During this pandemic in my home studio, I have nothing but time on my hands to create, finish older creations, and try new forms of creating.  Last weekend I finished 13 baskets, 12 cards and one quilt top for an eventual lap quilt for my brother. My normal productivity is a little less than that usually, but sometimes I get inspired.

One of the projects that I can pick up any time is the art of making quilted cards.  When I joined Art in the Valley, a co-op gallery in Corvallis many years ago, I was encouraged to take photos of my work and make cards to sell.  A photo of a quilt didn't seem interesting to me, so I started sewing fabrics together and inserting them into cards.  

When I started looking at the world of hand-made papers, it was like shopping for fabrics. I kept looking for textured, painted, marbled, crinkled and speckled papers that I could use with my fabrics.  Then using many of the 270 stitching patterns that came with my sewing machine, I was able to embellish my cards.

So now I have sold over 100 cards in galleries in Corvallis and to friends who stop by my house.  I have tried to include my cards on Etsy, but it is hard to photograph a card to make it look like it is really fabric and handmade paper. So I include a card with every basket or table runner that I sell on Etsy as a gift.

Fast forward to today and new materials that I have used in my cards. I love copper and some copper is thin enough to cut with a rotary cutter/scissors. I also love the variations in copper when it oxidizes. So I started manipulating copper, painting paper, and using foreign coins to make cards. 

Who knows where this may lead, but I will try matting and framing some of my cards and see if they sell.  Watch for them on Etsy and at the Teal Gallery when it opens at the end of October.