When you have little artistic talent you call in the big guns for help – Léonard de Vinci. This is how I made this years Christmas cards. Or, for that matter cards that can be used anytime.
I found copies of the paintings in an old art book that I bought for 25 cents. I always check used book stores for tattered and worn copies of books. They have a multitude of uses and I recycle them in my own way. There is nothing more wonderful that poking around old book stores.
The birds I cut out of an illustrated bird book that I rescued from a discard bin at our library. It had seen better days and was heading for paper recycling.
I cut away the background from the women’s figures and pasted it onto background paper. Then I pasted the birds on.
I stamped crowns on the birds (not always perfectly) and embossed them with gold embossing powder. I have a heat gun for this purpose, but you can also do it by holding your paper over a toaster. Just don’t burn your paper.
This is rather like cutting out paper doll. I did it when I was seven and seven decades later it appears I am still doing it.
Cards for those who are dear to me, but oh so far away.
Bel' Occhio 