UP-CYCLE your paintings to make HOLIDAY greeting cards. EASY

Cut and tear

Apart from scissors and knifes can buy scissors which will give you a decorative edge, these can be fun for deckle or zigzag. Also tearing paper can give you an interesting edge.

NB Never use fabric shears

Putting it all together.

A short video to show you some fixings.

Economy envelopes

You can sometime buy inexpensive envelopes, so make cards to fit. Here are a few idea.

It happens !

We all have the odd disaster, including me. Never put unfinished or unsuccessful paintings in the bin. You never know when they might come in useful for inspiration or to use in some other way. Maybe the painting can't stand alone as a picture, but when re modelled it can make a super card

So here are some ideas of what you can do with them. Don't feel bad about recycling these little  pictures, they are having a new lease of life.

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The template to make the heart shape. Cut two from the same or different painting.

Get two cards from one painting.

Here I'll show you away of cutting up a painting and making the most of presenting it in two different greeting cards

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Photo of the cards

This is a great way to use up background samples and large painted experiments. Cut the strips what ever width you like and me imaginative with your weaving.

Attached are two example of cards using a woven section.

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1 The template to make the heart shape. Cut two from the same or different painting.

2 A photo of a heart card using wrapping paper and coloured paper.

3 A photo of a woven section with coordinated coloured card and some script paper.

Combine the weave with another painting.

Here I have used both a painting and a woven painting piece to make a card

Utilising the aperture in a card with a painting.

If you are using this type of card it wise to think about how you are going to make the most of the painting. here is one way.

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The photo of the finished car.

The same but different.

Here I show you how you can combine two different painting with the same subject. A very idea and I used a piece of ribbon to add interest.

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Photo of the finished card.

A brief explanations of how I cut up this small painting and created three cards.

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A photo the the three cards.

Another example of how to divide a painting

Another example that will show you how to incorporate some embossed greeting messages.

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Photo of the finished cards.

Just an ideas for something a bit glittery. Copy this or use it as inspiration for another design.

Things you find or are given can come in useful.

It might be a feather you find on a walk, a piece of wrapping paper or ribbon with gift. An envelope or stamp or something in a magazine.

If it grabs your attention keep it and use it to fit in with the them or colours on a card.

NOTE: If it is some paper or something from a magazine and you really like it. Photocopy it. That way you can use it again and again.

Adding non - paper embellishments.

Collect detachable trimmings from cards you receive as well as using the paper or card cuttings. You can also buy some embellishments if you wish. Just be mindful of how big and hard they are in case they poke through the envelope or make them too bulky.

Getting round a 'bad patch'

Maybe the painting has a damaged corner, or you cut a bit out on the other side and you have ended up with a funny shape. Here is an idea to get round that.

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Photo of the finished card.

Text stamps can add a lot to your cards

You don't need a lot, just select some greetings or phrases which you think will be useful and use them either with a coloured ink pad or with that and then embossing powder. Great fun to do and it adds a special touch to your painted card.

Stamp the phrase then paint around it.

As you saw in the previous lecture using text stamps can be fun and add interest. You may want to practice the 'painting bit' first so that you go into painting around the text with confidence.

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The photo of the card where I added a piece of green card to enhance the little painting

Calligraphy or free hand.

If you do know some calligraphy all well and good, but if not use a different styles of handwriting. Don't forget you can also use you home printer for creating messages in lots of fabulous fonts.

In this lecture I demonstrate how I fitted the words around a picture. Unfortunately I smudged the paint at the end, but here it is anyway !

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Photo of the picture

It just takes a bit of practise and this short video shows you how to start.

Some suggestions to give your creations all the credit they deserve.

You may now that you can cut up some less successful paintings, recycles wrapping paper, ribbons and stamps and added bought bits of card and embellishments.

BUT the recipient doesn't know that and will only be super impressed by your creativity, so always sign you work in some way.

Here are some suggestions to help you.

Selling you cards.

If you start selling your cards, lining the inside of the envelope can really raise the overall standard and enable you to charge more. It isn't difficult and can use up a variety of scraps and unwanted wrapping paper.

Extra resources from me to you as advised by the clever people at Udemy.

Enjoy your painting, thanks Nicola