DIY Gifting: Part 1, Making Cards with Recycled Materials

If you've read any of the former posts, you know that making cards has become one of my favorite hobbies over the past few months.  I consider myself a writer rather than an artist, although I love art, so this is a wonderful hands-on outlet for me.
I'm creating this tutorial just to give you a few ideas.  Usually I incorporate stamping into the process, but wasn't as inspired today as I've been doing a ton of stamping lately.

First on the list- get something to drink.  I can't get started without chai in the morning.

Then, set up your work area.  Think about what utensils you will need.  For this project I used: scrap paper, card stock, scissors, bone folder, vintage cards, x-acto blades (make sure it is sharp), ruler and cutting mat. 

                                                                          

My husband was nice enough to cut some card stock for me (he's more meticulous than I am).  I buy recycled card stock and envelopes.  You can also buy pre-folded cards.   

Next, look over the materials you have and choose things that catch your eye.  Last week I found some vintage cards at an antique shop that was having a mega-sale.  Cruise garage sales or flea markets- they often have paper that is very inexpensive for crafting.  

I cut out designs, words or pictures that I think would work well.  If I have everything pre-cut and ready to go, then I find it easier to decide what elements I'm going to bring together next.

I have a fondness for retro Christmas decorations and cards, but you may not.  Choose something that suits your style.

Choose your card.  I like to decide what color card I'm going to use before I start putting the pieces together, so I have an idea of what colors work together.  Fold your card (make sure you crease it several times) with the bone folder or back side of a butter knife, if your cards aren't pre-folded.



Place all of the images/text you want to use on the paper (pre-glued) to figure out placement.  Then, get your glue stick!  Be sure to cover back of paper completely.

One of the cards I created today.  For this card, I tore two of the piecesof paper to give the card a more textured look.  The paper with text was cut with scissors from a vintage Christmas card.

My kitty loves kneading and laying on the scrap paper bag.  Every time I get it out he declares it as his own:)










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Blackbird & Peacock

It's official- Blackbird and Peacock are now open for business!  A love of all things paper- journals, letters, pretty paper- helped spawn this new Etsy shop by husband and wife team, Hope and Joe Von Stengel.  The shop will have an eco-friendly edge, as many of the materials used will be recycled or created from recycled  and sustainable materials.
This new venture is a movement outside of the bigbadartcollective shop on Etsy, an opportunity to focus time and energy.  Right now Hope has been getting ready for the holidays by making cards for friends, as well as the shop.  Joe sold quite a few journals at the City of the Hills art festival in Oneonta, NY, so a little catching up and re-ordering supplies has kept us busy was well.
Take a look at our new store- a great place to browse for those with eclectic tastes!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/blackbirdandpeacock

In the spirit of Earth Day!

Like our ancestors, humans are still recycling, upcycling or repurposing to get the most out of the resources available to us.  It is economical and realistic, beyond being idealistic.  I currently participate in two online trading sites, swaptree and paperbackswap, where users recycle media by trading with other members of this online community.  Not are we only reusing media that would otherwise sit on a shelf, but most of the members re-use packaging. Fantastic!

In the spirit of Earth Day I wanted to highlight a few of the items on Etsy that are created with the idea of recycling, upcycling or repurposing in mind.
Alyssa Jackson's upcycled jewelry is a hit in our hometown of Oneonta, NY.  She's been collecting game pieces to make pendants, rings, necklaces and earrings for over a year.  Her jewelry has a hip, romantic flair.

In the same spirit comes Diana Cozzens' creations.  Also romantic, yet more in the vein of 80's punk, a lot the jewelry Diana has created for the shop thus far is from discarded leather scraps originally meant for furniture.

A couple of weeks ago, I added some new blank cards on Etsy by Joseph Von Stengel to highlight Earth Day.  His 8-Bit Creations and Culture Catalogue Silhouettes images grace 100% recycled note cards, the brown ones are also 20% post-consumer and the white 100% post-consumer recycled.  Rad!

Happy Earth Day!