From Ordinary to Extra-Ordinary!

How many times have you opened a junk drawer and found an old deck of playing cards living there?  You probably kept rooting around, moving everything about to find what you were looking for and never gave those lonely cards a second thought.  Let's face it, unless there's a game of Texas Hold Em getting ready to happen, we don't really pay much homage to the sad little cards.... But maybe we should....because what if, like a caterpillar to a butterfly, they could become something magical?

I opened up my new art studio; Ruby Slippers (click here to read all about it:  http://www.rubyslippersarts.com/welcome.html ) with the idea that I would do my very best to share my love of taking the oh-so-ordinary and transforming it into what Mixed Media art looks like for me.  From old drawer fronts to playing cards, imagine what we could keep out of landfill if we would only learn to see things new ways.

 I generally try to create an environment for myself and my customers that inspires them to look outside of our own self-induced boxes so creating a tiny little journal using nothing but some old playing cards and a lot of ephemera seemed like the perfect way to kick off one of my brand new
Creativity Crafternoons.   I hope you enjoy it!
(click here for more info:  http://www.rubyslippersarts.com/crafternoonsaturdays.html

For this particular playing card, I started with an old book and the hunt for some words that would define what I wanted my card to be about.... In my world, the words are always the jumping off point... and since I knew that I wanted to put my word of the year, Meraki on the flip side of the card, I came up with a few words I felt would honor the definition.... Cut them out and put them aside for later.

 Next I covered the card with some masking tape (totally forgot to take a photo, sorry) to give it a little body and tooth....  Then the layering process can begin!  I tore up some of the cardboard from a box I had laying around in order to give the card a little density and with good old fashioned white craft glue, I simply began to layer different fibers, old lace from a vintage veil and more....

 A fabulous old button gifted from a friend, a few rhinestones and we're getting closer!  A few strands of some shredded hand-dyed muslin and I think we're good to go...Don't forget to punch a hold in the top so you can add a binder ring too!

Once I get to a place where I feel like there is enough of a vibe coming through, then it's time to add the words.  A bit of glue and a couple layers of Modge Podge seal it all up and like magic, a tiny little work of art is born!

Normally I would just add some layers of masking tape and a coat or two of gesso to the back in order to give myself a place to jot down a sentence or two, but since I am creating this deck as a 52 week mini journal, I wanted to give it a theme.  My word of the year is Meraki (scroll down a bit through the other posts to read all about it) so, since it's just the first week of the year, I decided to make this the "cover page" of my new journal by adding the definition to the back of the card! 

A fun project and a really creative and affordable way to get some use out of those lonely little playing cards we've all got laying around!

I hope you enjoyed my very first Creativity Crafternoon post!!
Please feel free to post and share your comments below!!
Wishing you bliss and blessings!
Heather