A rediscovering of card making

It's been a while since I've made a few cards. I hadn't really had a purpose before, I'd sort of lost my penpal, and at university I just used bought notecards (because I have a lot of them). So when I acquired a new penpal, almost by accident, I made the effort to start making cards again so I could send them to her. To make a good impression, you see. As it is, I think I may have found my very first papercraft-y friend in real life!

So good things all round.

This card is very simple in it's construction, just three little strips of washi tape in the background, with a bicycle stamped using staz-on ink, and a little work stamp below. Took me a bout 3 minutes. But it's so effective, and I'm already developing the idea in my head for a pack of notecards, or even translating it for Christmas. I'll let you know. 

My Dear Mama

Mother's Day is coming up this Sunday. I always like to keep up the tradition of making her a card each year. It's a way to show how much you care, everything can be personalised, and the time spent is worth it for our mother's. This year, I kept it pretty simplistic, adding the personal touch by using my own greeting for her: Mama. 

I'm not sure when exactly I started using it, but it's stuck. I sound like someone from Downton Abbey... But it's fun. I love my Mama. I don't know what I'd do without her. She's helped me so much, looked after me particularly in the past three months when I've been so ill. This little card may look simple, but that small sentiment makes it personal.

And isn't that why we make cards in the first place?

So here's my tip: use a nickname or a pet name on a card for a loved one. It will show them just how much thought you've put into it.

How do you make your card making personal?

Oh Deer!

I made a promise last year to not buy any more Christmas stuff... but I caved. I fell head over heels in love with this tartan and knitted collection, and I just had to buy it! Also, they came in one of those Hobbycraft grab-bag things, so it was all co-ordinated  and matching, and half the price!

 

 

Here I layered two die-cuts, adding some holly leaves to one corner to spruce it up. I used an A5 corner-rounded card blank and the simplicity adds to the charm.

Also, how lovely are these stick on pearls?! I adore them! They just add a bit of luxury to any project, in my opinion.

 

Linking up with another Winter Wonderland challenge, this week called 'No Sentiment'.



Easter Christmas-ness

I know, it's not quite right... but I'm not really an Easter person.

 

But I am a Christmas Person!

 

 

Yes. A Christmas Card in April.

 

In my defence, I have been hoarding this chipboard image for a long time (nearly 5 years I think!) and when the Winter Wonderland Challenge Blog posted the challenge o include a Robin, I really wanted to join in!

However I soon realised why I hadn't used the chipboard already - it's so small, but incredibly busy and intricately detailed, meaning that pretty much anything added to embellish it overpowered the delicacy of it.

So I tried to keep it simple.

I used a small card base, with rounded corners and positioned it off-centre. I then picked out the three main colours of the image and found matching buttons, and curved them to follow the circle.

It's very clean and simple, and not overpowering. Exactly what I was aiming for.

 

Linking to: Little Robin Redbreast



19

A Winter Card

 

 

I am considering this to be a winter card as a) it is made for a winter Birthday and b) it involves the cold blue and white that are commonly associated with Winter.

 

This card is made for my dear, lovely Mummy, and I used it as an experiment for

 a) using fabric flowers (I quite like them)

b) using my new mini alphabet stamps (I quite like them)

c) drawing on a card (I quite like it!)

 

So all around, a very successful venture.

Except for the fact that the piece of cad that I used to take pictures on was cream and not white, so everything looks quite dark in these pictures. Apologies.

 

50 Things to Make

We Three Kings of Orient are...

...One in a taxi, one in a car.

One on a scooter, blowing its hooter,

Smoking a big Cigar.

I know. I sing wonderfully.

Equipment:

Gold Card blank

Paper scraps in Gold and black

Outline stickers

Glue

1) Trim a strip of Gold Card to the same height as the width of the Card Blank. 

2) Arrange three stickers of the headdresses (hats. I prefer hats, but they don't look like hats) onto this gold strip.

3) Attach to a strip of Black card that is the same height but 2cm wider.

4) Glue down the decorated strip, and arrange three sticker diamonds in the bottom corner.

Ta da!

Number of items used from stash: 2

Gold Card, Stickers

Sparkle

I love glitter,but hate the mess. Glitter outline stickers solve this problem no end.

Equipment:

White Card blank

Glitter stickers

Ribbon

1) Tie the Ribbon into a bow around the bottom of the card blank.

2) Arrange the glitter stickers onto the top half of the card.

Ta da!

Number of items used from stash: 2
Stickers, Ribbon

Button Red

A GREEN Card today...I've mainly been using white card this year, but I began to ran out,so in the spirit of using up my stash, I turned to this colour as well.

Equipment:

Green Card Blank

Patterned paper

Ribbon

Buttons

Felt star

Corner Rounder

Glue

1) Tie the ribbon around the patterned paper so that it forms a bow.

2) Attach a button to the centre of the felt star.

3) Glue the star onto the patterned paper, next to the ribbon bow.

4) Round the two corners of the patterned paper closest to the star, and attach the opposite flat edge to the front of the card.

5) Round the outside corners of the card blank and attach two more buttons to the side of the patterned paper.

Ta da!

Number of items used from stash: 6

Buttons, Paper, Ribbon, Star

Christmas Green

Green and white looks so good together, and it makes a refreshing change to the usual red and green.

Equipment:

White Card Blank

Ribbon

Circle sentiment

Scalloped circle

Foam Pads

1) Attach the ribbon across the bottom half of the card and secure on the wrong side.

2) Using foam pads, layer the Circle sentiment onto the coordinating scalloped circle.

3) Adhere the scalloped circle on top of the ribbon using foam pads.

Ta da!

Number of items used from stash: 3
Ribbon, Sentiment, Circle

Circles

This one is plain and simple, and the cold blues go well with the white.

Equipment: 

White Card Blank

Circle embellishments

Border with words

Glue

1) Attach the border across the lowest third of the card blank using glue. Make sure that the writing is fully visible, as this will act as your sentiment.

2) Arrange the two circles on the card and glue down as well.

Ta da! So Simple, yet effective

Number of items used from stash: 3

Circles, border

Deck the halls...

...with boughs of holly!

A running theme that may start to occur with my cards is their simplicity. I find these sorts of ideas great if there are a lot of cards to make, or if you want a quick repeat design.

Equipment:

White Card Blank

Patterned paper

Ribbon

Glue

Outline Sticker Sentiment

1) Cut the patterned paper to half of the card blank. I chose this one as the holly appeared to hang from the centre. Adhere to the lower half of the card.

2) Tie a Coordinating ribbon into a bow across the front of the card, covering up the paper join.

3) Add an outline sticker sentiment on the plain top half  of the card.

Ta-da!

Number of items used from stash: 3

Paper, Ribbon, Sticker

Layers

More Christmas Cards this week! Yay!

Equipment:

White Card Blank

Paper Scraps: I had some handmade paper and that silver sort of netting stuff....

Paper Embellishments

Ribbon

Chipboard Sentiment

Glue

Foam Pads

1) Tear the handmade paper to fit onto the card blank. I found that using a paintbrush and water worked well. Glue down.

2)Tie the ribbon to the edges of the Chipboard sentiment and add foam pads.

3) Arrange the other elements to the card and stick down.

4) Adhere the chipboard sentiment with the foam pads.

Ta da!

Number of items used from stash: 6

Paper, Net, Snowflake, Star, Sentiment, Ribbon

Baubles

This one is inspired by this card, and I love how simple it is! And, just one month to go! EEK!

Equipment:

White Card Blank

Bauble Die Cuts

Foam Pads

Black Pen

Corner Rounder

1) Using foam pads, arrange the two baubles on the front of the card.

2) Draw black lines for string and write greeting below.

3) Round corners of the card blank.

Ta da!

Number of items used from stash: 2

Bauble die cuts.

Ribbons

Another Christmas card to brighten up your November!

Equipment:

Square white card blank

Patterned paper

Ribbon bow

Card Scrap

Gold outline stickers

Glue

1) Trim patterned paper so that it sits with a 1cm border on the card blank. Glue down.

2) Wrap a ribbon bow (I kept mine from an old bunch of flowers) around one side of the card, and fix to the inside of the card using your preferred method (I like sticky tape).

3) Cut out the scrap of white card and round the end corners. Position the outline sticker greeting on it.

4) Glue the sentiment so that the end of the card is underneath the bow of the ribbon.

Ta Da!

Number of items used from stash: 3
Paper, Ribbon, Stickers

Candy Canes

Hello, Christmas cards again!

Look familiar? It is very similar to this one I did last year. A good example of where multiple ideas can spawn from the same items.

Equipment:

Square White Card blank

White Card

Patterned paper

Ribbon

Candy cane embellishment

Mini 'Christmas' tag

Foam pads

Glue

1) Trim the spare white card to a 10cm square.

2) Across one side, wrap the ribbon and secure at the back in your preferred method.

3) Attach the Candy Cane embellishment above the ribbon.

4) Adhere the mini tag where the candy cane crosses the ribbon.

5) Trim the patterned paper to a 13cm square, and glue onto the card front. Centre and attach the decorative panel using foam pads.

Ta Da!

Number of items used from stash: 4

Embellishment, Tag, Ribbon, Paper

Purple Snowflakes

Another Card to show you! Hoorah! 

This one turned out much better than I had expected. I'm usually pretty dire at anything like stamping, but this turned out really well, so smiles all round!

Equipment:

White Card Blank

Pink and White card

Pink Ribbon

Snowflake Embellishment

Snowflake Stamp

Inkpad

Foam adhesive

1) Using your stamp and Ink (my ink was purple), stamp onto the white card to create a background. Trim down to an 8X8cm square, and round the corners.

2) Wrap the ribbon around one side of the patterned card, and secure at the back with your favourite method ( I use tape).

3) Position and adhere your snowflake embellishment on top of the ribbon.

4) Trim the pink card to a 9cm square, and round its corners. Adhere the patterned panel to the pink square using foam pads. Attach all of this to the card blank, also with foampads.

Ta da!

Number of  items used from stash: 4

Snowflake embellishment, ribbon, pink card, stamp & ink

Red and Gold

This year, I've set myself a challenge. I was only allowed to buy my stash one new thing for all of my Christmas cards. It been pretty tough, but I really like some of the results I've been getting. So I'm going to show you some of the things you can do, and let me know if, like me, you long for your huge pile of craft supplies to diminish (so you have a valid excuse to buy more!).

This one, I hate that the bow is lop-sided, but otherwise I feel it's a rather sophisticated card.

Equipment:

Gold Card Blank

Red Card

Gold patterned vellum (mine says Christmas over it)

Red Ribbon

Red Gems

Double sided tape

Foam Pads

Glue

Scissors

1) Trim the vellum until it measures 9cm X 10cm. Trim the red card to 10cm X 11cm.

2) Matt the vellum onto the red card using double sided tape.

3) Tie a bow with the red ribbon. Use Glue to secure the knot, and cut a pennant into each of the tail ends.

4) Glue the bow to the centre of the vellum piece. Attach this panel to the top of the card using foam pads.

3) Beneath this, glue 3 red gems for detail.

Ta da!

Number of items used from stash: 6

Ribbon,Vellum, Card Blank, Gems

25th: Christmas Card 8

This is the last of my last year's Christmas Cards, I hope to get this year's done before this time next year!

 

Equipment:

White Card

Candy Cane embellishment

Corresponding Striped Paper

Foam Pads

Outline stickers

 

1) Fold the White card to an A5 Card Blank.

2) Trim another piece of white Card to fit the candy cane. Attach the candy cane with foam pads.

3) Trip a piece of the striped paper to matt the candy cane panel. I usually trim so that there is a 0.5 cm border around. Attach the panel with foam pads.

4) Arrange the stack of paper in the top right corner of the card and attach with foam pads.

5) Below, add a sticker with the words 'Christmas'

This one is simple but effective, I think. I like how the stripes match.

DIY: Notecards

aka: How to make 20 cards from 10 sheets of A4 card and 10 sheets of patterned paper.

 

Equipment:

10 sheets of A4 white card

10 sheets of co-ordinating paper of your choice, 6"x 6"

Glue stick

Paper trimmer

Rounded corner punch

 

1) Cut the A4 card in half and fold for an A6 card front. Mine measured 14.9cm x 10.5cm. Round the corners

2) Trim the patterned paper to 13.9cm x 9.5cm, round the corners, and glue to the front of the card blank.

3) So as not to waste, but also to create a co-ordinating set, round the corners of the off-cuts and attach to another card blank.

 

Tada! Aren't they pretty? I smell bulk-make-Christmas-Gifts a-coming....



13

A Summer Card

 

 

Aren't they pretty!

 

I was looking for inspiration for a Birthday card, found these strawberry felt stickers and it just felt perfect! They're so cute and the embossed frame makes it even more tactile than just the felt on its own!

 

There's not really much to be said about a tutorial - I just arranged the stickers within a frame and added a sentiment, but I like the simplicity of it.

 

50 Things to make