For All You Motorcycle Mama's!

I just wanted to share with you some wonderful motorcycle themed holiday images I received in the mail a few years ago. These are representations of some of the artwork found in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Ohio that were offered as Christmas cards. They are printed on the same heavy cardstock used in the cards, but the backs of these pictures are filled with information on the purchase and ordering. Of course, I had to use some to make my own set of Holiday cards!

I'll be listing some shortly on Zibbet.

Celebrate Earth Day

Friday, April 22 is Earth Day. Try to recycle useful objects into your art, not just for one day, but everyday! There are some beautiful and unique items that are usually discarded, but can make your art one of a kind. I've just finished a bunch of notecards using pictures from out dated calendars. Look around you and try to see the potential in everything! If you need some more ideas, take a look at my related blog posts.

Altered Altoid Tins

I finally got around to using those old Altoid tins that I've been saving for years! I've seen lots of recycled tins on the web that are just covered with scrapbook paper and ribbon, and I wanted to do something more. The first step was to paint or ink the top of the tin with an appropriate color for the theme I wanted. A gold paint pen also worked well. The most difficult thing with this project was creating the proper sized template for covering the top. Once I had the template made, cutting the cardstock was easy. This was a necessary step for the more recent tins which have embossed covers that I wanted smooth. I embellished with vintage images, some of which are sealed in a protective glaze, fabric ribbon, buttons and bottle caps.

I had to make another template to line the insides. I used fabric or cardstock for the lid and bottom, then lined the edges with fabric ribbon. I think they came out perfect, and are nice little trinket boxes to hold tiny treasures, candy, buttons, etc.

Easy to Use Resin

For the last couple of years I've been experimenting with various sealers and glazes for my bottle cap pendants. Until now, the most promising products were UTEE and Diamond Glaze. I did a previous post on them in 2009 that you might want to refer to. I was never completely satisfied with either of these products for my purpose, but they were the best I tried. I wanted to use resin, but the toxicity of the product was not something I wanted to deal with. I've just discovered a very promising product that has been around at least a year called Magic-Glos by Lisa Pavelka. It's a one part liquid resin that is UV light cured. That means it will cure in minutes in direct sunlight! I tried the product on a few of my pendants and I'm very happy with the results. The final product cures crystal clear and looks like glass. It takes a little while to learn to use it properly, but there are directions and videos by Lisa on her site and on UTube.

Too Expensive? I Think Not!

It's funny how some individuals have no clue about the work and effort that goes into handmade items. I was selling my altered art pieces at a show this past week, and among my things I had a few bottle cap magnets and pendants. I was taken by complete surprise when an older woman remarked to me "You're selling these for $3? You get the bottle caps for free!" I quickly responded that: The caps are not free. I have to purchase them new and it takes time and hard work to create a piece of art! Maybe it was her age, maybe she didn't like my work, or maybe she just thought I was taking advantage of people. She said nothing and left.

That started me thinking about just how much time and effort go into any handmade item. I've broken the creative process down into four categories: Development, Implementation, Assessment and Marketing.

Development: the planning stage.

• What am I going to do? Is there a theme? What is the design?
• What supplies do I need? Where can I buy them? How much will they cost?
• What will I do with the finished product? Do I keep it, sell it, or give it away?
• How long will it take me to complete?

Implementation: getting to work

• Purchase all necessary supplies.
• Gather together the specific items needed.
• Experiment with various techniques to find the right one for your project.
• Assemble your creation.
• Re-assemble your creation when the first one isn't to your liking!
• Fine tune and clean up your finished piece.
• and sometimes - Start all over again because it's all wrong!!

Assessment: analyzing your handiwork

• Did your work come out as expected?
• Did it take too long?
• Are you happy with it? Would you make it again?
• Is it good enough to sell or give away? If yes, then proceed to Marketing. If no, keep it for yourself!

Marketing: selling your handiwork

• Will I sell online, in a store, or at a show?
• How much can I sell it for? How much would I pay for a similar item?
• When calculating pricing, don't forget the cost of supplies, cost of marketing, and payment for your time.

Okay - back to my bottle cap artwork. Now that I've thought about this whole thing, I think I better raise my prices! $3.00 seems like a bargain to me!

Kitchen Magnets from Vintage Findings

A while back I found a bag of vintage jewelry parts at my local thrift store. There were a number of large brooches that had the pin back removed. They are too large to use on any of my cards or collages, so I am turning them into refrigerator magnets. If the pin is large enough, a strong magnet can be attached directly to the back, as in the strawberry. Some have an aluminum backing (cut from a soda can) attached, as the flamingo. The other three are attached to stained or paper covered wooden disks the size of a poker chip. If you decide to make your own kitchen magnets, be sure to get magnets strong enough to hold them in place without sliding down the refrigerator door! For these pieces I used ProMag 3/4" and they work great.

A Vintage Flair Card Studio Blog

Check out all my new cards and journals at my new blog, VintageFlairCards. Find just the right card for that special someone! Birthday cards are the featured listings today.

Simply Hollywood

I just finished this lovely notecard set of six hollywood movie actresses from years ago. The cards are simple, but as elegant as the ladies themselves. The computer generated photos are mounted on textured card stock with a matching border, and the card is off white metallic. Sometimes simplicity works best!

Using Vintage Photos for Journals

If you don't know what to do with those old photos you've collected, here's an idea for you. Make them the cover of a journal. Here are two wedding journals that I've made using Victorian couples. This type of photo is very common and can usually be found quite cheaply. But they make great themed journals. Use your imagination and salvage some of those vintage photos!

Punches for Backgrounds and Frames

Here's a few cards made with my new punches. I love the intricate designs. They fit in well with my vintage inspired cards.

Flickr Group for Cardmakers

If you are an ArtFire artisan selling handmade cards, you might want to join my new FlickR group, Cardmakers on ArtFire . You can upload up to 12 photos a day, but they must be greeting cards - no scrapbook pages, embellishments, etc. I'm hoping this group will give us and ArtFire a little more exposure. There are many talented cardmakers selling their creations so let's show the world what we can do!

Handmade Cards vs. Mass Market Pricing

I was reading a post on a handmade selling venue a while back taking a poll as to how much shoppers would pay for a handmade card. It shocked me when I read how little some buyers were willing to spend. If I remember correctly, the average price was about $3.00. Now it's incomprehensible to me that shoppers will buy shelf cards in their local stores for $5 or $6 a pop, but hesitate to purchase a handmade card for the same or lower price! As any paper crafter knows, it takes time and supply money to create something special. It's not unreasonable to expect the same or higher prices than mass market cards! But alas, many card makers create for the sheer pleasure of the craft and must sell cheaply to make sales. Too bad... card crafting is an art form. Card makers (and scrapbookers as well!) should get decent compensation for their hard work. I'd love to hear what you have to say on this subject.

Women Who Dare

I recently completed three Women Who Dare cards commemorating strong women of the past. The photos, Amelia Earhart, Bessie Coleman (1st African American aviator), and Therese Bonnet (military photographer), are cards from the Library of Congress Knowledge Cards, Women Who Dare, series I. The inside of the greeting card has a short biography of the woman, computer generated from the back of the knowledge card. Very unique cards to motivate and inspire. I have the entire deck of cards, so there will probably be more to come.

A Vintage Flair Card Studio

After a 2 year hiatus from cardmaking, I am pleased to announce that I have just opened a new card shop on ArtFire. I'm very excited about this new venture and plan on adding new cards on a weekly basis. I have also started a FaceBook page for shop updates and new card additions. Please stop by, "like" me, and add me as a favorite.
If you're unfamiliar with my work or would like to see some of my previous card art, visit my gallery on Flickr.

A Vintage Flair Card Studio

VFCS on Facebook

Retro Birthday Card for Dad

Here's a cute birthday card I created using a few recycled embellishments. The little boy is coated with diamond glaze and mounted on a painted puzzle piece. The crown and king emblem are made from soda cans that I've diecut. There's a metal plate on the bottom that reads happy birthday. "Dad" has been diecut from a foam sheet. Everything is mounted on textured scrapbook paper with a strip of patterned paper and two vintage buttons. I'll be making a second card for "Mom" with similar embellishments.

Adhesives

Where does one start in purchasing a supply of adhesives? There are so many on the market today it's easy to get overwhelmed. There are only a few types that I use, and they will not be everyone's choices. But I find they work the best for me.

My mainstay is some type of tape runner adhesive. There are lots of them available and it's tempting to buy the least expensive you see. WAIT! Check the length of that tape! The product that costs most, just might be the most economical. I usually use Therm O Web's Memory Tape Runner. It's dependable, the tape doesn't tear or stick to the applicator, it has good adhesion, comes in permanent or repositionable, and is acid free. I like the tape runners primarily for their ease of use.

Liquid Glue Pen. I like these to adhere small paper pieces like diecut letters. They come in different sized tips for various applications. I like ZIG 2 Way Glue.

Glue Dots. These are great for adhering small embellishments. I have found, however, that in the Vegas heat, they often get soft and let your attachment slide around a little.

Glue Stick. I always have these on hand, but don't use them too often. It's usually a back-up when I run out of tape runner! Make sure you get a brand name and apply enough glue, but not too much to lump up.

And finally - the cream of the crop - Xyron! I have 3 different size sticker makers as well as the Cheetah. I love using them, but the adhesive is quite expensive. I always buy it on sale or with a 40% off coupon from the craft stores. By far my favorite is the tiny sticker maker - runs about $7 at a discount and refills about $4. The Xyrons are great for anything you can feed through - paper, ribbon, magnetic sheets, fabric, etc.

So there you have it. Undoubtably, everyone has their own favorites. Some may even hate my choices. So if you see something interesting that you think you might like, try it! There's lots of good choices.

Make Your Own Envelopes

One of the nicest things about making your own cards is that you can make them any size or shape you want. But if you don't want to make your own envelopes, it's important to make your cards the proper dimensions to fit a pre-made envelope. These are the three most common envelope sizes and the size of the cards that fit:

Envelope Dimensions Card Dimensions
A-2 4 3/8" x 5 3/4" 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"
A-6 4 3/4" x 6 1/2" 4 1/2" x 6 1/4"
A-7 5 1/4" x 7 1/4" 5" x 6 7/8 "

If you want to make your own envelopes, it's easy enough - it just takes time. Take an envelope the size you want and carefully open it up to form a template. Trace it onto the paper you want to use, score, fold and glue. DONE!
You can also buy templates for various size envelopes. Do a web search for envelope templates and you'll find anything you need.

Now you'll have to add adhesive so the envelopes can be sealed. You have a couple of choices here. You can use a strip adhesive where you pull off a strip of paper to expose the glue, or you can use a remoistenable envelope glue that you spread on, let dry, and then lick it as a pre-made envelope.

Don't be limited by using plain envelopes, either. If you use a scrapbook paper just be sure to leave a space for writing an address, or use a mailing label.

Creating with Discarded Vintage Books

Vintage books contain wonderful images. I attempt to salvage them by creating one of a kind notebooks, notepads and journals so that these priceless images will not be lost forever. I always use books that are in poor condition. Good vintage books and collector's editions should always be kept intact for future generations. Here's an example of a small notepad created using the pages of a vintage Alice in Wonderland book.

A nice addition to these notebooks is the use of entire pages from the original books randomly inserted between blank pages. They may be more images or interesting quotes from the story line.

Recycle Your Old Books

I loved recycling old books into journals. I use the Zutter Bind It All to punch and bind 50 to 100 blank pages between the front and back covers of unwanted books. I also use vintage books that are in bad condition, but have great graphics on the cover. These books could also be put together using standard binding techniques, or even by punching holes and tieing with twine or ribbon.

One of My Favorite Cards

Being originally from Buffalo NY, I lived only about 7 miles from Niagara Falls. I love incorporating my home town memories into my artwork. This card uses an actual vintage postcard as the background. If you look closely at the WELCOME sign over the photo, you'll see that it actually says " always a friendly Welcome " - just a slightly naughty addition! The ticket is a photocopy of a vintage Niagara Falls hotel room voucher. I'm still not sure if this card will go up for sale or remain in my collection. Click on the card for a better view.