Upcycled Business Cards

Every printmaker has reject prints- ones with bad registration, blobs of ink, or smears where the paper moved and printed double. In my process of learning children's illustration and getting comfortable with watercolor, I've also accumulated plenty of good prints that just aren't the best illustrations. The other night while drifting off, I had an idea of what to do with all of those not-good-enough prints. Cut them into little pieces and upcycle them into business cards!

First I laid out a grid of business cards on my computer. I used a simple image and colors because I wasn't sure how well my Epson printer would work on heavy printmaking paper. It wound up working so well, I might try a more complex image next, though.

Then I took one of the reject prints from my book Earth, and printed the business cards on the back.

I tried it with 3 different prints, cut them apart, and wound up with these business cards.

They have the textured feel of an original relief print, with a little teaser of an image. I think they are pretty fun! There were some that wound up with such an uninteresting or weird image on the back that I just tossed those. This is only the beginning.... I have sooooo many reject prints I can use. :)