Card-making...

For me it is therapeutic to make cards. I just love gathering all the pieces and materials for making them. Beautiful and intricate, or elegant and simple; making cards is a form of expression so personal and endearing to the recipient that the maker derives a gratifying satisfaction from the knowledge the his/her creation will be loved and well received. Here is my very own latest creation:

The design is simple and easy enough and I used some paper scraps I had on hand to come up with the concept. The first thing I did was raid my little box of keepsakes from pen pals to find the flower I was going to make.

Box where I keep little trinkets sent to me by my wonderful pen pals...

Once I'd found it I traced it onto an index card to make a template and not ruin my little bit of paper joy...

Original and template from index card...

I used the template to make my large orange flower and also to trace flower "silhouettes" onto my linen card for added effect. The silver "ribbon" is a paper band that came from some stationery I'd exhausted; just measured it, cut it to length and pasted it right onto the card. The center of the flower was made from some scraps of scrap-booking paper I had and I just dotted it with various colors to give it that effect.

Template and scraps of paper used...

Pens, markers and some creativity aided in the end result...

Ready to be sent out...

I wrote the message by hand and drew the smaller flowers by making series of dots...

The little details make all the difference...

Isn't it darling? I need to make some more fun ones! Enjoy!

Focus is on the flower...

POST #105: Another little project...

Making cards from my own photos...

I cannot believe that this is my 105th post to date! I know that I've been a little sporadic lately but I am hoping to get up to my old speed again. I've been learning a lot more about blogging and will be slowly incorporating all the things I learn in here. My photos are looking crisper and better and the style is becoming my own. I am happy to share with you all what I am doing and I promise that soon there will be a proper tutorial in the works. 

I've been working on some projects using my photography, sparked in part by the fact that I would like to know what I can make at home with my photos (I have so many gorgeous shots that I want to share with the world) and in part by the fact that I have been pen-palling a lot lately. So, doing a little research here and using the programs I already have on my computer + my excellent ingenuity skills I have created some cards using my photos and printing them right at home on card stock. The ones in the photos are my prototypes but aren't they lovely?

I have finally also found a use for my binder clips...

The cards in the picture show two distinct shots I took in 2009 and 2010. The one on the right is an autumnal shot called "Autumnal Reverie" which I have on display in a few websites and shot in Princeton, NJ in Fall of 2009. The one on the left is a row of townhouses on Bank St. in the West Village in Manhattan which I shot in January 2010 on a weekend visit. They are both two of my favorite places and I hope to print more cards out soon! 

I love to work with the things I have on hand...

Today I printed out a few more cards from a small shoot I did in Princeton that same previously mentioned autumn. I have enough shots of the university and the surrounding area to have an entire collection of prints on cards. I'll be bringing you more photos soon of some more of this wonderful creations of mine. Hope you've enjoyed them! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Card-Making: Some old projects...

I am adding today images of cards I have decorated, collage style:

A French Kitty Birthday Card I made a while back

Christmas Cards made with cardstock and cut-outs

Simple card for a child....

Combinations of cut-outs and paper scraps

With a little bit of edging...