Thinking About Leaf Prints As The Season Changes

With fall just around the corner I can't help but think off all the fun things to do with leaves. I always get a kick out of making leaf prints and then using them for cards -- this is also a neat activity to do with kids. All you need are leaves that have fallen from the trees, some acrylic paint (washable paint if you're working with the kids), and paper.

Once you've found a leaf that you want to use to make your print, just paint the front of it and then press it down on your paper. The amount of paint that you use will determine how detailed your print will be -- play around with it until you find the look that you want. When I did this one I decided to use green and yellow paint on my leaf, and then I did a watercolor wash over it when it was dry.

New Card - Handmade Paper,Raffia, and Pop Up Stickers

I've been working on some new cards to put in my Etsy store since it seems as though I've neglected new inventory for a while. This is one of the new cards I've added. I just had some fun playing around with scrap handmade paper,raffia, and some pop up stickers.

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.

Christmas Cards

Although it's only August, I've already started thinking about Christmas card designs. If I don't start working on them now, I'll never get them done in time for the holidays. I used a recycled card stock blank for this one, and added a simple paper tree and printed ribbon to help convey the Christmas spirit.

Flower Note Card

Handmade paper and patterned card stock help to make this flower note card come to life. I had worked on a bunch of these with the intentions of putting them in my Etsy store, but I took them to an outdoor festival and they were very popular -- this is the only one left! Yeah!

Simple Card Design Using Ribbon and Stickers

Sometimes the most simple designs are the best. They aren't cluttered and they offer simple style and elegance to the look and feel of the card. For this note card I used a patterned ribbon(1/2 inch) to lay horizontally across the front of a light weight card blank, and simply added a small floral sticker on top as embellishment.

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.