Holiday Cards and Hand-Painted Ornaments by Anchor And Spruce

Jaime Cromer is a freelance illustrator and the owner of Anchor And Spruce based out of New Jersey. Her work is cheerful and vibrant, inspired by her love for colors and vintage designs. Her newest holiday collection offers greetings cards, note cards, hand painted wooden ornaments, and art prints. There are owls, peace dove, christmas angel, nutcracker, and other holiday themed designs and patterns on the collection. To see more products from the collection and other paper goods visit her online store. 

Vintage Postcards Turned Into Canvases For Flora and Fauna Paintings

Chicago based Illustrator Diana Sudyka turned vintage envelopes into canvases for her beautiful watercolor and gouache paintings. How the artist got these envelopes into her possession makes these paintings unique. About 27 years ago when the artist was studying at the University of Illinois, she had found these envelopes in trash. The letters between correspondents revealed the envelopes dated between 1939 to 1942. 

The stamps, hand-writing in ink and the colors of the envelopes guide the artist to paint her subject matters. The paintings on the envelopes feature flora and fauna of native Midwestern and Northeastern North America. Diana has painted barn owl, blue spotted salamander, winter wren, sandhill crane and flying squirrel to name a few. You can find prints of the vintage envelope paintings here and here.

Kit Davey of Found Object Art

Kit Davey is the artist behind Found Object Art who specializes in paper and book artwork. She has always been interested in art, and has taught art at Foothill and De Anza Colleges, Community Services and the Palo Alto Adult School. She has also taught at Book Arts at the Pacific Art League, Palo Alto.

She creates playful artist books, matchbox artwork, greeting cards, and three dimensional sculptures using only recycled and found objects such as cigar boxes, weathered wooden stake, tissue papers, vintage book, children's toys etc.

The one-of-a-kind artwork is made out of recycled materials that she found at flea markets, garage sales, collected from library sales, and picked from the trash. Her pieces are hand constructed with layers of paper and other objects that gives depth and intriguing narrative.

She now offers private classes in my Redwood City studio and gives workshops. Her work has been shown at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles and the De Saisset Museum. Her art is available on her website, at local art fairs and at the Book Arts Jam.