Pleated Message Mail Art

 I so enjoyed Bel Mills class on pleated message cards (Skillshare), I had to make one for a birthday card.  I only put one pleated message in the card, although there is room for two, because I am going to put a gift card on the bottom part.  I won't be mailing this as us, but, will put it in an envelope so the gift card doesn't get lost!

Bel's discussion of paper grain was so helpful, too!  I have long wondered why sometimes my adhered papers buckled or why folds would become cracked!  Now I will have matching grains for neater projects!

Creative Collage Cards

This year, I signed up for Skillshare and discovered a world of great craft and art classes.  Denise Love, an instructor, teaches a Creative Collage Card class which I highly recommend.  In this class, you essentially learn how to make your own scrapbook paper using a color palette which can be photocopied and used endlessly!

I particularly enjoyed using handmade marks on thin wax paper as an element in the collage.  That is a new trick for me!

So here are the papers I made and a few of the resulting cards...

Focus on Gratitude

 I have been meaning to start an official Gratitude Journal, but, never seem to get around to it.  This piece is going to be my daily reminder.  I started with a Readers Digest cover board (I love the colors).  From there I collaged the rest.  I used Lynne Parella stamps, Tim Holtz collage paper, and Tim Holtz Rub ons.

I was inspired by the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge!

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/

Somerset Studio

So proud to see my work in the latest issue of Somerset Studio!  I made these collages almost entirely of items found in an old box of trim and notions I scored for $5 at an antique mall.  So much of the South is historically rooted in the textile manufacturing business and you often find relics and remnants from that era in odd lots and throw away bins.  This was fun and I am honored to be included in this edition.

Textile Rescue

I am an incorrigible thrifter!  My mother would get calls from the neighbors saying "Patti is going through our trash again".  Back in the day, people left their old clothing and worn out goods in bags on the street for pick up, so it is not as gross as it sounds.  Fast forward 50 years later and I keep to respectable thrift stores.  Still, I am not above pulling over and grabbing an old chair left on the side of the road.

I often find beautiful linens that have damage and I try to repurpose them.  I made these Christmas stockings from a tablecloth that had bleached spots on it.  I made the first one with a cuff, but I decided that design wasted a lot of nice fabric, so I went for the non-cuffed look on the other two.

Mail Art Wallets

I've been enjoying Creativebug lately, and I am obsessed with the mail art wallet class by Bel Mills of Scrap Paper Circus.  I wish I had gone to her store when we visited DC last year!  I made these three..

Here are the fronts..

The centers are hard to photograph!  Here, my husband helps out.  Each wallet had a slightly different center...

Here are the backs...

So much fun!!  I hope to try Bel's pop up flower card soon!

Always take the scenic route...

I have always loved the book covers on Reader's Digest selections books!  So I cut the cover off carefully - the aged pages make good collage fodder.  I then made a color copy of the photo (by Richard H Stewart) and enhanced the bathing suits with colored pencil and glued it to the book cover.  I added a Tim Holtz chat sticker and dyed some Tim Holtz crinkle ribbon to make the hanger.  Finally I embellished it with some vintage buttons and a tiny shell.  Voila!

This is going to a dear friend who loves Hawaii and is lucky enough to own a place there.  We both have a love of walking scenic routes.  Hope she has a special place for this.