My Top 10 Card Making Tips

I found this great article online about card making tips. I hope you find it useful!

Happy Monday!

Tiffany

My Top 10 Card Making Tips
By Nicola Ray

Card making doesn't have to be complicated, in fact, it's one of the easiest crafts to start, since you've got most of the things you need already in the home. Whenever you're starting though a few simple tips will go along way and these card making tips for beginners will set you on the right foot.

1. Keep a notepad of your ideas and take it with you everywhere. You never know when an idea may strike! Pop it by the bed at night as well - late at night and early morning are often times when ideas will come to you.

2. Inspiration comes from anywhere. From fabrics and furnishings to papers and greeting cards. Sometimes looking at what other card makers are doing will give you inspiration too.

3. You don't need lots of fancy equipment - just an ordinary pair of household scissors, a ruler and some card to cut on (it will protect your table). So don't spend a fortune, unless you're going to make it a long term hobby!

4. Using repositionable adhesive will make your card making easy. It allows you to move your paper and embellishments around the card to ensure you've got it just right.

5. Try making your own embellishments with beads, crystals and ribbons. They'll make your cards chic and unique.

6. Experiment with using different areas of the card. The main focal point doesn't always have to be in the centre of the card. Think about using the left hand side, bottom or even top of the card.

7. With your designs, less is often best. If you over do the bits and pieces on your invitation, it will look too much. Less is more and definitely so for elegant greetings cards!

8. Collect bits and pieces from the cards you get given. You can then build up a stock of pretty embellishments to use on your own cards later.

9. Think about 3D effects. You can use foam sheet adhesive to add a little bit of height to your embellishments - then they'll really stand out on the page.

10. Don't throw anything away! You'll be able to use all your bits of paper and left over ribbons and embellishments for other cards. Keep them safe as you will be able to use them again!

Nicola Ray is the editor of Wedding Invitation Ideas where you can design, create and make your own wedding invitations. With free wedding invitation templates, step-by-step instructions and lots of stunning designs, it's the perfect place to start. You can find more articles like this one in the Card Making Tips section.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicola_Ray
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Babies Everywhere!

It seems like when you find out one person is pregnant, five more pop up pregnant too! Between work, family, and my church - there are many babies being born this year!

I absolutely love the Stampin' Up! set All in the Family. This set is so versatile. It comes with a bunch of little bodies, feel, arms, and heads so you can customize your people! They even include a dog & cat in the set and a pair of glasses. This would be a fun set to make Christmas cards with too. Check out the Splitcoaststampers Gallery on this set and I'm sure you'll want to add it to your wish list.

Just a reminder, the Spring Mini expires Monday. Hurry & place your order and get -20% off! There are some fun things for summer in there.

I hope your weekend is going well. Thanks for stopping by and check back soon!

Tiffany

Here Comes the Bride! It's Wedding Season!

Hello everyone! I hope your week is going well. Are all those wedding shower and invitations rolling in? I just got one yesterday in the mail. Luckily, I recently attended a Stamp Camp & made this adorable wedding card. I love the "mr." and "mrs. on it. It's from a gorgeous stamp set by Stampin' Up! called Together Forever. The great part about this set is that it can be used on cards other than wedding ones. It has some beautiful flowers that I used the background on this card, and it has a stunning circular design that can be used on almost anything. I inked the edges using Sponge Daubers.

The little bird house in the background is the one my son painted for me for Mother's Day. I mentioned that in my Mother's Day post, but didn't provide a picture at that time. Isn't it cute?!? My son loves to paint!!!! He will sit there for an hour and paint or color. That's amazing for a 2.5 yr old who can't sit still at any other time.

Enjoy your day. It's almost Friday!!!!! God bless!

Tiffany

Thank ewe! Fun Flock Tutorial

Thank ewe (from Stampin' Up! Pun Fun set) to all who visit my blog regularly, subscribe to my blog, and everyone who leaves comments. You make my day!

I had so much fun making this card! I used Fun Flock for the first time. It is so easy to use and it leaves a fuzzy finish. Love it!!!

Fun Flock Tutorial

Supplies: Cardstock, stamp, ink, Fun Flock, adhesive, and a tray. I prefer Sakura Quickie Glue pen. It makes it easy to get into all those little creases.

Step 1 - Stamp image on your cardstock and apply glue where you would like to add Fun Flock. I did a little section at a time because my glue was drying up too fast.

Step 2 - Sprinkle Fun Flock on your image and gently press fibers into the adhesive. Allow adhesive to dry and tap off excess into your tray.

That's it!




Cute, easy and fun! Fun Flock comes in an array of colors. You can also mix flock with glitter to get a sparkling image!



Any questions? Just drop me an e-mail! Have a wonderful day!!!!

Tiffany

Altered Tin for Cards

Happy Summer!

Summer has arrived! I decided to take my photography outside this weekend. My flowers are in bloom and the sun is out!

This project came out of the "blue" for me! I was at Michael's and they had on clearance these adorable tins for $1. The bottom of it is solid blue and the lid is blue with white polka dots. I just bought it with no clue what I was going to do with it. When I got home, I found the perfect paper to go with it. I picked it up last month when I was at my sisters in IN. The brand is the Paper Studio. I had a sheet in the wavy background and a sheet with these huge flowers on it. I cut out two of the large flowers from the sheet. I layered and creased them in a little to give it some dimension. I also cut out the center of the flower and mounted it on pop dots. See what you can do with just 2 coordinating pieces of patterned paper? The "T" is a silver metal monogram. I tied American Crafts ribbon on it in the same colors as the paper & attached white grosgrain ribbon on the trim of the lid. I am going to use this to store some of my cards in. Maybe just my summer ones!

Thanks for stopping by and wait until you see the cute card I'm working on using Stampin' Up! Pun Fun set! I'll be posting that soon along with a tutorial on using Fun Flock!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Tiffany

I'm an Eclectic Paperie Friend Today!

I am honored to be featured today as an Eclectic Paperie Friend in their online newsletter! How fun is that?! I'm ready to party and these bee's look like they are too! Did you catch the bling on their little bodies and heart shaped antenna's? Hopefully my picture is picking up the glitter on the paper too and the little heart after "happy bee-day".

The pattened paper is from Imaginisce - A Shore Thing Sweet Summer Breeze Glitter Paper. The stamps are the very cute Stampendous Bee Happy Collection. I colored in those cute bee's with my Copic Markers. The bling on the stamped images is Stickles Glitter Glue in Diamond. All supplies can be found at Eclectic Paperie. Their online store is easy to navigate around, they have awesome products, and it's super easy to order. They also ship things out pretty fast too! Go take a peek - you'll love this store!! :)

The weekend is approaching and I have lots more on the way! Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check back soon.

Tiffany

Heartfelt Thanks

This month is going by fast! Summer always goes fast, doesn't it?

I was in the mood the other night for elegant and simple card making. This Stampin' Up! set, Heartfelt Thanks, is just that! I used cardstock from the Earth Elements line of Stampin' Up! I tend to use up my Earth Elements pack of paper sooner than any other because these colors remind me of fall, and I LOVE fall. I use these colors all year round. With this set of 4.25 x 5 inch cards, I used Old Olive, Ruby Red, Pumpkin Pie, and Very Vanilla. I used my SU! slit punch to create the scallop border. I posted a blog entry last week with a link to that tutorial. The "Blessings To You" stamp is from Hero Arts. Don't forget your little dew drops. I love them!!!

Stampin' Up! released a new product line this week - Decor Elements! It's a line of self adhesive vinyl art used to decorate your home. It can be used on walls, mirrors, windows, or other hard, smooth surfaces. This product will be available to you on July 1st. If you are interested, drop me an e-mail and I will forward you a brochure with more information and pictures!

Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!

I have something really fun to share with you tomorrow!!!! :)

Tiffany

Hello everyone! I haven't made a baby card in a long time and my husband's niece just had her 2nd boy! When I was pregnant I bought a ton of baby scrapbooking supplies. More than I ever needed. I kept it all together so putting together a baby card was a snap! The cute cow diecut is from K & Company. The saying on the card is a sticker from All My Memories (AMM). The background patterned paper is from my scrap pile & I have no clue what company it's from. I used Bliss Blue cardstock from Stampin' Up! for the card and Stampin' Up! corner rounder punch.

Big announcement today from Stampin' Up! on their new product line. I can't wait to see what it is!!!! Subscribe to my blog to get the latest updates.

Have a wonderful day and God bless!

Tiffany

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day! I hope all dads enjoy their day today and get to kick back and relax.

I made this card for my husband using the popular Riley stamp from Hanna Stamps. I colored him in using Stampin' Up! markers (see colors below). The patterned paper is from Flair Designs. The little silver heart brad is from JoAnn's. Very simple card!

Have a wonderful day and remember to thank DAD for all he's done!

Tiffany

Recipe
Stamp: Hanna Stamps - Riley
Cardstock: Stampin' Up Tempting Turquoise
Patterned Paper: Flair Designs
SU! Markers: Creamy Caramel, Real Red, Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise, YoYo Yellow
Brad - JoAnn's
Twill Ribbon

Retired List Is Out For The Stampin' Up! Spring/Summer 2008 Catalog! (Click Here!)

Unfrogettable! Beate's WSC #52

It's that time again, time for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge! I just love the SU! set Unfrogettable. It's so cute!!!

I used SU! Not Quite Navy cardstock and Piggy Tales double sided patterned paper. I cut each layer long enough to fold over 1/2 inch and glued it down. You could use your Scor-Pal to get a crisp even fold.

The entire card is 4.25 x 5.50 inches. The largest piece of patterned paper is 2.50 x 4. The middle paper is 2.50 x 3.50. The last piece is 3.75 x 3 inches. Don't forget to fold over the left-hand side 1/2 inch and glue it down. I added some dew drops on each layer - green, blue, and clear.

I stamped the frog on Whisper White cardstock and colored him in with Mellow Moss. The heart was colored in with Not Quite Navy and then I added Crystal Effects to give it some dimension to resemble the dew drops. Isn't he just adorable?

Have a wonderful day!

Tiffany

Stamps: Stampin' Up! Unfrogettable
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Not Quite Navy & Whisper White
Patterned Paper: Piggy Tales
Markers: Stampin' Up! Mellow Moss & Not Quite Navy
Crystal Effects - Stampin' Up!
Dew Drops

Scallop Borders Made Easy

I have been playing around with some leftover scraps this week trying to use them up. They are so pretty that I just can't throw them away!

I found some pink paisley/flower patterned paper that was left over from an Anna Griffin card kit I got several years ago. I really didn't know what I was going to create out of this, but this is what I came up with.

I used Stampin' Up! cardstock in Real Red for my 4.25 x 5 1/2 inch card. I cut a 1.25 x 5 1/2 inch strip of Whisper White cardstock and attached it the the left-hand side of the card. I took my patterned paper and cut a 2 1/2 x 4.75 inch piece and attached it, centered, on the remaining red section of the card. I cut another piece of the patterned paper 1.25 x 4 1/2 inches and used Fiskars Threading Water punch to put a decorative scallop border edge on it*. Then, I cut 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch piece of the real red and adhered it to the left side of this piece of patterned paper. I attached this entire piece with pop dots, positioning the hole punches of the scalloped edge over the white cardstock and centering the entire piece top to bottom. Tie a ribbon over the white cardstock (I used American Crafts ribbon here). I layered a couple Bazzill & Prima flowers with a flower brad from Making Memories in the center and wrote in a white pen "Love" on the side.

Wouldn't this make a great Valentine's Day card? I need to keep this one handy for next February.

The weekend is almost here! Yahoo!!!!!

Tiffany

* If you don't have the Fiskars Threading Water punch, never fear! You can get the same results using a corner rounder and a small hole punch. Beate has a great tutorial for a scallop border here. To make it look like the Threading Water punch, just grab your small hole punch (1/16 or 1/8) and punch a whole in the center of each scallop!

Pick A Petal - Stampin' Up!

A Stampin' Up! must have - Pick A Petal rubber stamp set from Stampin' Up! The possibilities with the set are endless! Check out the Splitcoaststampers gallery for inspiration on what you can do with this set.

I told you about all the b-days I have this week. Well, this cute little set was purchased from Michaels. The tin was $1 and a package of 8 matching cards was $1. I just jazzed them up a little. The rim on the tin is silver, so I decided to embellish with silver.

Ok, first the tin. Flowers on top are by Prima. There are 3 different sizes layered on one another and secured by a big silver brad from American crafts. The flower on the center of the brad, and the flowers and word "celebrate" on the body of the tin, are rub-ons from SU! It took minutes to throw this together.

The card was just as easy. I used my Pick A Petal stamps and stamped them on red cardstock and embossed them using silver embossing powder. I also stamped "happy birthday" on the bottom right corner and embossed that in silver as well. I used the same brad and rub-ons for the center of the flower on the card too.

If you've never embossed, drop me an e-mail! I have a super easy set of instructions I can forward to you.

Enjoy your day and take time to stamp!!!

Tiffany

Monday, Monday!

I had a very nice weekend, but boy was it hot! My son took some long naps so I had a chance to get all my cards done for the week - 3 birthday's this week! Crazy!!!

This one is for my Mom. She loves daisy flowers so I think this one will be a winner!

My background was done with the Swiss Dots embossing folder from Cuttlebug. The patterned paper and stickers are from K & Company and the clear flower sticker near the top is from Heidi Swapp. I glued a clear button in the center of it. I also photographed the inside for you to see. The big sticker is also K & Company and the words are from the Stampin' Up! set, Birthday Whimsy.

Have a wonderful day!

Tiffany

P.S. You can still order from the Stampin' Up! mini catalog until June 30th! Don't forget - new customers get -20% their first order with me!

Summer is here!

Holy cow - it's in the 90's here and humid! I took my son this morning to the zoo for "Heavy Equipment Day". All the kids get little hard hats and get to sit in all kinds of construction equipment and big trucks. It was fun, but very hot!

One of my really good friends at work has a birthday next week and she is in love with summer! We all like summer, but she is a fanatic about it. I had to make her a fun, bright, and colorful card for her b-day. I used Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge (#51) for my layout. The paper is so much fun! It's from K & Company and it's their new line called Berry Sweet. The happy birthday embellishment is from Sue Dreamer by Colorbok. Do you like what I did with the ribbon? I just made it up this morning playing around. Kinda different.

Stay cool! More later.

Tiffany

Fun with Pocket Cards!

Hello! Thank you everyone for your kind words on my last posting. I love it when people leave comments!

Since I took that pocket cards class in Buffalo last week, I am drawn to them. This Diagonal Double Pocket Card was the Wednesday tutorial on Splitcoaststampers. I couldn't resist! Check it out!!!

For my card I used Stampin' Up! Petals & Paisleys patterned paper. The stamp is called Flower Girl from Elzybells Art Stamps. The tags are embellished with Doodlebug Paper Frills and rub-ons from Stampin' Up! and Pebbles Inc.

I meant to make this card for my babysitter's daughter who has a birthday next week, but her hair is reddish brown. I guess I will be making another!!!! I like to make two or more of everything I do so I have one to keep and some to give away. It's always fun to look back at the work you did years ago and see how

much you've changed or grown in your abilities.

It's almost Friday!!!! I can't wait for the weekend!!! God bless.

Tiffany

Order Stampin' Up! online and get -20% off !

My 5 Petal Flower

I love to put big flowers on cards for the centerpiece. This 5 petal flower is so easy to make! Got your Stampin' Up! punches ready?



You need the scallop punch and circle punches (1, 1 1/4, and 1 3/8).

First, cut out 5 one inch circles for your petals. Then punch out one scallop punch for the center.

Adhere the 5 one inch circles all around the scallop and it should look like my photo below.

Flip it over and you've got a nice large 5 petal flower! Layer the center with a 1 3/8 inch circle and 1 1/4 inch circle.

I gave my flower a little dimension by adding pop-dots between the scallop and the 1 3/8 inch center. If you have any questions, please e-mail me! Once I learn how to post tutorials on my sidebar, I will post this one. It's a good one to keep around, don't you think?

Just a reminder, first time Stampin' Up! orders get -20% off!!!!

Tiffany

Recipe: Doodlebug and Making Memories patterned paper, SU! cardstock, SU! Lots of Thoughts stamp, SU! punches.

Back to work today! When I woke up this morning, I thought it was Sunday for a few seconds. How bad is that?

I made this card over the weekend. You can never have too many birthday cards on hand, right? The background was done with Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder. Then I used an Inkadinkadoo Birthday Cupcake clear stamp and inked it up with Cat's Eye Chalk ink in Creamy Brown. I colored in the bottom part with my yellow Copic marker (Y15)and filled in the top with white Diamond Stickles. The brown glittery paper behind the cupcake is from DCWV and the "happy birthday" is a rub-on from Pebbles Inc. I hope you can see the shimmer on this card in the picture. Sometimes glitter is hard to catch with the camera.

Have a good Monday. God bless!

Tiffany