Wednesday, February 10, 2010

handmade...alchemy cards


I had an hour before I left for a monthly gathering with a circle of women friends.  I really wanted to give each of them something special, something handmade.  I happened to have 6 small photos of the butternut heart on moss already printed out in a neat stack.  So I decided working small would actually work to my advantage.  I have done this in the past and it is much easier to work on a small scale like this.


I also decided to limit my materials to a small stack of cards, stickers, and an old calendar.  Having the need to have all 6 done within an hour required me to be focused and not waste time looking for something beyond the selection of materials I had in front of me.


I also decided up front that I wouldn't be overly concerned if they were not perfect.  I ended up making the first one upside down with the image on the other side. But I decided I liked that they were not perfect...they were so wabi sabi.


I gave each card a different theme: joy, heal, dream, peace, hope, shine.  And used various letters to place the word somewhere on the card.


Kelly's box of hope for the Wellness Tree Project.  
I have made several boxes like this out of altoid and other mint tins.

Since the backs all had the same image, I was able to place them in a small box similar to the one I made for Kelly (whose box also contained alchemy cards) for the Wellness Tree project.  When I got to our gathering, I shuffled the cards, and each person took the card on top.  I loved that I didn't know who I was making each card for, and each person seemed to genuinely connect with the card they received.  And now I am using those themes as prayers for my friends.

This was from Kelly's box of hope.
I forgot that dream was in there too and that I used birds flying...interesting.

I have a feeling you will be seeing more of these.  They are very satisfying to make and I love the idea of transmuting bits and pieces of things I probably could have thrown away into something more meaningful...that is powerful.

20 comments:

  1. These are so beautiful. Handmade with love. So inspiring. Thank you.

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  2. Oh... I love them. Are you in on Nicole's valentine swap? These would be perfect!

    :)Lisa

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  3. These are so beautiful Elizabeth, what a truly special gift

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  4. elizabeth they are lovely! very truly so!

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  5. These are lovely and the box is amazing Elizabeth! My sister does similar cards; she loves paper and collage.
    lisa

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  6. These are gorgeous!!!! I need to get back into the habit of making collage, but tend to need to make gifts for toddlers and have no clue what to do!

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  7. that looks a therapeutic activity. that's feeling like what i need to be doing for myself right now. i think i will get off the computer and head on into a hands on creative zone now that babes are sleeping. i have a women's group i go to twice monthly. i get so much out of it. what a nice offering you gave them. and i love your so wabi sabi~ness. it is nice to be reminded of your intention here! lovelovelove..h

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  8. These are amazing. What a beautiful idea and process. Thank you for sharing.
    Warm wishes,
    Tonya

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  9. Hello from Alaska! Came by way of Earthmama and your collaborative site. Lovely cards, Photos, and what wonderful sites! I'm off to peruse some more....hope you'll stop by my neck of the woods as well!

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  10. Very beautiful! I really loved hearing how they came about... such focused creating!

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  11. I love that you created such thoughtful beauty for your friends. Your heart head and hands are so deeply involved in what you share with others Elizabeth. You are a gift. What you shared with Kelly through the wellness tree is exquisite, such care and positive energy was obviously poured forth into each step.

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  12. What a beautiful experience to pick a handmade card from a beautiful handmade box. So lovely. Thank you for sharing this with us.

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  13. I love the concept of that box. And when I was looking at all your alchemy cards, I didn't realize they were so small. I like them even better tiny, tucked away as treasures in those little tins. So creative!

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  14. That's a wonderful meaningful box!
    I love to send you a card :)

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  15. very beautiful! i love that each person drew a card at fortune's forecast, without predetermination by you. very sweet!

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  16. The idea of making something from the "nothing" we have sitting around has been a theme for me for a bit! I love these!

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  17. What a great idea; these are truly beautiful.

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  18. Amazingly beautiful! what a wonderful thing to do.

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