Retro Mother's Day Cards

Mother's Day is coming and I'd like to share with you 2 of my retro mother's day cards. I had such a fun time creating these cards - the sentiments are so true!




The pictures of the Moms are computer generated from a purchased CD. To the first I added lots of vintage ephemera - I use all copies, not originals - and buttons. Then I stamped "lifetime of love". The second card is mounted on textured cardstock. The mom's quotes are stamped on parchment paper. A few embellishments and a Thank You raised sticker complete the card. Both cards could be used for other occasions such as a birthday or just to say you care.

"Altered Canines"

I've started a new line of altered dominoes I call "Altered Canines". They're made from large 1" x 2" x 3/8" dominoes which are first colored with alcohol inks. Then they're stamped, fixed, and sealed with acrylic sealer. Some have eyerings, and some have attached wire bails or chains. They can be used as a pendant, or attached to a pin or keyring. Presently I'm limited in breeds to German Shepherd, Great Dane, Dalmation, and Siberian Husky, but I will be increasing my inventory shortly. If you have a breed you'd like to see, send me an email - cardsbypatzee@embarqmail.com. You can find more examples at my Etsy shop but don't forget to look in my sold items, because they go fast.

Frugal - Not CHEAP!!! Frequent local Garage Sales....

Craft stores are filled with thousands of cardmaking embellishments. You can usually find anything you want to finish that special card. But if you want to be truly unique, bypass the ready made embellishments, and dare to be different. Some of my favorite places to search for one of a kind items for my cards are flea markets and garage sales. They're also the best place to find alterable items. Look for vintage photographs and postcards. You'll be amazed at what people are giving away for almost nothing. Vintage ephemera - newspapers, magazines, books, menus, maps, travel brochures, etc. can all be used in your creations. Don't overlook things like small hardware and jewelry pieces. They can be attached to almost anything. Rip things apart - don't always look at the whole piece - there are some extremely interesting components to other people's "junque". Old games - scrabble, dominoes, mahjong, etc. provide alterable items as well as embellishments. Look for inexpensive books, records (if you're old enough to remember what they are!), boxes, tins, clipboards, picture frames, and anything else that you can recycle. To create successful altered art you must see things not as they are, but as they could be. One final thought - my rule which I have broken too many times and regretted it: If you pick something up twice it better go home with you. You'll be sorry later that cheap treasure got away!

Attention All Animal Lovers!!

I've just uploaded March's themed cards to JUST CARDS. Being an animal lover myself, many of my cards reflect the relationship of pets and their people. You'll find dogs, cats, pigs and cows in this unusual collection.

First Try Mini Collage Pendant

What's so difficult about a mini collage pendant? A LOT ! Oh my gosh, this is so much harder than you would think! I have a whole box of mahjong tiles and I thought I try my hand at using them in a little pendant. Well, my little project ended up taking me hours to finish. I used a cut CD for the base, stamped and coated with ultra thick embossing enamel. Then I used diamond glaze to hold the watch parts in place and drilled some holes for my wire. The mahjong tile is stamped with alcohol inks and versafine blank ink, then coated in diamond glaze. Then I added a few embellishments, giving the front a better look, but the back looked terrible. So I cut a piece of foam to size and glued it on with E6000. At this point I had to decide on a pin or a pendant. In the future when I see these little works of art I surely will better appreciate the work that goes into them.

Altered Postcards

Postcards do not usually come to mind when one thinks of altered art, but they are one of my favorite mediums. Lots of people who do "altered postcards" simply take a PC, white it out, and make their own. In my opinion, that is not altering, but re-using. I prefer to take a card and alter the theme. White out with gesso only the areas you want to change, then decoupage or stamp the card. Of course, if you're using a rare or vintage card, use a copy for your altering rather than the original. You'll end up with a unique card to send or to frame.

Link to the Past

A friend of mine sent me some vintage photos she had acquired of her ancestors. She has no idea as to the identity of this child in this photo, but as soon as I saw it I knew it would make a wonderful card. These two cards make me laugh every time I look at them. What a wonderful link to the past. Just seeing an old photo like this makes you stop and think about this little guy's life and what the future held for him. Little did he know this anonymous photo would bring so much joy so many years in the future.

Both these cards are available on ETSY.

Vintage Niagara Falls

Just thought I'd share with you a card I recently finished reminding me of home. Although I live in Las Vegas, I am originally from a town just outside of Buffalo, NY. Grand Island, NY is an island situated in the Niagara River between Buffalo and Niagara Falls, so I am very familiar with this awesome natural wonder. We were even able to see the mist of the falls from our home - about 7 miles away! If any of you are from Western New York I'd love to hear from you.

More Tags....

Simple - sassy - sentimental. These tags are made from decoupaged laminate chip samples. The hardest part is matching the picture with the words!

A New Tag to Share.

I love, love, love this tag! It's created on a laminate sample chip and decoupaged. I have never made tags before, but I like the way this came out so well that I'm inspired to do more. If interested, it's listed on ETSY.

Resolutions for 2008 --- AGAIN !

So what's on your list this year? Here's some suggestions every crafter can relate to:

1. Complete all unfinished projects from last year. Oh, yeah, you know what I'm talking about! "I'll get to that as soon as I try this new technique I heard about"... sure !
2. Pull out some of the old tools that were so hot when they were introduced that you just had to have one! You'll be surprised what you can still do with them.
3. Toss out or give away anything you haven't used or even thought about last year. Ok..maybe 2 years, since we crafters are notorious pack-rats.
4. Make a resolution to go out of your comfort zone and try something daring or something you've been thinking about for a long time.
5. CLEAN your studio. This should probably be #1. And at least try to clean up after every project. It will be easier to start working again later on.
6. And finally - take advantage of the great sales at your local craft store this month and buy something FUN! Then use it.

A NEW THEME - JUST ALICE!

Do you like "Alice in Wonderland?" Take a look at two of my new creations. It's nice to work with Alice because everything is strange and not what it seems. So you have a free range of creativity for your projects. I've done pendants, cards, and magnets, but this theme could even be incorporated into a little girls scrapbook page. By the way, did you know that Alice Through the Looking Glass was actually a satire on the British government at the time it was written?

New Altered Domino Magnets

I've just listed some beautiful new magnets on Ebay and Etsy. They are made from dominoes and scrabble tiles. The dominoes have been inked with alcohol inks, and the scrabble tiles act as tiny little frames for vintage women pics. Each has a paper and/or fabric flower. The photos really don't do these magnets justice; they are much more beautiful in real life.

Happy Thanksgiving to ALL

Sorry I haven't posted in quite a while. It's been a busy time of year for me and my creative processes seem to be on hold. Today I'd like to talk a little bit about altered game pieces, one of my favorite things to work with. Dominoes and Mah-jong pieces are great for magnets and pendants. The pendants can be used as a decorative clothing accessory, as book fobs on book thongs, as key chain charms, and lots of other ingenious items. They can be stamped, decoupaged, drilled, glued, etc, etc, etc. You're only limited by your own imagination. I also use the plastic Rummicube game tiles as magnets and embellishment for cards. (they're much lighter in weight) Scrabble tiles can also be used as small charms or embellishments. I've also found some 1 1/2" round wooden discs from some game which can also be altered any way you like. And no, you don't have to buy a new game to get some of these pieces. Mine all come from thrift and second hand shops where you can usually find them at great prices. So keep your eyes open, but don't be stealing from the kid's toys! Check out my gallery to see some of my altered art pieces.