Here's Another Christmas Tree Card

I like to put Christmas trees on my Christmas cards. I guess it's because they are such a vivid symbol for the season, and they're easy to make. This one is made from corrugated paper to give the tree some dimension, and the small beads and wire add depth. Using the bright striped paper as the back drop adds just the right amount of color to make the Christmas tree stand out even more.

Positive Thinking Journaling Cards

Many people recommend that you should always highlight the positive things in life to help keep you focused on the good things that make your life special. Every now and again I will make a list of the things that make me happy and put it somewhere where I can see it on a regular basis (especially when I'm having a bad day and need all the help I can get to focus on happy thoughts).

I got tired of looking at plain notebook paper, so I came up with this little layout to jazz things up a bit. Now my 'glad list' showcases a whole lot better.

Use Your Artwork to Make Hang Tags

There are times when I like to use my own drawings and paintings ( even the doodles and practice pieces that don't turn out too bad) for gift tags. They add a very personal touch and just as with adding mini paintings to the front of a card, they become mini pieces of art attached to the gift.

Don't Forget About the Envelope

When you're done making your cards, don't forget to choose an envelope that will compliment your work. There are lots of really neat pre- made envelopes out there that will compliment your cards, or you can make your own from matching paper. If you're not up to making an envelope from scratch, then just add matching embellishments to a store bought one. Which ever way you choose to go, just remember that you don't always have to go with the plain old white envelope.

Flat Note Cards For Christmas and the Holidays

I like the idea of not having to send out a lengthy Christmas or Holiday letter. It takes a lot for me to sum up the events of an entire year! My solution to this is to make simple flat note cards that have the Christmas and Holiday spirit as their theme and send them out instead. This way I can write a brief note filled with well wishes and because they're done on card stock, they can double as the card as well.

Color Washing on Coffee Filters - A Kid Friendly Project

Coffee filters make a great canvas for creating color washes that you can incorporate into collage and mixed media designs, and they are easy for kids to work with too. When my kids and I did these we just used markers and a spray bottle filled with water. We used the markers to color on the coffee filters (no specific pattern necessary and scribbles are allowed), and when we were done, we held the coffee filter on the outer edge and sprayed the water on it.

It does get a little messy as the colors start to run when you are spraying so it's a good idea to work over a sink.

I've experimented a lot with coffee filter designs even for grown up projects. It's always a lot of fun.

Layering Handmade Papers To Create Interesting Effects

Layering handmade papers can create very interesting effects. Most times when we think of layering we focus on the background of the piece. In this case I decided to do a watercolor wash for the background and then layer the papers to create the figures in the piece, giving them some depth and dimension.