Cards in a Flash!

I've been scrapbooking since 2000 but only begun cardmaking for almost 3 years. One day it just dawned on me.."Why am I buying greeting cards when I have all the supplies right here to make one." I figured I might spend half an hour just picking out a card that won't exactly say what I want. Basically, I can make a card in the same amount of time it takes to pick one out and I am recycling my leftover paper. Yippy!

If you are like me a scrapbooker that is also into card making you probably also discovered the same thing I did. Many of the same techniques and principles apply to card making. I really do love giving one of my handmade cards. People cherish them. My family and friends know I don't buy greeting cards but they are my own creations. Now who wouldn't like getting one of these? 

The Thank you card was not created with CTMH products so you can duplicate this at home with supplies you probably already own. Can you guess how I made this? No, not watercolors. No, not pastels or chalk. No, I didn't spray anything on it.

To create the Thank you card, I first heat embossed the image and sentiment with a black embossing powder onto white cardstock. Then I used a sponge to pick up color from a ColorBok ink pad and applied it directly onto the card base. This technique is called resist. Why resist? Because embossed images resist ink. Always layer your lighter colors first then your darker color. I blended two colors to create purple by apply pink then turquoise on top. The strip of paper with the sentiment is also a combination of pink and turquoise blended together.The sentiments were layered onto black cardstock and a small black bow was added for a final touch. I'm sure bling or even stickle dots would also look great. But I wanted something that could mail very easily.

I saw this card design in a free How To flyer at a Micheal's Craft store. I knew I had to make one. It was just too cool to pass up! Don't worry I won't make you guess how. Truthfully, I didn't follow the instructions or measurements and changed it up slightly.

This card is made from a pink card base, and the images and sentiments are stamped onto white cardstock paper. First I stamped the darker images onto strips of, 1 1/4 inches wide, white cardstock paper in a dark purple ink. Then I picked up ink with my sponge and tabed some of the ink off onto scratch paper. and then blended the color onto the strip. When blending the color always start from the outer edge and work your way in. I kept doing this for three more strips of white cardstock. Then I cut the strips in half. I placed the stamped cardstock onto a black cardstock mixing and matching colors. There was a gap in the center that was easily covered up with a sentiment. I used a Martha Stewart punch to create the fancy border-my design idea. I'm sure this greeting card concept could work with a happy birthday sentiment, flowers, butterflies, cake backgrounds, you name it.