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

Any Flat Surface Will Do - Collage On Anything!

Art Magnet Made With Recycled Laminate Sample

There's a running joke in our household that if something is flat and not nailed down it will probably end up in one of my collages.  

As the "Queen of Recycling" (a title given me by friends and customers), I always look at recyclable materials with a view to whether or not they'd make a good substrate for my art. 

Case in point, about 12 years ago I was in the home improvement store looking at those little laminate sample chips you can pick up when you are thinking of replacing your kitchen countertop.  They come in a myriad of colors and textures and are strong and durable.  They have rounded corners typically and a hole punched in them, and are about 1.5" X 2" or so.  Initially, I used them to make art jewelry pendants which I sold on Ebay and Etsy for several years.  

Eventually, I found some larger pieces that were about 3.5" X 5" and started making larger art magnets with them.  I hadn't made any in quite some time, when I recently came across a stash of them in my studio and decided to play around with them again.  I had been wanting to use up some of my Gelli plate prints that I have amassed, so I thought I'd make some fun and funky art magnets.  Here's what I did:

Here's a couple photos of the fronts and backs of the laminate pieces.  I have chosen to do the art on the back (unfinished) side because it has a more grippy surface than the slick "good" side of the laminate.  Plus, that way the finished piece will have a really nice look to the back side as well as the front.  

Laminate Samples - Front

Laminate Samples - Back

I cut my Gelli plate prints a bit bigger than the size of the laminate sample, which is about 3.5" X 5."  I chose some of the brighter, more colorful prints I have because I was planning on making these collages into some of my smart-ass magnets and I wanted them to be fun and playful.  

To ensure good adhesion, I used heavy body gel medium (Golden) to glue the prints to the backside of the laminate and let them dry.  Then I trimmed around the edges of the laminate to remove the excess paper.

Collaged elements, doodling, lettering, and other paint treatments came next.  I ran a stamp pad around the edges of the piece to finish the magnets off and then sprayed each with three coats of high gloss sealant.  Two flat, sheet magnets (the kind used for business card magnets) were put on the back of each piece.

Back Of Lamnate With Two Magnets Attached

Art Magnet Made With Recycled Laminate Sample

Art Magnet Made With Recycled Laminate Sample

This was a fun and quick project with great results.  It has reminded me that I should re-visit my previous types of work from time to time, bringing with me the latest techniques and tools I am using.  It brings new life and a new spin to the tried and true.

Thanks for visiting and have an artful day!

Much love always!
Joanna

FREE VINTAGE THANKSGIVING IMAGES TO DOWNLOAD

Hello everyone!

I have a link up on my Facebook page with some free vintage Thanksgiving images for you.  Here it is:

Vintage Thanksgiving Images Download Link

Hope you'll enjoy making your wonderful creations with them.  Be sure to share photos of your projects when they are done.  I'd love to feature your work on this blog.

Cheers everyone and Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!   I am very thankful for all of you!

Joanna

FREE HALLOWEEN IMAGES TO DOWNLOAD

If you haven't already gone to my Facebook page to download all those wonderful vintage Halloween images, here's the link:


Halloween Images Download Link


You can use these images for so many different artsy craftsy applications.  The sky's the limit!  Have fun with them and be sure to let me know what you create using them.  I'd love to feature your work on this blog.

Cheers!
Joanna

More Abandoned Art Magnets

Hello!  I can't believe it's April already!  Woo hoo, summer is on its way!

I'm really getting carried away with this Art Abandonment thing.  Although I have been abandoning art for several years now, I have really gotten into it lately since I have been involved with my online group.  This month, I will continue to abandon more of my art magnets in my own and other communities as I travel.

These are miniature prints of my original art and each one measures 2" X 3.5" (see quarter in the photo for scale).

As I mentioned in my January post to our Art Abandonment Group (Facebook), magnets are great for abandoned art because they are easy to adhere to different surfaces that you might not otherwise consider as a suitable location for your art.  I have abandoned magnets on door frames, utility boxes (those big ones in public places that house city electrical connections or water shutoffs, etc.), playground equipment, the doors in public restroom stalls (inside, of course).  I try to make it a challenge for myself to find really out-of-the-way places to abandon magnet art.  It is SO fun to think how long it might be before someone discovers it and if only to be a "fly on the wall" to see the wonder on their faces when they find it.

I STILL love art by stealth!!

Cheers!
Joanna

WIN A VINTAGE IMAGES COLLECTION !!

FIVE CHANCES TO WIN !!

No, this is not an April Fool's Day joke, you can win a copy of my Vintage Christmas Images CD Collection with just a couple clicks of your mouse.  Here's how.

To the immediate right of this blog post, look for "Networked Blogs" and click on "Follow This Blog."  That's all you have to do and you'll be in the draw on April 3 to win one of five of these CDs.  

If you'd like a second chance to win, just share this message on Facebook and let me know you've shared it and you'll double your chances of winning.

It's never too early to start your Christmas crafting and art projects and this beautiful collection will inspire you!  There are over 1,200 vintage Victorian and Edwardian images in simple JPG format on this CD.  You can use them just as they are or manipulate them in PhotoShop or other editing software.  Check out the small sampling that follows for the kinds of images you'll get in this collection.

These are public domain images that you can use for all your personal artful projects, even those you intend to sell.  The only restriction on the images is that the collection cannot be reproduced in whole or in part for resale, either in print or digitally, because the collection as a whole is copyrighted.  Otherwise, you are free to do what you want with the images.

Thanks for all your support in visiting my blog and good luck in the draw.

Cheers!
Joanna

MORE FREE VALENTINE'S IMAGES

Bonus!  I found this sheet of vintage Valentine tags that I had created some time ago, and thought you might enjoy using these for any last-minute goodies for your sweetheart.

Just right-click on the image and save it to your own computer.  It is a JPG file that is set up to print on a single 8.5 X 11 piece of paper, although you may have to re-size it a bit depending on the differences between our respective systems.

The images come from my huge collection of vintage postcards from the Victorian/Edwardian era.  As always, you are free to use the images as you wish for your personal use.  If you make something to sell, I would appreciate it if the credit is noted.

The collection is copyrighted by me so please do not re-distribute in whole or in part or re-produce in any form for resale.

Hope you enjoy them!

Joanna

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 CD Art

If you're like me you probably have TONS of old CDs lying around.  Actually, I'd bet you are smarter than me and have already put them out with the recycling.  I have a huge stack of them and every now and then I resurrect this project from many, many years ago and do a few more up as altered art.  I found that they make great magnet art and are very popular gift purchases at my art shows.  My customers really appreciate that so many recycled materials go into the making of them and that that stuff is staying out of the landfills.

Following are several photos of different ways I have created art on old CDs.  The list of materials I used is HUGE but since you've asked to know the gory details, here we go:

Assorted paints - acrylics, dimensional, spray
Recycled materials - puzzle pieces, watch parts, old jewerly bits and beads, dressmakers' patterns, rhinestones, scrapbook accents, ribbon, funky fibers, tags, sheet music and much more
Walnut ink
Stamped images
Foiling
Fabric
Sharpie markers
Handmade clay cabochons
Handmade Friendly Plastic accent pieces

And yes, you can drill into CDs to make them hangable.  For those that were made into magnets I used the business card sized magnets you can buy at Staples that have one side covered in paper that you pull off, revealing a super sticky surface that adheres really well to the CD.

I hope you enjoy looking at these and do let me know if you want to try this project yourself and have questions.  I am always happy to help.  You can email me at:  joannabanana@shaw.ca


"Without Music, Life Would Be A Mistake" (SOLD)

"Hold Fast" (SOLD)

"Without Haste" (SOLD)

"Butterfly Wishes" (SOLD)

"Tangle Goddess" (FOR SALE)

"Zentangle Hub" (SOLD)

"Monarch Queen" (SOLD)

"What We Love" (SOLD)

"Angel Watching Over" (FOR SALE)

"Character And Beauty" (FOR SALE)

"Gypsy Spirit" (FOR SALE)

"Key To My Heart" (FOR SALE)

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!