Handmade from the heart

Nothing makes me as happy as giving a homemade card. I get to be creative while adding all the little things I know the person loves and adores in one package.
I recently made a birthday card for my friend's husband. He loves elephants, so I found a cute version online (Thanks, Indie Craft Parade). I started with an old book page, painted it in the color of my choosing, then traced off the elephant with a Sharpie. Next, I cut it out.
One of my favorite products is Strathmore's Creative Cards. You can draw, stamp, paint, etc on them. They are the equivalent to blank cards, but for artists. I used the fluorescent white with a deckle edge. After I painted the background, I applied the cut-out elephant with glue and added in the finishing touches - like the tail and white tusk. I placed an elephant on both sides and filled the inside with quotes that reminded me of him.

Then, I gifted the same family with a Valentine's Day package. I used one of the Strathmore envelops (as mentioned above), traced off a quirky heart and colored it in with Prismacolor colored pencils. I blended them with an alcohol blender pen, creating an almost velvety texture. I painted an old book page with white/silver paint and black ink. I applied part of the page to the flap of the envelop. Then, I tore strips of the page to make stripes going behind the heart. (The same stripes appear on the opposite side under the flap when closed).
I filled the envelop with:
A bookmark, a set of 12 card stock calendar cards, a fold-out heart that reads verb on one side/love on the other (because love is a verb), a tiny envelop made from a heart and filled with hearts, and a personal message written inside of homemade card.
The best part...I left it in their mailbox when visiting one evening. A little surprise in the mail always brightens a person's day.

I also took "scrap" painted pages from previous projects and combined them to make 2 fabulous hearts - one for my daughter, one for my mom. I traced out the hearts on a sheet of card stock. Next, I glued down the page pieces (careful not to put the same colors next to each other), making sure to overlap the edge of the heart outline. After the whole area was covered, I turned the card stock over and cut out the heart. (The outline shows through when held up to the light.)
I placed my daughter's heart inside of a Valentine's Day card and my mom's heart was included in a homemade envelop with a necklace.

I started out by gifting my mail art buddies Christmas cards for the holidays. I hope I can continue to make these cards for my family and friends this year. They bring so much joy!


Until next time - Remember love is a verb! It requires your attention and actions to keep it alive!