PAPER, LACE AND RIBBONS

I collect fabric, lace and ribbons, but also anything with an interesting print like paper. So next to my boxes of material, I have bags of rolls of paper. Combining both is an interesting challenge that many artists have met by creating items with paper usally made from fabric or vice versa.

 

So I have created greeting cards for all occasions which always sell well at craft fairs. The secret to make successful cards lies in the design, the theme which will appeal to all. Once you get it right, everything follows.

 

Then you need a range of interesting paper, ribbons, lace, buttons or anything to do with sewing. There are some interesting creations made from cutting pages of books and sewing them together in patterns. However, I am not comfortable with the idea of cutting up books, which are sacred to me. Maps can be an interesting alternative too.

You may use fabric and sew it directly onto the card with a sewing machine using large stitches. It looks lovely and very effective, but it's a lot of work. Obviously, when making commercial items, you ought to bear in mind how long it takes you to make the card and if it's worth the effort; people will not buy cards which cost beyond what they are prepared to pay for a small item.

You can leave the cards blank or write a message. For this, I use a nib and ink, but you could make a collage in a ransom-letter style, or anything you can think of.

 

To make cards you need:
Card, Cartridge or watercolour paper
Interesting paper, old books or maps
Lace, ribbons or small buttons
Glue
Sharp blade to insert lace or ribbon
Nib and ink
Glitter glue, sequins

You can buy these cards via my on-line Folksy shop.