Collage Greeting Cards

 

It has been a busy few months getting the store set up, planning classes and workshops for the spring, and hosting a Grand Re-Opening Party.  I have fallen behind on several things like laundry, art projects, and blogging.  While I can't make any promises about the laundry, this week I have been getting back to the art and blogging parts

I am working on making collage greeting cards for my Kickstarter supporters.  The campaign I started to help fund Small Studio ended in December, and now I need to get my creativity flowing and make the rewards!  This is the start of the 140 cards I will be working on.

 

Sometimes collage is like a puzzle.  Start by gathering interesting papers, cutting out images, then piecing things together.  And when all else fails, I remember the wisdom of Portlandia and "put a bird on it."

Handmade Valentines, 2014

 Every year I make a new batch of handmade Valentines.  I started in 2011 by making little Valentines for my college friends.  In 2012 I made Valentines goodie bags for the kids in the after school program I was working with.  Last year was the first year I made Valentines to sell.  They ended up being very popular at the Urban Orchid, a local floral shop where I sell my books and cards.  Because none of them say "Valentines Day" anywhere, the cards also work well for anniversaries and other occasions where people give flowers.

This year I made many more Ohio cards, and some new ones with heart punched borders and a ribbon with a gem in the middle.  I also did some over-the-top layered cards with the heart punched borders.

Instead of doing a Valentines craft show this year I decided to focus more on Etsy.  I have a great selection of cards available, as well as minibook jewelry, and a few small handmade books.  Make sure to order by February 7th to guarantee delivery by Valentine's Day!

Ohio Books 145-165

 My next summer show is coming up tomorrow at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, OH.  One of the projects I finished this week was another batch of Ohio cards and pamphlet books.  In the weeks leading up to the show I realized I did not have many Ohio themed items left.  Luckily, this is a pretty easy project to make in bulk and spread out over a couple of evenings.

Tuesday night I picked out which papers to use, cut a bunch of Ohios with my Cricut Mini, and cut all the covers and pages for the books.  Wednesday night I folded all the books and sewed them with a simple pamphlet stitch.  Finally, on Thursday night I attached an Ohio to each book and glued a heart over Cleveland.

All the cards and books shown here will be available at Art of the Circle in South Euclid, OH, June 22nd between 10am and 5pm.  If you see an Ohio book or card you like and need to have it, comment here or on my Minimeg facebook page.  (These don't stick around long enough to make it onto Etsy!)

Special Occasion Cards

I sat down last week to make greeting cards for the first time in a long time.  I've made Ohio cards, Christmas cards, and Valentine's cards in the last 6 months but that's about it.  With the summer show season coming up, I decided it was time to make some cards for birthdays, Mother's Day, and Father's Day.

In my studio, I have a set of plastic rolling drawers where I keep paint, scissors, bookbinding supplies, etc.  One of the drawers is my "scrap paper" drawer where all my little pieces of cardstock or decorative paper live.  My process for making cards goes like this: pull out the scrap paper drawer, pick out a bunch of scraps, use fancy edged scissors, and assemble on a card blank.  Add stamps, embossing, or decorative pens as needed.

It is a relaxing process that helps me "recycle" the extra bits that are too pretty to throw away.  Many of these are available at the Urban Orchid in Ohio City.  The rest will be at the Midland Summer Art Fair june 1st and 2nd.

Michigan Cards and Books 61-81

In three weeks I'm doing a craft show in my hometown of Midland, Michigan.  Usually I do my shows around Cleveland, Ohio where I'm currently living.  Because this is a special show, I decided to make some special Michigan themed books and cards.  (And also because I don't think the Ohio/Cleveland cards will be very popular outside of the Ohio...)

I started choosing papers and cutting out the little Michigans on Saturday after skating and running some errands.  I had all 21 books cut, folded, and sewn by the end of the day.  On Sunday I attached all the cutouts and added a little heart over Midland.  Two years ago I got a Xyron 5 inch sticker maker for 50 cents at a yard sale.  I had only used it once or twice, but it turned out to be the perfect tool for this project!

After finishing the books, I started working on some blank greeting cards in the same style.  This turned out to be a great way to use up some scraps of decorative paper leftover from the Women of Achievement Awards I made in February and March.  I was able to attach a 4x5 inch scrap to a card blank as the background, and then add the state of Michigan on top.

My favorite card so far is the one with a Robin in the background.  It worked out great because Robins are the state bird of Michigan!  All these books and cards will be available at the Midland Summer Art Fair June 1st and 2nd outside the Center for the Arts in Midland.  I am offering "pre-orders" through comments here or on the Minimeg facebook page.  Make your selections now, pay with Paypal, and pick them up at the show.

Handmade Valentines- 2013 Edition

Snow is falling, Christmas is long gone, and everyone has gotten used to writing "2013" on their checks.  That means it is time for this year's handmade Valentines!

Ohio cards are some of my most popular handmade cards.  This year's Ohio Valentines are a bit on the Pirate side!  Ohio cards are available by request in any pattern or color I have.  Stop by the Urban Orchid in Ohio City or the Bazaar Bizarre Valentines Show to pick one up.

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the moms out there, happy Mother's Day!  This year, Mother's Day happens to fall on the same day as my college graduation (or perhaps I should say that my graduation happens to fall on Mother's Day...)  Either way, it will be a very special day and I am fortunate to be able to spend the day with my mother and both of my grandmothers.  To celebrate the occasion, I made some cards using some pretty pink paper from the DCWV 12x12 Lace and Linen Stack.  Enjoy the pictures!

Handmade Cards

I recently got some new decorative paper for making cards.  I got two new 8 inch square paper stacks by DCWV.  The Citrus Stack of paper is primarily orange, red, yellow, and blue with several different floral and paisley patterns.  The Green Stack is made from 70% recycled paper and is themed around nature and various woodland creatures (birds, squirrels, skunks...) in muted blues, red, green, and brown.

In addition to the new paper, I got some new paper crafting tools that have made card making much easier.  One tool I absolutely love is the Xyron sticker maker.  It was between $8 and $10 and turns regular paper into a sticker.  To use the little machine you drop your cut paper in one side, pull the sticker tape on the other side, and rub the paper onto the backing.  It basically coats the back of the paper with double sided adhesive.  On a similar note, I got a roll of "glue tape" that is little strips of the double sided adhesive in a roller similar to white out tape.  The other glue I had been using made the cards wavy and took a long time to dry.  The glue tape bonds instantly and always leaves the paper flat.  It is a must have for any paper crafting project!

I also got two new edge punches.  These things are addicting, I swear.  My first edge punch was a heart shaped border that I used to make Valentines earlier this year.  The new punches I got are Fiskars brand.  One has a braided border, the other is a series of swirls and dots.  I love edge punches because they are so versatile.  You can use them to layer papers, create borders, punch both edges of a paper strip, use the punched out pieces... The options are endless.

Making Valentines

Last week my college closed down for a rare snowday. Instead of braving the ice and snow, I stayed inside all day and made valentines! I bought a small pad of Martha Stewart valentine's themed paper, and a heart border punch at Pat Catan's a couple weeks ago and decided to put them to good use.
The border punch is neat because it lets you punch a section of border, line up the already punched section, and continue the border along an entire sheet of paper. I also decided to make some envelopes using brown craft paper that had been stuffed in boxes as packing material.