Snow Bird

As the Washington DC metropolitan area becomes covered with another foot of snow accompanied by strong gusts of wind, I read an email from my father which provides news of his latest fishing trip. He had called on Tuesday to let me know the weather was pleasant, in the upper-60s, not warm enough for a swim; but good enough for fishing.

His snow bird status inspires me to use my favorite bird stamp (Hampton Art) to make a dozen postcards from recycled materials.

Technique: Started with cardboard boxes which have not been corrugated (e.g., cereal box, spaghetti box). Begin by disassembling the box along the glue lines, try not to tear the cardboard. I used my large Fiskars rotary cutter to cut the cardboard into 4" x 6" pieces. This is the standard size for mailing postcards.

Look at the pieces of cardboard and find the ones without writing, markings, or color on either side. For these pieces, you'll need to cut a piece of decorative paper (5.5" x 3.5") and glue it to the surface to create the first layer of the post card. For the other pieces, make sure you leave the blank side for the address and any message you want to send. I like to have the final postcard to somewhat reflect the original use of the box. It might inspire the recipient to recycle a box.


Next, I pulled out my Cuttlebug which was the perfect die-cutting tool to use when my neighborhood lost power due to these never-ending storm. I used a daisy (Sizzix) die-cut to make about 40 daisies in a variety of colors using metallic paper. I glued two or three of these randomly along the upper right corner of each piece of cardboard.

To make the image stand out, I used a variety of scrap papers to create a backdrop. First layer of the backdrop is a 3" x 3.5" scrap on which I rounded the corners (sometimes). I then cut up checks and bank deposit slips which were destined for the shredder because the bank has been closed. These pieces are 3" x 2". The last layer is the narrow strip (0.5" x 3.5"). For some, I placed the holes created by die-cutting the daisies on either end of the strip. This gives a similar impact as brads without having to pierce the cardboard.

Before putting the check/deposit slip on the backdrop, I stamped the bird using a black ink which is fading. After it dried, I used my markers to add color to the bird.

The last two pieces of details which varies on each card. I punched a small heart out of scrap paper then used a 1" circle punch to make the heart appear in a circle. To make the heart "pop", I punched another one inch circle from a contrasting piece of decorative paper. I glued the circle enclosed heart onto the contrasting circle. I then rubber stamped "Happy Valentine's Day" on the first layer of the backdrop.

Before mailing, cover each piece with clear packing tape to prevent the paper from being ripped off by the postal machines. So, if you're trapped at home by the blizzard conditions we are currently facing and running out of craft supplies, I hope this sends you to the kitchen or the pantry to find an empty box to transform into mail art.