RECYCLE THOSE CHRISTMAS CARDS INTO ORNAMENTS !

Hello All and welcome back!

This is just a quick post to share the link to my guest artist post over on "12 Months In View," where we take Christmas cards and recycle them into angel ornaments.  For those of you with me back in December 2012, I posted this lesson here on my own blog.

Here is the link and I hope you enjoy this quick and easy project!

Cheers!
Joanna

Tutorial - How To Make Angel Ornaments With Recycled Christmas Cards

CANADA DAY "TRIPLE PLAY" GIVEAWAY !!

Happy Canada Day, friends!  To celebrate the holiday, I am tripling your chances to win my monthly CD collection giveaway.  Here's how it works.

You can win ONE OF THREE collections of vintage images on CD that will be drawn.  These images come from my personal collection and are in simple JPG format so you can easily use them for so many different arts and crafts projects.  They are terrific for mixed media, collage, art journaling, assemblage, scrapbooking, card making and more.  Each CD has over 3,000 vintage images similar to the sample images you see below.  These are public domain images that you are free to use, even in things you wish to sell.  The only limitation is that you can't reproduce the images or the collection either digitally or in print to resell because the collection is copyrighted to me.  

How do you get your TRIPLE PLAY entry in the draw?  Here's what you do:

1. To the right of this post on my blog, look for "Networked Blogs' and click on the "Follow This Blog" icon.  If you are already following this blog, just let me know to get yourself in the entry.
2. Go to my Facebook art page:   www.facebook.com/JoannaGrantArt and "Like" the page.  Leave me a comment that you have done so and that will be your second chance to win. If you already follow my Facebook page, let me know and you'll be all set for the second chance to win a CD.
3. Share this blog post or my Facebook page and let me know you've done so and you're in the draw for a third chance.

That's it.  The draw will be made on July 5 so check back on this blog then to see if you've won.  Thanks so much for entering and for all your support.

Much love always!

Joanna

ANGEL ORNAMENTS by KATHLEEN and LOIS

I was thrilled to get messages from Kathleen Childers and Lois Inman Engle, fellow FB artist friends, with photos of the beautiful little angel ornaments they made from my post here with the instructions I posted here.

Aren't they adorable?  These ladies really have taken a simple little idea and run with it.

Thank you, Kathleen and Lois, for sharing them with all of us!

Joanna

PS - The first two photos are Kathleen's and the last four are Lois'.

HOW TO Make Those Recycled Christmas Card Ornaments

Wow, I had no idea these simple little angel ornaments would be such a hit.  Thank you for your interest in how they are made.  I hope the following tutorial will be helpful.

RECYCLED CHRISTMAS CARD ANGEL ORNAMENTS

Supplies:

Christmas cards (covers only)

Scissors

Glue stick

White glue

6” of decorative thread or ribbon (for hanger)

Pencil

Card stock (to make angel template)

Assorted decorative embellishments (ribbon, stickers, glitter, jewelry findings, etc)

Copy and print off the angel template, trim off most of the excess paper around the image, and gluestick it to the cardstock, then cut it out.  This will be your template to use for the Christmas card.  You can make the angel any size you want but this one is about 4” at its widest by about 4.25” at its highest.  This size works well to get two angel shapes from one Christmas card cover measuring about 5” X 8.”  Of course, there is no reason not to make your angel shapes from different cards.  That will just make them more interesting!  And don’t worry if the image prints off at a different size than what I’ve noted here.  Just work with it as it is.  You can always alter the size of your template at a later time if you’d prefer it smaller or larger.

Trace around your cardstock template on the back side of your Christmas card.  Then flip the template over and trace a second image on the back side of the Christmas card (or on a separate card if the first one is not large enough for two tracings).  You will now have two angels that are mirror images of one another.  Cut both out.  The finer the job you do of cutting them out, the less finishing work you’ll need to do later on.

With the angels face up (good side of Christmas card), take the angel with the wing on the left and cut from the center bottom of the angel body up about halfway.  We’ll call this the Left Angel.

Take the angel with the wing on the right and cut from the center top of the head down about halfway.  We’ll call this one the Right Angel.  (Photo shows both angels with the cuts as described.  You may need to look closely to see the cuts.)

Here’s the tricky part.  Holding the Left Angel in your left hand and the Right Angel in your right hand, slip the slot you created in the Right Angel’s head up into the slot of the Left Angel’s body.  Adjust the fit until both sides are even (this isn’t an exact science).  In the photos below I have taken the Left Angel from the white/red set and the Right Angel from the gray/gold set and slotted them together.  Hopefully the contrast in their colors helps to demonstrate what I am doing.

Use a couple of discreet dabs of white glue at the bottom of the now-joined angels to hold them together as one.   Do the same with the head, but if you are making a hanging angel, then layer your looped decorative thread or ribbon in as you glue, hiding the ends of the ribbon or thread of course.  Let dry before moving on to the next step.

You may want to trim the bottom of the angel or around the head or wings just to even things up. 

Now comes the fun part – decorating your angel!  You can leave it just as it is and it makes a great ornament, however I have trouble leaving anything plain, so I usually do some embellishing.

To cover the center seam that shows where the two pieces are joined, I will often run a small strip of double-sided tape (.25” wide) from the bottom of the angel to the neck.  I’ll then cover that tape with decorative ribbon or trim or some kind of embellishment.

I love adding a head to these ornaments and have used everything from clay face cabochons to bottlecaps with vintage face images on them.  The limit is really only your imagination.  Just remember that these items add bulk to your angel so if you are going to be mailing them, keep this in mind.  Also, depending on what you are adding for a head (or other embellishments) you’ll probably need to use a stronger adhesive such as E-6000 or Goop.

Even if both pieces of my angel came from the same Christmas card, I am always surprised at how they look when they are slotted together to make one.  That is part of the fun of this project, I think. 

Keep in mind that this template is a just a rough outline of an angel so that you can get the idea of this project.  You can certainly create something more refined or elaborate.  If you come up with a great shape that you are willing to share, we would love to see it.

I’m sure you’ll think of all kinds of other ideas of how to embellish your angel ornaments.  I would recommend that if you are going to do any kind of treatment to the ornaments (like paint, or glitter glue covering the surface), that you do that before you slot the two together.  It will be much easier that way.

The last thing to do is give the wings a gentle bend toward the back so that they and the arms stand out a bit from one another and give the angel a 3D effect overall. 

I hope you have fun with this project and I would love to see what you create if you wish to share.

I've included photos of a few more of these ornaments.  You can also see my previous post from December 27 for other samples and embellishing ideas!

Cheers!
Joanna

 

Recycled Christmas Card Angel Ornaments

Because everyone knows I recycled stuff into art, I often get all kinds of things "given" to me.  "Here's a bunch of crap I was going to throw out.  I know you'll do something artsy fartsy with it," is what I usually hear.  My studio is bulging at the seams because of these well-meaning souls (and because I can't say no very easily).  These recycled angel ornaments are a result of such an influx of old Christmas cards that were just too lovely to throw out.

I made an angel template out of cardstock and cut two mirror images of the angel out for each ornament.  They are about four inches in height.  The key to making them three dimensional (which doesn't show up well in the photos but the arms can be folded gently forward for a 3D effect) is to slit one of the images from the bottom to the middle vertically, and the other from the top to the middle vertically and then slot the two pieces together, glueing in strategic places to hold them together.

These are fun little ornaments to make because you never really know how they are going to turn out until you slot them together.  Shimmery, shiny, sparkly Christmas cards are perfect for this but you could use any card or very heavy paper (cardstock is preferred for the 3D effect). 

The fun part comes next when you get to embellish your angel as you'd like.  I've used handmade face cabochons, decorative ribbon, rhinestones, foiling, punches, old jewelry pieces, bottlecaps, vintage images and all kind of other things to doll 'em up!  A delicate gold or silver thread is glued to the back of the head to make it hangable.  If you don't use a face cabochon (which is a bit bulky), these are ideal little gifts to enclose in a Christmas card because they lay flat and add no extra postage costs.  Another fun idea is to take Christmas cards from specific friends or family and make them an ornament from that card and send it back to them.  You won't believe the looks on their faces when they see their handwriting on the back of the angel!

If you think you'd like to try making these for yourself and need more details, send me a message!