Vintage Greeting Cards with MaryJo McGraw [Paperback]

Mary McGraw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 23, 2003

Make your own Vintage Greeting Cards!

Let MaryJo McGraw, renowned rubber stamp artist and card maker, show you how to create handmade cards that capture the look and feel of antiques and heirlooms - cards overflowing with history, character and love.

You'll create 23 gorgeous cards using 14 fabulous techniques and complete step-by-step instructions. Each project is made with easy-to-find vintage papers, old family photos and ephemera, including foil, ribbons, buttons, rickrack, watch faces and more.

Learn how to:

• Apply antiquing agents like walnut ink and beeswax to "age" your cards and photos
• Use antique labels, old movie stubs and pages from old books to create unique photo collage cards
• Transfer color copier images to cardstock, metal and polymer clay
• Embellish cards with vintage buttons, ribbons and other dimensional trinkets
• Use photos of loved ones to create keepsake cards

And don't worry about losing your valuable family photos! MaryJo shows you how to use a color copier or scanner to create realistic replicas, meaning you never have to worry about destroying those precious originals. You will also find project variations and an inspirational gallery, ensuring that you never run out of ideas.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Rubber stamp artist McGraw advocates the use of materials found at flea markets or purchased at an art retailer. McGraw's shoe polish overlay, intended to give paper a weathered sepia look, resembles antiquing with acrylic paint. Because McGraw is focusing on two-dimensional cards, she begins with a look at conquering three basics--stamping, setting eyelets, and color-copying photographs--then expands the space devoted to techniques with additional pages to explore possible variations. This book is designed in an antique photograph-album style, enhancing the mood but occasionally causing some illegibility. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Mary Jo McGraw is one of the world’s best known and respected rubberstamp artists. Her work is often featured in leading craft publications. She has taught classes for over 12 years and conducted demonstrations at all of the major national retail stamp shows. She is the author of Creative Rubber Stamping Techniques, Greeting Card Magic with Rubber Stamps, Making Greeting Cards with Creative Materials and Making Greeting Cards with Rubber Stamps. She lives in Whittier, CA.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books; 1 edition (October 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158180413X
• ISBN-13: 978-1581804133
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #290,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars money well spent!, February 11, 2004

By 

K. Imbrosciano-kemper (Bellingham, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vintage Greeting Cards with MaryJo McGraw (Paperback)

I purchased this book for a friend of mine for her birthday...This book is so full of ideas and helpful hints that I was sorely tempted to keep it and bring her flowers instead!!!...If you enjoy great quality pictures, well written instructions and inspiring artsy examples, you want this book in your collection. Trust me, I'm hoping someone gets the 'bright' idea to get me one for MY birthday.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Find!, October 11, 2004

By 

Susan L. Duncan "dunsu" (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vintage Greeting Cards with MaryJo McGraw (Paperback)

I found this gem of a book in the library and now I am going to buy a copy. Why? because it is so full of ideas I don't want to forget a one! Mary Jo's ideas range from modest to WOW! She uses materials in ways I never would have thought of. Inspriring me to use my own vintage pictures on fresh new ways. I can not wait to try the rubber stamping on copper and the photo transfer onto metal. One of my grandfather's was a tinsmith and I am looking forward to doing a picture of him on that metal. I recomend this book to anyone who is looking for new ways to enjoy card making and scrapbooking.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great McGraw book!, February 21, 2005

By 

merrymousies (Waterford, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vintage Greeting Cards with MaryJo McGraw (Paperback)

Mary Jo McGraw always makes a good technique book and this is no exception. There are lots of good techniques for using walnut ink in here. I had always just used it to stain paper by spraying in on with a spray bottle but here she shows other ways to apply it (like using a brush) and get different antique effects. All the techniques are broken down into easy to understand steps, each with a picture showing exactly what to do. In addition to the walnut ink there are techniques using beeswax, stamping on mica, using napkins, alcohol ink, omni gel transfer techniques, etc. She does all these with copies of antique photos and boy they are just so cool and so easy. So many techniques to play with - this book will keep you busy and learning for a long time. I've had it for a few months now and keep picking it up to try new things. An absolute must have if you like that antique look.