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My interest in learning to make cards came years ago and I never acted on it but now that I am retired, I am cleaning up on my list of things to do.
I was never a card giving person. I always thought they were impersonal. A phone call or a visit to someone meant more to me, to do, than paying for a card which someone else made including someone else's words and they are expensive too....waste of money.
So, lately I have been thinking about making my own cards but haven't bought anything yet because I am finding it's "still" someone elses creations and even more expensive than just buying a card. There are so many gimmicks to buy, stamps, stickers, blah blah blah. That stuff isn't me....or is it...it could be.
Years ago, I used to peel white birch bark off stove wood and embroider around the edges and then string beads to make flowers etc....maybe getting back into something like that....umm..no I don't have access to birch bark any more but I can buy paper.
I wanna make cards but not the kind you have to buy so many decorations that they become tacky.
I just don't know where to begin except I'm watching youtube ideas and joined here. I went to Wal mart twice recently, looking at all the things they have for making cards. I walked out not buying anything except containers haha!
I am Sue in Eastern Canada, what lovely forums you have here and very creative people. Everything looks wonderful.
Hi Sue and welcome from New Zealand! I loved your idea of embroidering birch bark and the bead flowers and it would be great if you could adapt those very creative ideas to paper and card. I understand your reluctance to buy lots of premade embellishments, and the range of accessories available to the beginning card maker can be overwhelming. There is book you might be interested in as it uses cardboard, photos and things from around the home rather than lots of 'bought' stuff. The title is Cardart Innovative Card-Making Designs by Stephanie McAtee and Emily Falconbridge. Have fun!
Stephanie (not McAtee!)
__________________ To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. Joseph Chilton Pearce my gallery
Hi Sue, it was a shame the shipping was so prohibitive for that book. Still, you can check out your local library for basic card making books and then see what they suggest. You can make simple but very effective cards without a lot of 'extras'.
Stephanie
__________________ To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. Joseph Chilton Pearce my gallery
Thanks again, Parkes for your suggestion. I think there are a lot of good ideas here in this forum. I spent quite a bit of time looking at a topic called "Ways to make do instead of buying new"...great topic. I also found some videos.
I wonder what the most important tools would be to buy and where I would get them, to get started. Maybe there is a topic for that somewhere.
I wonder whether looking at some "clean and simple" or even one layer cards might help you? They're cards that don't have lots of embellishments or layers and can typically be made with just a few supplies. If you use the keyword CAS (for clean and simple) or OLC (for one layer card) to search the gallery, you might see something that gives you some inspiration.
As for important tools to get you started, you'll find nearly as many opinions as there are cardmakers here! There are some threads around but I think really it depends a lot on what you want to make so focusing on an idea or two might help to focus that "essentials" list.
Hi Angel, I am looking at something (CAS) that would give me some rewards/satisfaction/encouragement/ so that I would "get into this" and put the drive on. Any thing I do, I organize first. Right now, I have a counter to work on which is a pleasant spot by some windows. I bought some some storage containers, a couple packages of card stock and have blessings from hubby hahaha! <--- that's pretty important, eh what Oh yeah, I also copied the meaning of some of the acronyms in here.
I used to make Christmas wreaths out of Balsam Fir, so I have a few crafting skills but not too many. When I knitted I was so tense, I bent needles. There weren't too many crafts in my life time, I enjoyed at all but this card making has a draw for me.
From what I have seen in this forum, I am thoroughly impressed by the people here with their ideas, unique inventions and willingness to share. You, Angel, are one I stop to read when I come to your name. I love recycling too and inventing ways to think outside of the box. It might take me some time to get outside of the box though because I am a bit out of practice.
Yea, I will go do some searching for CAS and OLC. Thanks for the tip. As for equipment, maybe I'll just start trying to make a card and see what I really need.
Hi Sue, if you don't have even the basics then you will need a craft mat (also called a self-healing mat) which comes in various sizes. I have an A4 mat. You will also need a craft knife with replaceable blades. A bone folder is useful when you have cut your card stock and want to fold it in half for the card. You use a bone folder (once made of bone but now of plastic and may also be called a paper folder) to score the fold line and then smooth the folded edge to make a crisp crease. A bone folder may not be seen as essential but it will give your cards a professional look. What you put on your cards then, is up to you. It sounds to me like you might go the 'natural' route with dried leaves, flowers, twigs pieces of bark etc. In that case you will need good adhesives, maybe a hot glue gun. When you find cards you admire here in SCS, you can always contact the poster of them and ask for more details. Have fun!
Stephanie
__________________ To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. Joseph Chilton Pearce my gallery
Hi Parkes, I guess I am truly committed now. I visited a scrapbooking store, one that has been in my neighbourhood for years which I never visited before. I just went in to look around but came out with a few items, bone folder is one of them as well as a cutting thingy...one with an arm and a cutting board....adhesive too.
I like your idea of dried leaves etc. There are so many options as you and the other veteran card makers know.
Hi Sue! I'm Cat and I'm on the opposite end of the country - in Cow Town (Calgary). Glad you can join us. You can make some very pretty cards with minimal supplies. I suggest you check out the gallery and see what kinds of cards you want to make before going shopping. There are a few threads that talk about what sort of basic supplies you need - such as cardstock, trimmer, a stamp or two, some ink. You don't need a whole lot to get started. Checking out the library for some card making books/magazines is a good suggestion. You may also want to see if there is a CTMH (Close to my heart) or SU (Stampin Up) demo in your area that has card classes that you can go to. Although, I have to warn you, it can get expensive if you get hooked on their products - it can get expensive period with the hobby . Another option is the check with local craft or scrapbooking/stamping stores to see if they run classes and they can show you the basics and show you how to use your supplies properly.
Hi Cat in Cow Town. LOL I never heard Calgary being called Cow Town before. I like that and it makes sense. Here's one back to you.....New Brunswickers are nic named Herring Chockers.
Thanks for those tips. The store I bought my cutter from has classes, I found out but they are on days I play my fiddle at a nursing home. I can't give that up. The lady there said there are a group who comes to the shop on another day and anyone can go there and use her tools for $5 for the day, coffee included. That might be a plan some time but I think I have a direction now. I looked at this video and it looks like a great place to start. USArtQuest
Thanks so much for the welcome and little advice, Cat. I love looking at the galleries here and all of your blogs too. Yes, I think I need a stamp for sure....a boarder stamp would be nice.
Yup, Parkes, I will put a visit to the Library on my list of things to do. I appreciate your ideas and input.
I doubt your sister will know that, like you say, Cat. Many New Brunswickers don't even know that as I've found out over the years. People from Nova Scotia are nic named Bluenosers and some of them don't know that either or why which amazes me as the Bluenose Sailing race ship which was built in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia was an undefeated racing vessel....undefeated in the world. It was so special a second Bluenose ship was built. It began it's fame as a fishing boat that raced just for fun.
As per my card making beginnings, I have some $$$ invested into it now from shopping twice at a local craft shop and would love to revisit again today, but I'm gonna control myself. I also have some thoughts about possibly becoming a hoarder. I have now found reason to save all packaging materials which I demonstrated yesterday to hubby when a box arrived for him from UPS.
I have a few projects that have been in the back of my head which I think I can pull off once I learn some tricks. I have many questions too, such as, is this a good place to chat like this?....and...what do you guys do with all your projects?
Hi Sue, great to see you are saving packaging! I do too as you never know what you might need for future projects. Check out the list of topics under 'Forum' at the top of this page as there are many threads there on different aspects of stamping and paper crafting in general. This Start Here thread tends to be more for people to introduce themselves than on-going chat. To answer your question I make cards to give away for birthdays and other celebrations - I haven't bought a greetings card in many years! I also make small books (I have book binder) which I admit I don't really do anything with but they are fun to make!
Stephanie
__________________ To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. Joseph Chilton Pearce my gallery
Canada newbie
