Friday, July 8, 2022

Turning Old Business Cards Into Arrt


 As I've mentioned in a previous post, downsizing a home with over 40 years' worth of stuff in it is a lot like conducting an archeology dig. You find all kinds of things you've forgotten you had. One of the items I came across was a box of my old business cards. I had never liked these cards. The type was much too small, and I didn't like the design so I had long since replaced them. Reluctant to toss them out (that's the packrat in me) I wasn't sure how I might use them so I simply left them sitting on the shelf.  

 
One afternoon I was looking for a piece of scratch paper. I grabbed one of the cards as a substitute. Then it occurred to me that the blank side of each card would make a great little "canvas" that I could doodle on in the evenings while watching TV. This concept soon expanded to include collage, then collage with mixed media. 

I really like the idea of working small, on cards that otherwise would have ended up in the landfill. It's a great way to stay in the art-making mode after larger projects are put away for the night. Their compact size also makes them quite portable. They fit easily into a small box or tin; add some Pitt Artists Pens, Sharpies or other sketching implements and a glue stick and you're all set to travel. 

Pictured above are two of the eight pieces I've completed so far. They're great fun to do, so I plan to continue making business card art until I run out of business cards or I run out of inspiration, whichever comes first!

Text and images ©2022 Lynn Edwards