Painting Christmas Cards and a Bit of NYC
Last year around this time, my group and I painted some triangular tree cards to be used for Christmas cards. I didn’t use them but found them recently and decided I would make a few to sell. The tree is easy to create. We used watercolors. Have your card size determined and make a tall triangle out of low stick tape. Then paint the center with green paints. You can stamp or brush or whatever you decide.
Then you can add details with stamping or black pens or paint pens or gel pens or whatever. I looked at some examples online to give me inspiration.
These are mostly decorated with acrylic paint and black ink pens.
The centers can be made however you want them and the decorations can be simple or ornate. Whichever you prefer. I made a variety of styles.
This one is a combination of acrylic paint and ink.
I kept this one simple just adding gold acrylic details.
And the last one. Again, black pen and acrylic stamped on in circles. I haven’t added in wording. Would you add holiday wording or just leave them as is?
I haven’t gotten much fiber art completed (that I can share right now) as we have been traveling and I am working on pieces for a spring exhibition. I will share the exhibition with you after it’s hung, hopefully in March 2027. We did go to New York City again and we found some new (to us) public art. That is one of my favorite things about NYC is the free public art around every corner.
A relatively new set of sculptures just outside of Central park on the southeast corner is Dogs by Camille Henrot.
It was a circle of dog sculptures and such fun interpretations of various breeds.
So now there’s a “dog park” just outside of Central Park!
I also found a few new subway mosaics that I hadn’t seen before.
Such fun to find new ones in our travels through the city.
The details in some of these mosaics is fantastic. I hope you enjoyed seeing a few photos of art in NYC.
13 thoughts on “Painting Christmas Cards and a Bit of NYC”
Your cards are great, Ruth. I’ve seen similar ones being made online (as you mentioned) and there does seem a lot of scope for variety and imagination within the confines of a simple triangle.
Normally I’m a ‘less is more’ type but with these I particularly like the one with lots of circles (& partial circles) and lots of colour.
I wouldn’t add text on the front as I prefer to write my own greetings inside but it’s a minor personal preference.
I hope you make more as I’m sure they will sell well. Do show them to us if you do.
You’ve found some fun things in your public art adventures in NYC. The dogs are particularly fabulous.
Thanks Lindsay, I like that card too. It was definitely someone else’s style that I saw online. I’m usually more minimal. I will see how these do, I had made some happy birthday cards with words on the front and as far as I know they haven’t sold yet. So I think I will leave these plain.
I loved the dogs, we went there specifically to see them as I had seen something written up about them online. I have to keep track of things I see throughout the year so I can check them out when we go. Always something new to see.
Very bright and inspiring thanks and great to have a window onto NYC art of the street and absolutely of the moment, thanks 😊
Thanks Gwyneth, I’m glad you were inspired. We go to NYC yearly so I’m always looking for new art I haven’t seen.
The cards are a great idea Ruth, and l’m sure they’ll sell. I wouldn’t add any words, inside (or on the back?) or out. I’m assuming that the outside wouldn’t be big enough to take many anyway and, like Lindsay, I’d want to add my own inside (or on the back). But you never know, some people would prefer to just add their name under an existing message.
I wasn’t sure if the cards were folded so that they had an inside. A folded card would be able to stand up for display but might be a difficult shape to achieve. Of course I’m assuming that the card itself is tree shaped. But now I remember that you started with the tree shape being painted on low stick tape (what we over here call masking tape?) Do you then attach them to other pieces of card, or ready made card blanks?
Ann
I got myself into such a mess trying to work out how the cards were made that I forgot about NYC. The dogs were fun. Did the one wearing a medical cone have a head inside there?
I loved the mosaics, they must be about the film “Le Ballon Rouge” a silent french film made in the 1950s about a boy and his balloon (which had a mind of its own). I think he was the film maker’s son. It was lovely.
Ann
Thanks Ann, the painted trees are on a separate piece of watercolor paper that is smaller than the 5″ x 7″ card blanks that I have. I tape or glue the decorated paper to the card blank so that they open to the inside which I leave blank. I was only thinking of adding one word to the painted trees such as “Merry” or “Joy” or some such. But I have about decided to just leave everything blank.
I think the dog with the cone of shame had either a very small stump of a head inside or no head at all. I can’t recall but there wasn’t a face or anything.
The subway mosaics are always fun to find. Some have an easily read sign that tells the artist and the story behind the mosaics. I didn’t see one for this set with the red balloon. It could be styled after the French film, who knows?
Love all the cards Ruth, my favourite would be the gold and red circles. I’m going the posse with blank insides as I always find these notes interfere with my personal ones.
The dogs are fabulous and so clever, particularly like the Afghan hound, so much movement. That said, each has a certain endearing personality. For some unknown reason Banksy came to mind when I saw the murals. They are obviously not by him (his tends to be stencilled and appear overnight) but the ones on the subway must really brighten up the space.
Helene x
Thanks Helene, that’s my favorite too. And I am going to keep everything blank. So if customers want words, they have to DIY.
I loved the Afghan hound too, he was really well done. Some had more details than others but each was unique. I thought the different styles were interesting from the same artist.
Yes, the mosaics make the subways so much more interesting and less dark. You do see some “Banksy” type art around too. And some fabulous murals on different buildings. I think I have shown some of that in prior posts about NYC.
Love the cards. I think the simplicity lends itself to blank cards
The details on the mosaics is incredible. My favorite art has to be the dogs! I looked for a goldie. Love the one with the “cone of shame!”
Thanks Regina Mary, blank cards it will be. The details on the subway mosaics always amazes me and the dogs are a new favorite to visit in NYC. Perhaps there will be more breeds of dogs added in the future!
Your tree cards are fab! Shop bought cards can be very ‘overdone’ and don’t have the impact of a simpler, original design.
The subway mosaics are amazing – what skill – and the dogs are fun.
I haven\’t been able to see your links in 2 recent posts (this one and the \”What If\” one on Oct 20).
I saw comments from the \”What If\” one that sounded like other people were able to view them, so I waited, thinking if I tried again later, maybe I would be able to view them, but now, once more I can not see the pictures.
I was able to view the pictures in the \”Textile Portraits\” post.
So I don\’t think it is my settings.
Any ideas?
Thanks.