Ripped {Mixed Media Cards}

“The winter’s so…the winter’s sooo long”…

These words from a Decemberists’ song were tumbling through my head recently, feeling as though I could completely relate. I suppose it is just that time of year and many people are feeling this way...but I’m feeling so entirely cabin feverish, experiencing winter blues, and wishing I could yank warm weather and green grass and flowers right out of the bleak winter sky. But I'm really learning patience in this season of my life.

So the other day I found myself looking through photos (on my computer, since I never print them anymore, one of the pitfalls of digital for me…I sort of miss dropping off a roll of film because you had to in order to see your photos…and you didn’t take 6 million because you knew you could always delete the bad ones later…yet I have a hard time going back and deleting…so I’ve sort of just given up on printing actual hard copies of my photos lately)…

But anyway, I was looking at photos of last year around this same timeframe and on into Spring. I’m not sure why really but perhaps just to remind myself that I made it through a long Winter last year and came out just fine on the other side into the bright, hopeful, vibrant season of Spring. A season full of birthdays and gatherings and buying flowers for the garden. Outdoor adventures and discovering new things sprouting to life all around.
And as I was perusing these photos, I came across a few photos that I'd taken of cards I had made last year that we, in my circle, call “rippy cards”. That is, we rip out pretty pictures and things from catalogues and magazines and turn them into cards. Part of the charm in this style of handmade card is in the torn, frayed edges of the lovely pictures which are so readily available.

I thought I’d share a few of my own “ripped” cards for your own card-making inspiration along with some notes on different materials I used to embellish them. Cards which, by the way, just happen to feature "rippies" of grass and flowers, an umbrella and spring raindrops...things that for me can't come soon enough!

Enjoy!

(I made this rather elaborate card - below - for my mom last year for her birthday. It started with the rippy (umbrella picture) and then I went a little crazy layering the rippy with many other materials…my paper cuttings, red & yellow paper posies, and rub-ons. And it turned out to be one of my favorite handmade cards to date.)