| | March 23, 2009, Vol. 3 No. 4 | | |
| | | Hello Card Maker, Happy Surprises
The calendar may read "spring," but one look outside tells me that it's anything but spring-like around here. Hopefully the old saying "in like a lion, out like a lamb" will hold true this year. In the meantime, I'm keeping busy with my new digital subscription to CardMaker magazine. When I was looking through it recently, I was surprised to see some issues I had forgotten about! I must have loaned them out or paged through them until the dog-ears had dog-ears. Fortunately for me, the digital subscription will never wear out! Back to top. Free Project
I love the sentiment on the front of this card: "Blossom by blossom, spring begins." I'm still waiting for that first blossom, but until it arrives, I will have to keep busy making a few spring-themed cards like this one by Susan Stringfellow. Machine stitching is one of my favorite quick techniques to dress up a handmade greeting. What's yours?
Blossom by Blossom By Susan Stringfellow Materials - Card stock: olive green, white
- Printed papers: light green circles, green, purple, green distressed
- Envelope to fit a 5 1/2 x 4 1/4-inch card
- Spring Bulbs rubber stamp set
- Distress ink pads: green, tan, brown, purple
- Small sprig of dried greenery
- "Grow" binder clip
- Paintbrush
- Corner rounder
- Sewing machine with tan thread
- Adhesive foam squares
- Paper adhesive
Form a 5 1/2 x 4 1/4-inch top-folded card from olive green card stock. Cut a piece of light green circles printed paper slightly smaller than card front; adhere paper to card. Adhere a 5/8 x 3 5/8-inch piece of green printed paper to purple printed paper; trim a small border and adhere to card as shown. Straight-stitch around perimeter of card. Use green ink to stamp greeting on upper right corner of card. Using watered-down ink, paint purple, green and brown colors onto white card stock in the area where flower bulbs will be stamped; let dry. Stamp bulb image over painted area with green ink. Cut a 1 7/8 x 2 3/4-inch rectangle around flower bulbs. Stamp decorative motif image in upper left and lower right corners of rectangle with purple ink; ink edges with tan ink. Machine-sew a zigzag stitch along bottom and right edges. Attach greenery to rectangle with binder clip; use foam squares to adhere rectangle to card as shown. Decorate inside of card with desired stamps. Carefully take apart premade envelope and use as a template to trace and cut an envelope from green distressed printed paper; assemble envelope. Adhere a 2-inch-wide strip of purple printed paper to envelope; trim edges even. Cut a 3 1/2 x 1 1/2-inch rectangle from green printed paper; round corners and adhere to envelope front. Sources: Printed papers and binder clip from K&Company; rubber stamp set from Sugarloaf Products Inc.; distress ink pads from Ranger Industries Inc. Copyright © February 2007 CardMaker magazine. All rights reserved. Back to top.
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| | | | | Reader Letters Rosemary writes:
"Years ago when I started rubber stamping, I got into the habit of making a sample of my new stamps to use as a pattern. I cut them out and saved them in appropriate envelopes: Christmas, sentiments, flowers, etc. When I want to make a card, I first compose it with my patterns to get the effect I want, and then do the stamping with the matching stamps. It's amazing the new ideas that come just by rearranging the patterns!"  Carey writes:
"It seems I get creator's block every time I need to have something done by a certain date. To help overcome this, I save a lot of my magazines and group them by subject, like wedding, baby, etc. Then when I need a certain card, I can just go to that issue of a magazine and get some great ideas. Also, some awe-inspiring Web sites and blogs have delicious eye candy and are just waiting to be explored. There are lots of sites out in cyber-land to help jumpstart my creativity." Great ideas, Rosemary and Carey. Sometimes all we need is a little change of scenery to become inspired. Readers, how do you come up with new ideas for creative card making? Use my feedback form, and I'll use some of your responses in a future newsletter. Dawn writes:
"Well I haven't fallen off the card-making wagon yet, but I am stumped. My daughter is graduating from college this spring. I decided I wanted to do a memory quilt, a scrapbook and invitations to the open house. I haven't been able to find any ideas that specifically relate to graduation cards or graduation invitations. Do you have any suggestions?" Dawn, you might want to take a look at a digital subscription to CardMaker magazine. You'll be able to access all previous and current issues, which include a plethora of graduation cards and announcements. I'm sure you'll be able to find just what you need. Jan writes:
"Dawn asked how to decorate the inside of a card. She can simply use part of the pattern she used on the outside. For example, if there is a bunch of flowers on the front, put just one flower on the inside. Are there lots of corkscrew designs or hearts? Put just one or two of those designs on the inside. Also, use some of the same paper to make a corner triangle or an upper or lower strip of color." Jan, those are wonderful ideas. As Lisa writes below, you'll find many more ideas in the pages of CardMaker magazine! Lisa writes:
"I just received the first copy of a gift subscription to CardMaker magazine, and I really enjoyed poring over it. As someone new to card making, I am most impressed by the inside views of so many of the cards in the magazine. The front is what most card makers spend so much time on, but usually the recipient admires that and then quickly opens the card to see what's inside. I've never thought about embellishing the inside of the card before. Thanks so much!" Lisa, check out Say It With Style, a great book from House of White Birches. It features hundreds of quotes and sentiments you can use to personalize the insides of your handmade greetings. Sandra writes:
"Instead of buying those small peel-and-stick Christmas tags, I reuse Christmas cards from the year before. I cut out the image, punch a hole in the corner, add some curling ribbon and tape it under the bow. I have even bought plain note cards at the thrift store and used them for tags for birthdays, weddings, baby shower gifts, etc. If this isn't going green, I don't what is!" Betty writes:
"A fast way to make a nice card is personalizing a purchased card (Is this cheating?). I recently bought some inexpensive cards and 'tweaked' them by using a glue gun and fine glitter on some of the frames and flowers already on the card. They looked glamorous." Sandra and Betty, those are great ideas for practicing the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! Readers, share your ideas for "found" craft supplies by using my feedback form. Back to top. | | |
Happy card making!
Sue Reeves
Editor, CardMaker newsletter Send feedback!
Don't forget to use my feedback form to send your most effective ways to break through a creative block!
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