We Card.

I've spent the last two days doing crafty crap....oh how I love crafty crap.

This particular brand of crafty crap is cards. I have been on a make-your-own-cards kick lately, and I am loving the results. I went yesterday afternoon to my current favorite place, Jo-Ann Fabrics, and found some lovely lace in the bargin fabrics. I was looking for a couple big patterns and a smaller, delicate pattern and I found exactly what I was looking for.

When I got home, I cut the pieces of cardstock to the size I wanted and then folded them cards. I used all different colors, mostly sticking to deep, dark colors however. From here, I used the larger lace patterns as a kind of "pattern sponge." I cut large pieces out of the lace, measuring about 8 inches by 8 inches. I placed a cut piece on a paper plate and spread acrylic paint over top of the lace, making sure to really saturate the fabric. On a separate paper plate, I placed a card and then layed the paint-soaked lace on the paper. I pressed down evenly on the lace with a paper towel, lifted the lace and moved the card to dry. I reused each piece of lace multiple times, until I was finished with that color of paint. I started with white paint, but found it to be too much of a contrast; black, navy, dark brown and gray are much better shades to use on the dark cardstock.

Earlier in the day, I had printed several of my photographs on regular computer paper, some in sepia tones but most in black and white. While the cardstock dried, I used craft scissors to cut a decorative edge to all of my photos. When the cards were dry, I cut a piece of the smaller patterned lace to fit behind each photograph. I made sure about 1/2 inch of the lace was visible on all sides of the photos. Using a thick-bristled brush, I applied a thick layer of tacky glue to the back of each photo.

 I then pressed the photo into the lace and through to the cardstock. The glue will chage the color of the photo slightly, but in these pictures, it worked to my advantage.

A few weeks ago, I collected some of the first fall leaves that had dropped. I placed them in an old book to dry and found them to be dry and flat when I checked them this afternoon. Using the same idea as before, I took cardstock and painted on the lace pattern in autumn colors. After the cardstock was dry, I used the same thick-bristled brush and tacky glue to paint a thin layer of glue onto the back of the leaves. After the entire back of the leaves were covered, I pressed one onto the center of each card.

I have several more leaves and some fall flowers drying and they should be ready to use in a few weeks...can't wait to start working with them!