey feelings. When I worked on this card I was having a really good day and feeling good about everything. So 'Happiness Is' was 'born'.

I used different patterned papers to create the blouse, the skirt, the head, and the hearts, and I used a solid piece of card stock for the background. Any which way you look at it 'Happiness Is'... creating cards!

Working In Ink on Card Blanks

Sometimes I like to do simple paintings directly onto a card blank using ink. I always choose a heavy weight, high quality acid free paper for these cards so that I can make sure that the paper is able to support the ink without it bleeding through to the other side. Then when I'm done I'll usually add my sentiment on the front of the card usually underneath or beside what I've drawn or painted. In this case it's 'Thinking of you..." Truth be told, I'm always thinking about somebody, so it gives me an excuse to make a card and send it off!

Cut And Paste The Old Fashoined Way

I still like doing some things the old fashioned way. I know that there are wonderful die cut machines out there that make our lives so much easier, but I still enjoy picking up a pair of scissors and cutting out the pieces for my design. It gives me time to think and enjoy the process. It may take me longer to complete the card, but I have a lot of fun along the way!

Collaged Valentine

Hearts are in the air with Valentine's Day just around the corner and I've been playing around with a few collaged heart designs.

For this card I used various grades of handmade papers for the layout. I tore the abstract heart out out of the paper that offered the most texture and made it the focal point of the design.

Be Inspired By Nature

Don't overlook the beauty of nature when thinking about artwork to use on your cards. Leaf prints make wonderful cards, and if you're creative with the colors you'll be able to come up with a botanical print that will not only look great on the front of your cards but could also be a neat print that's suitable for framing.

Making Cards from Original Artwork

I love to give original art as gifts and recently I started making cards that complimented the artwork that I was giving. I make reproductions of the piece and add it to the front of a card blank making a neat gift set. That way whoever gets it has something to frame and hang on the wall as well as a matching card that is filled with whatever special sentiments I'm sending their way.

Working On Recycled Card Blanks

I like when cards have an earthy feel to them, so a lot of times I work with recycled card blanks or recycled paper to make the card. On this card I used fabric, handmade and corrugated papers to create the mini collage on the front.

Stamping On Painted Papers

I do a lot of work on canvas and acrylic and mixed media papers, and because I tend to be obsessed with minimizing waste I save scraps that I know I'll be able to use again.

When I was working on this 'Thank You ' card I stamped the dancing images on a scrap sheet of acrylic paper that I had already painted on (a remnant from another project) and the burnt orange really did the trick. I liked the way that the painted acrylic background made the dancers appear to 'pop' right off the card and added just the right amount of color to the composition.

Christmas and Holiday Stickers and a Rubber Stamp

When you find cool Christmas and holiday stickers for your cards, go to town and have fun with them. They are always easy to work with and it's very easy to do your layout with them. You get to place your stickers before sticking them down and decide if you like it where you've positioned it; and if you don't like it where it is, then just move it around until you find a placement that you like. You don't have to set anything in place until you're absolutely sure that you like your design. When I was finished with this sticker layout, I just added a stamped message to finish the card.