Pretty Blank Green Note Card With Flower

This is a pretty blank green note card done using card stock and, adhesive papers,  perfect for sending a quick 'thank you', or a writing a note to say 'hello' to an old friend the old fashioned way (no email). Not knocking technology, but handwritten letters and notes are so much more fun...

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.

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.

Using Paper Scraps To Make Christmas Trees For Your Cards

Since I'm really big on utilizing paper scraps, I thought I'd mention using them for simple Christmas trees for cards (I know... we're still in August, but sometimes you really do have to start working on Christmas cards early).

Dig through your scrap pile and find a piece of paper that you like, cut 3 triangles and place one on top of the other to create your tree. Cut a rectangle from another piece of scrap to create your base, set it in place and you're done.

Happy Girl Card Made From The Scrap Paper Pile

I've been trying to get back into the swing of things since I got back from my little vacation, and I've been playing in my scrap paper pile again. This card I've called 'Happy Girl', mostly because it pretty much sums up my post vacation mood.

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.

'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!

Paper Collage

I've been playing with scraps again and working on another collage. I used all kinds of papers to put this piece together -- lots of handmade and painted paper scraps came into play. I chose a lot of bright colors because I wanted a more vibrant piece rather than one with subdued tones and I think that the colorful paper selection helped me to create just that.

Handmade Paper Backgrounds

Working with torn pieces of handmade paper is a great way to create a textured look for the background for a collage or mixed media piece. The process is a little bit more labor intensive than using paint, but the end result is usually a good one that will allow you to set the tone for what you're working on, and if you're trying to add some varying levels of texture, then this is another way to do it.

I used a lot of bright colors on this one, but muted tones will work just as well.

Making Memorable Gift Tags

Whenever you're giving someone a gift, don't forget about the gift tag. It's always nice to use unusual papers to make memorable tags. When I made these I thought that it would be cute to fill in the crossword blocks with different words like --With Love -- Happy Birthday -- Just For You, or the person's name. You could fill in the blocks with whatever sentiment you'd like just to give your gift that extra special touch. What's really nice is when you're able to coordinate your gift wrap paper and your tags and give your gifts a designer look.

Using Paper And Fabric To Make A Christmas Card

I like when cards have an earthy feel to them. I'm not sure why, but I tend to be drawn to papers and fabrics that offer texture to the piece I'm working on.

On this Christmas card I decided to use fabric that offers texture for the backdrop. I cut the triangles from a sheet of green card stock to make the tree and used a textured piece of brown paper at the base. A silver star adds a bit of shimmer on the top and a single word underneath delivers the message. Simple, but it has a real homespun feel to it.

Handmade Paper

When you get into making cards you quickly find out that there seems to be a never ending supply of commercial papers to choose from, but if you're like me, you start to think of ways to make or design your own paper. I am definitely not an expert at making paper, but I really enjoy the process and the for the most part I end up with pretty decent sheets that I can work with. The great part about it is that I get to recycle old paper and do something for the environment at the same time.