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Artful
PaPer
Crafts
Mini Cards
™
By Janice E. McKee
A
r
t
f
u
l
M
i
n
i
C
A
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d
s
Creative Techniques and
Inspiration for Card Makers
A
n
n
ie
’s
A
t
t
ic
701028
Artful
Mini Cards
™
By Janice E. McKee
Contents
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Fabric
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Artful Mini Cards
EDITOR tanya fox PHOTO STYLISTS tammy liechty, Artful Mini Cards is published by drG, 306
tammy steiner East Parr road, Berne, in 46711. Printed in usa.
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Brad snow
PHOTOGRAPHY Matthew Owen Copyright © 2011 drG. all rights reserved. this
PUBLISHING SERVICES DIRECTOR publication may not be reproduced in part or
Brenda Gallmeyer PRODUCTION ARTIST SUPERVISOR in whole without written permission from the
MANAGING EDITOR Brooke smith Erin Brandt publisher.
COPY SUPERVISOR deborah Morgan PRODUCTION ARTIST nicole Gage RETAIL STORES: if you would like to carry this
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS Marj Morgan, pattern book or any other drG publications, visit
COPY EDITORS Emily Carter,
Judy neuenschwander drGwholesale.com.
rebecca detwiler
Every eff ort has been made to ensure that the
TECHNICAL EDITOR Corene Painter
instructions in this publication are complete and
isBn: 978-1-59635-377-0
PHOTOGRAPHY SUPERVISOR accurate. We cannot, however, take responsibility for
Printed in usa
tammy Christian human error, typographical mistakes or variations
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
in individual work. Please visit anniesCustomerCare.
com to check for pattern updates.
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artful Mini Cards
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Flowers
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Monoprinting
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Playing With
Embroidery &
Pastels
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artful Mini Cards
4
Foreword
Sometimes my husband, David, takes his lunch to work. In the past ten years
or so, he has found little love notes from me in the form of miniature cards
when he opens his brown paper sack. Reluctant to throw them out, he started
collecting them in a drawer in his desk. Soon the cards were taking up too
much space. David then bought a bulletin board to put up on one of his offi ce
walls so he could hang the ever-growing stack of cards there. It became a
conversation piece and the inspiration for this book.
At fi rst, I made miniature cards in order to use up The techniques discussed here range from
my leftovers from other card-making projects. Much monoprinting and working with rice paper to
thought and care was taken to create a small art incorporating fabric and hand-stitching onto mini
piece to act as the perfect gift card for a package. cards. In addition to tried-and-true methods such
Now, I fi nd them to be just as intriguing and as rubber stamping, newer ideas, such as working
entertaining to make as larger cards. With the 12 with artfully printed paper napkins, are shown. This
diff erent tutorials found in this book, as well as the book will send you to the garden to collect botanical
numerous samples shown, I hope you will be inspired specimens for pressed-fl ower cards as well as remind
to fashion your own little works of art for any number you to check out the past for vintage images that
of occasions. work well in card making. It’s fun and worth exploring.
About the Author
I was born in Louisiana and have been a resident of Texas learning to make doll clothes. Of course, I’d always enjoyed
much of my adult life. I’ve been married to my wonderful paper dolls too.
husband, David, for over 35 years. We are the parents of
After learning to make garments in high school home ec,
four dear children: Marc, Meaghan, Roane and Donald
I majored in Home Economics in college. Sewing clothes
(and love our daughter-in-law, Camellia).
for the family, making quilts and experimenting with
I’ve been interested in paper since the age of 5 or 6— embroidery were all a creative joy for me. In the 1990s,
whenever a relative would give me a quarter, I’d head I became interested in nature crafts and papermaking,
to the dime store to buy a little writing tablet or pack of which led to card making. It’s been exciting and fun all
paper. A few years later, fabric came into my line of sight in along the way.
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artful Mini Cards
Coloring Rice Paper
“ Imagination is the
beginning of creation.
You imagine what you
desire,you will what you
imagine and at last you
create what you will.”
—George Bernard Shaw
When I was experimenting with creating Let me just say: Do not try this at home! It was a
handmade paper back in the ’90s—the kind that’s disaster. The goopy mess adhered to my screen
made from recycled gift wrap, unused fast food and couching sheets like glue and absolutely
napkins, credit card off ers, etc. (torn and turned would not form itself into a sheet of paper. Months
into pulp in a household blender)—nearly every later I read somewhere that “rice” paper was
type of plant matter was fair game. In addition to actually a misnomer as the paper had nothing to
the usual fl ower petals and grasses, I tried overripe do with rice.
strawberries, pine needles, cantaloupe rinds and
Well, that is not exactly true. According to www.
the tough ends of asparagus stalks. While not
rice-paper.com, original rice paper had its
everything produced great-looking paper, there
beginnings in the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618–907)
were enough successes (loved the blueberry
and was made from rice straw and wingceltis bark
paper!) to inspire further experimentation.
in the Xuancheng area of China. It was known as
At one point, while looking in the refrigerator for Xuancheng paper and was valued by calligraphers
possibilities, I spied some leftover rice. I’d heard of and sumi-e artists for its strength and durability.
rice paper but had never actually seen or used it.
“One of the special characters of the paper is that it
“Why not?” I thought to myself.
is rotproof and mothproof. This is the reason why an
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artful Mini Cards
artwork from 100 years ago can still have its original Make a puddle with one color in the center of work
freshness,” so declares the website. space. Add other colors in the puddle as desired.
Use the end of a paintbrush or a bamboo skewer to
I’ve only worked with rice paper for a couple of
swirl paint colors. Do not overmix.
years, but it is indeed a wonderful paper. It has
qualities that remind me of cloth. For one, it is
easily torn and yet its strength allows for quite a bit
of manipulation. Another benefi t is that once the
decorated paper is dry it will usually lie fl at, instead
of curling up as other papers do.
Here are a few ideas to try, including a materials list.
Materials
Rice paper Spray sizing (optional)
Acrylic paint Freezer paper
Inks Paintbrushes
Carefully lay the rice paper on top of the puddle and
Spray paint Sea sponges
watch the colors spread.
Spray bottle fi lled Bamboo skewer
with water (optional)
Various objects such as Aluminum foil
ferns, fl oral petals, Iron
cut-out paper shapes Oven
and stencils Temporary adhesive
Note: Cover work surface with freezer paper. When
thinning acrylic paint with water, the paint should have
the consistency of whole milk.
This method begs for experimentation. Allow the
Sponging rice paper to dry partially before lifting it away. If
you move the paper too soon the colors may run
Spritz a sheet of rice paper with water. Using a
in streaks, but perhaps that look will be just what
natural sea sponge moistened with water, dip
you desire.
sponge into three coordinated colors of watered-
down acrylic paint. Press sponge onto rice paper,
pressing down and allowing the colors to spread
out. Spritz with more water to make the colors mix
as desired.
Modifi ed Marbling
Use water to dilute three or four coordinated colors
of acrylic paint.
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artful Mini Cards
Creasing Again, the paint will seep to the creases and
surprise you when it is dry.
Crease the rice paper as if making a paper fan.
Apply thinned acrylic paints or inks to the creases. Spray Paint
Spritz the creases with water as needed to make
Paint a sheet of rice paper with one or more light
the paint move. Once dry, unfold and iron fl at. If
colors of thinned acrylic paint; let dry. Next, using a
the result is boring, try creasing the paper again,
temporary adhesive, adhere objects such as ferns,
either off setting the creases or creasing in the
fl ower petals, stencils or cut-out paper shapes to the
other direction.
painted sheet. In a well-ventilated area, or outside,
Using Aluminum Foil using a protected surface and surroundings, lightly
spray the paper with spray paint in another color.
Slightly crumple a piece of aluminum foil that is
When dry, remove adhered objects.
a little larger than the rice paper you are painting.
Smooth the foil out and lay the rice paper on top. These ideas just scratch the surface of what can be
Spritz with water, and then paint the paper using achieved when coloring or decorating rice paper.
a brush or sponge with as many colors of thinned I always prefer to iron my decorated papers once
acrylic paint as desired. To speed the drying process, they are dry, applying spray sizing (the same that is
place foil with the paper in an oven set at about 250 used for clothing) as I iron—it gives a nice fi nish.
degrees for 5–10 minutes. The colors will migrate to
Tips
the creases in the foil and the results are amazing.
Try using a heat tool to speed up drying time.
A similar look can be achieved by spritzing the
rice paper with water until quite damp and then
crumpling it up into a ball.
Iron dry paper to give it a smooth fi nished look.
Slightly uncrumple it and paint as desired.
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artful Mini Cards
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artful Mini Cards
