Artella’s Step-by-Step Vintage Holiday Cards by Marney K. Makridakis Artsy, Old-Fashioned Greetings in 5 Steps or Less Published by Artella www.artellaland.com This eBook, in its current design and format, is copyright by Artella 2009. All rights reserved. This is an eBook purchased in the Artella eBookstore. Tamara Hensley eBook Production & Design Marney K. Makridakis Artella Founder I grew up comforted by the tradition of annual handmade Christmas cards. Each year, my mother lovingly created one-of-a-kind woodcut prints for our family’s annual holiday cards, which were adorned with an insightful poetic verse written by my father. As a child, I remember actually being shocked when I learned that not every household turned into a factory during the Holidays! As an adult, I’ve tried to follow the tradition of creating handmade cards each year. Last year, with a new baby in the house, I was not able to make handmade cards, and even though everyone understood, I really don’t think my holiday spirit ever recovered! Indeed, there is something unique about handmade cards that can’t be replicated with even the fanciest boxed designs. Creating miniature works of art with messages of hope and joy simply feels good! The trick is to keep the production simple and fun, so that you receive as much joy creating the cards as the recipients do. Beautiful cards don’t have to take a lot of time, and that’s why we’ve assembled these lovely vintage-inspired card projects for you. Cutting, pasting, and decorating beautiful bits of paper is a wonderful way to slow down during the holiday season and feel gratitude for all the creative gifts in your life. When you are filled with gratitude and joy as your hands do their happy crafting dance, I believe that positive energy fills each and every envelope that you send on its Merry way. Then, when each special person on your list opens that precious, all-too-rare snail-mail envelope, they receive a gift for their heart, as well as the eyes. Spread joy this holiday season…make cards! ~Marney Marney K. Makridakis Artella Founder Days of Yore design d r a c d e the finish SUPPLIES: Blank card Color copies of measuring tape Strips of green paper Red fabric: a square and tw o strips Imagery Postage stamps Glue, double-stick tape or ot her adhesive 1.Weave the strips together. Don’t worry about making it perfect – imperfections lend to old-time charm. Glue or tape down the ends to keep it together. 2.Adhere the images, stamps, and fabric square to the center of the card. 3.Add the fabric strips to the edges of the card to complete it. Holiday Elegance SUPPLIES: e dhesiv a r e h t o r o e tick tap Glue, double-s Blank card d paper e n r e t t a p n e e Gr er scraps p a p d n a n o Ribb bber stamp u r t n e m a n r O bossing ink m e r o t n e m Pig sing power s o b m e ld o G Light litter glue g l a n io s n e im White d Scissors Foam tape the finished card design 1.Mount green patterned memory paper on cardstock. 2.Mount several ribbon and paper scraps, collage-style, in the center of the paper. 3.Rubber stamp ornament with pigment ink, and emboss with gold embossing powder. Cut out and adhere with foam tape in center. 4.Use white dimensional glitter glue to outline ornament and add “dots” to edge of card. the finished card design Merry & Bright : SUPPLIES ious sizes r a v Blank card n i s r e llage pap o c f o t n e m Assort parasol A cocktail ckle” Ribbon “bu Ribbon message ” s g n i t e e r “G esive h d a Foam tape r e h t o ck tape or i t s e l b u o d Glue, 1.Arrange papers in a pleasing design. Play around with different types of edges: cut, torn, overlapped. Mix a variety of different kinds of papers: handmade, printed, solids, patterns, until you have a design you like. Then adhere papers to the card. 2.Remove stem from parasol completely and flatten the parasol and attach it to the card. 3.Thread the ribbon through the buckle and adhere to card. All Links are Live! Click to Explore! Digital Altered Books the Brand New Art Genre! Digital Altered Books™ are the latest phenomenon to hit the creative world - here’s your chance to try the brand new art genre that merges the fascinating process of altering beautiful vintage books with the creative ease of digital imaging technology. Simply select a vintage book from our library, and you receive 10 high-resolution, excellent-quality scans of pages from a vintage book, including the front cover, back cover, and 8 inner pages that have been chosen specifically for their interesting and creative altering potential. Then, choose any and as many Digital Ephemera Packs as you like! Perhaps you have some gifts or projects in mind and you would like to use images of authentic buttons, charms, and jewelry parts. Or maybe you’d rather work with vintage photos of children, labels, and the eclectic pieces in the “Grandma’s Drawer” Pack! With over 25 packs already available and new packs constantly being released, you’ll have great selection of authentic images. Also included at no extra charge with every Digital Vintage Book™, is your complimentary coupon for Artella’s digital altered book conversion service, where we turn your book pages into an interactive digital altered book that you can share with your friend, family, the entire Artella community or anyone else you choose! Click on the images to find out more about the books and embellishment packs! “I would never have imagined that making Altered Books or even just looking at them could be so addictive. I would recommend that everyone try at least one just for the pure fun of it.” - Julie Burger “After being introduced to digital altered books, life hasn’t been the same since! It brings together all one’s artistic skills, and also provides narrative potential. Creating a digital book has been an invigorating and rewarding project. Thanks, Artella, and everyone for all your fine efforts.” - Barb Starrenburg See a digital altered book in action, here! See our ever-growing Gallery of Digital Altered Books, here! NEW! You can now download a free video of an online workshop called “Digital Altered Books Revealed”, presented by Marney Makridakis, to introduce you to the intriguing art of Digital Altered Books™! Click here to go to the video. All Links are Live! Click to Explore! Artella’s Studio Collage Kits These gorgeous downloadable Collage Art Kits are truly an all-in-one, project-ready art studio. They are full of one-of-a-kind elements, but since they are downloadable, you can use them over and over. Plus, everything is coordinating and organized by theme, so you truly have everything you need in one place to create endless projects. Click on the images to find out more ! “I just finished unzipping and opening version 1 of this amazing kit. I am bowled over at your generosity in giving this away! Just for that I will subscribe to the e zine. This was fun to open and look at all the beautiful art. I see now firsthand the quality ( A1!) of your kits, etc. Loved the music too. Have a restful holiday season, and thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!!!!” - Barbara Leahey “I love the Winged Wonders Kit. It is simply exquisite, a little jewel of a masterpiece, another one, I should add!” - Gena Lumbroso There are so many Collage Kits to choose from those shown here are a mere sampling of all that Artella offers - over 25 kits to choose from! ard design c d e h is n fi e h t SUPPLIES: Sparkling Snowflakes Blank white card Acetate transparency film Blue vellum, cut the same size as card panel Rubber stamp of snowflake s Black permanent ink White dimensional glitter gl ue Mylar sprinkles Double-sided tape, glue or other adhesive X-Acto knife Pink ribbon 1.Use X-acto knife to cut out center of card. 2.Rubber stamp snowflakes on acetate transparency with black permanent ink. Turn over and outline the snowflakes on the underside of the transparency with white dimensional glitter glue. Adhere to blue vellum white still wet. 3.Adhere vellum to the back of the card’s front side, so that the vellum is inside the card. 4.Attach Mylar spinkles around the frame. 5.Add bow to complete the card. the finished card design Happy Christmas SUPPLIES: Large square of red felt felt Small square of green Vintage photograph White lace sage Cutout words with mes (optional) c si u m t ee sh n ig re fo Piece of medium, large) l, al m (s s on tt bu e it h w 3 Green marker er adhesive h ot or e u gl , pe ta ed d Double-si 1.Create snowman out of 3 buttons and glue on red felt panel. Cut small circles from the lace to create falling snow and glue on panel. Glue lace at the bottom of the panel to create snow on the ground. 2.Adhere bottom and sides of panel to card with strong glue or fabric adhesive, creating a pocket. If desired, layer other papers underneath the pocket (such as the foreign sheet music shown here) for additional interest. 3.Adhere cut-out words to card. Outline words with marker. 4.Place vintage photo in pocket so it “peeks” out. Adhere green felt behind its corner to make it stand out. 5.Use marker to add polka dots in the background. All Links are Live! Click to Explore! A Wealth of Topics await You in Artella eBooks! With topics as diverse as building a business to building a paper doll, Artella eBooks are the easiest way to bring Artella into your life within minutes. Artella eBooks implement easy technology that allows you to enjoy beautiful layouts and interactive features, all the while making the comfort of coming home to a good book most important. Click on the images to find out more about these Artella eBooks! “You*U™ has opened my mind to possibilities I haven’t considered before. It’s not just a “learning a process” program, it is also wonderful inspiration and encouragement of sleeping creativity! Marney’s gentle & brilliant shepherding through the process provides a comfortable, safe, yet stimulating, learning environment for my covert artist/writer to emerge into and expand through. I am excited to witness myself exploring areas I never have before and bringing forward ideas seemingly out of nowhere!” - Donna McGuigan “THANK YOU for a wonderfully inspiring, satisfying and juicy teleconference!!! It was so great to meet you, Marney, and all of the other amazing, creative people who communed with us. I can see how this exercise would conjure up magical new ideas and connections that one might never think of solo. Thanks for hosting such a wonderful forum in which all things are possible.” - Karen Amore-Mueller “Just have to let you know how much I love my Artella membership, Artella Magazine and the new e-book Booklarks. I am a fledgling artist but it gives me the courage and inspiration to have fun and appreciate my own art. Booklarks deserves some kind of award - it is delightful.” - Gail Edlund The Artella eBooks shown here are only a sampling of all that are available - over 30 titles to choose from! Check out the other wonderful choices here. All Links are Live! Click to Explore! eCourses to Enrich Your Creative Spirit Take an inspiring Artella e-course in your own time, go at your own pace, and you can even wear your bunny slippers! Each Artella workshop or e-course is designed to enrich your creative spirit, make positive changes in your life, and even share your special gifts with an audience of your own. Click on each book image to find out more ! “I love this workshop-it is so nice to get into conversations with my visiting muses at the end of the day. Pure Joy!” - Sally Visotski “This class made me monumentally happy! Since it’s only just finished, I can’t say anything about the lasting effects, but I suspect there will be many.... I’ve been looking for new ways to practice gratitude and I love these creative ideas.” - soren mason temple “I appreciate this hands on method of focusing on all the intangibles that are so very much more worthy of the meaning of abundance than all the materialistic stuff that one can lose oneself in! It’s fantastic!” - Patricia Shook There are many eCourses to choose from - those listed here are a mere sampling of what is offered! For questions about any of our eCourse offerings, feel free to write marney@artellaland.com the finished card design Dreamy Holiday SUPPL Blank c IES: ard 3 contra sting de corative Acetate pap transpar ency film ers Pear rub ber stam p “Dream ” rubber st Black P ermanen amp t in Crimson pearlesce k were use nt paint (Radia d here) nt Pearl TM Heat gu s n Doublestick tap e, glue, or other adhesive 1.Cover with background paper. Add strip of contrasting paper to run horizontally across the middle, and then adhere a square of another paper to the middle of the card. 2.Rubber stamp pear and “dream” on acetate transparency with black permanent ink. 3.Turn over and paint back with red pearlescent paint. While paint is still wet, apply heat from a heat gun over the paint so it “bubbles” a bit, to apply text to the back of the acetate. Adhere to the middle of the card. 4.Add ribbon to complete the card. GOLD SHIMMER SUPPLIES: leaf glue ld o g r o m iu med hesive d a r e p a p r e h Dimensional , glue or ot e p a t k ic t of colored -s s le e r a u q Doub s ll a m e and 4 s 1 large squar card stock ck Gold card sto en Orange gel p es Gold leaf flak Paint brush eads Gold micro b bon rib Green wired the finished card design the finished card design 1.Doodle on cardstock to create background paper. 2.Dip paintbrush in gold leaf glue and paint strokes on cardstock squares. Cover with gold leaf flakes, and then burnish. Remove excess flakes. 3.Arrange cardstock squares in design in center of card. 4.Apply a line of glue around the square design, and then sprinkle microbeads on the line of glue. Shake off excess beads and let dry. 5.Add bow to complete. ard design c d e h is n fi e h t SUPPLIES: Blank cream card Green checkered memory pa per Red flecked card stock Medical gauze Holly embellishments (Jolee s shown here) Scissors Black Marker Glue, double-stick tape, or other adhesive X-acto knife White dimensional glitter gl ue Baby, It’s Cold Outside 1.Use X-acto knife to cut out center of green checkered paper to create a frame. 2.Adhere frame to cream-colored blank card. Add holly embellishments to corners. 3.Draw mittens on speckled paper and cut out. Outline in black marker. 4.Adhere mittens to card. Add medical gauze strips to bottoms of mittens, cutting to desired shape. 5.Use white dimensional glitter glue to create dots of snow in background. the finished card design Happy Handmade Tree SUPPL Blank c IES: ream ca r d Holly-pa tterned paper Red bea ds “Scrabbl e” letter s Scissors Strong g lue for b eads Glue, do uble-stic k tape, or other adhesive 1.Cut strips in alternating papers or ribbons in graduating sizes to create a Christmas tree shape. Here, foreign text is alternated with a fiber ribbon. Adhere to card, leaving space in between the strips. 2.Adhere strips of holly paper at the top and bottom of the card. Cut out a “sprig” from the Holly paper to place at the top of the tree. 3.Apply bead “berries” with glue. 4.Add letters to complete the card. the finished card design Let it Snow! SUPPLIES: Blank cream card h and violet ac pe in d pa p am st ct Chalk-effe amp “Let It Snow” rubber st p Snowflake rubber stam Pigment ink White embossing power ndmade powder ha te hi w of e ec pi l al Sm aller than card sm ly ht ig sl t cu r, pe pa Shimmering violet panel Peach ribbon scraps 2 White buttons or other adhesive Double-sided tape, glue d 1.Use the peach chalk stamp pad directly to the paper to add color to the card. 2.Stamp “Let it Snow” onto the white paper and adhere to the card. 3.Stamp snowflakes onto shimmery paper and emboss with white embossing power. 4.Cut snowflake paper into interestingly-shaped fourths and adhere to corners to frame card. 5.Add buttons on ribbon scraps on either side of card. All Links are Live! Click to Explore! The NEW WealthCare Program Four eCourses in One! We’ve brought The Wealthcare™ Program back, and it’s better than ever! The NEW Wealthcare™ Program: Radical Reform for Right Livelihood of Creative Spirits combines our four popular e-courses related to prosperity and spiritual abundance and presents them in a way that is ideal for artists and creative souls! Click on the images to find out more ! “During The Wealthcare™ Program, I made amazing internal shifts around money, prosperity, and abundance. I feel like I’m a whole different person in that area. I’m bringing these insights down into concrete things I can use in my everyday life. - Jenny Ryan “The Wealthcare™ Program was wonderful, and encouraged me to process on deep levels. So much of this program seemed to be written just for me. - Maureen McDermott The WealthCare Program features include: Four 30-day self-study eCourses, flexible order, timing, and structure, drop-dead gorgeous lessons, hours of audio lessons, extra clip art in the Gratitude Garland, and 14 enriched audio meditations. Why combine these courses, and provide all these “luxuries”? Because creative people have special needs, and Wealthcare™ is all about creating a learning environment that is entirely unique to creative people in these ways: • The program is geared directly for creative people who have very specific blocks related to the “starving artist”, “starving writer”, or “starving healer” mentality in our society. • The program combines the spiritual end of attracting abundance with practical tools that are especially suited for creative people who enjoy (or would like to enjoy) expressing themselves through writing and art. • The program gracefully steps away from the “serious” side of metaphysical practices to delve into the playful aspects of creative life transformation in a spontaneous, boisterous, and often downright silly mindset. All Links are Live! Click to Explore! Mixed Media Me-Flections 30 Self-Portrait Projects to Change Your Life! Creating a self-portrait can be a rich opportunity for introspective and exciting self-growth. The Mixed Media Me-Flections e-Course is an amazing opportunity to create numerous self-portraits in a variety of artistic media, each project designed to inspire you to live more fully, passionately and authentically! Enrolling in Mixed Media Me-Flections will bring you a ME-flection Lesson every day for 60 days including: 30 step-by-step projects for artistic self-portraits, representing an eclectic range of media and techniques. Assemblage, origami, clay, collage, photography, fine art, watercolor,and wire ar but a few of techniques and media you’ll use to create your unique, quirky, artistic self-portraits as Marney shares her art techniques for creating each one, while also offering suggestions and tips for taking your own spin on the project. A personal guide for the introspective process you can embark upon while creating each self-portrait with step-by-step inquiries for how to take each project to the next level and use your art as an opportunity for amazing self-discovery! Extensive follow-up journaling prompts, to help you integrate the concepts personified by each self-portrait into your daily life. Beautiful Artella-style journal pages to print out and write on to further inspire your journaling. Integrate them into your own art journal, or simply print them out and put them in a binder for a beautiful record of your ME-flection journey! A “Mini-Flection” every other day between self-portrait lessons -- a short, inspiring email message from Marney, along with a daily journal prompt, to keep you moving along your path of creative self-discovery. Mixed Media ME-flections offers something for everyone. No matter what your dreams are, your soul is sure to be stirred by the introspective lessons and the energy that they bring with them. For questions about Mixed Media Me-Flections, feel free to write marney@artellaland.com. Happy Holiday Art-Making from Artella Land! www.artellaland.com
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