Wednesday 8 January 2014

Crafting Cards with a Common Theme - Part One!


 Hello! It's Louise here today, and before I share my creations with you I'd like to wish you all a very Happy New Year!

For many of us this is the time of year when we are all considering both our personal and creative goals for the new year. The biggest question I have asked myself is "to do or not to do...project life?"...and while I am still considering taking on such a big project I wanted to start the year making a selection of general greeting cards, so I have a small stock to pick from.

At the end of last year SJ Crafts announced the Six on the 6th Christmas Card Challenge. A challenge that I enjoyed immensely and one that inspired me to want to make general cards. When I made my Christmas cards for the challenge they all had a common theme and it is this idea that I am going to use again today.


I started off by choosing some papers from the Wild and Free Glitz Design 6x6 pad. I don't know about you but I struggle to cut into a sheet of 12x12 patterned paper to use on a greeting card, so these little 6x6 pads work perfectly and you normally get 2 sheets of each pattern, so it's a win win for me. Next I pulled together some rubber stamps that are very rarely (or never used), 2 Studio Calico Mr Huey Mists to complement the papers I chose, a black Memento Ink Pad, and a selection of gems.

I find it easy to work on card pieces, rather than the actual blank greeting cards, so I cut four pieces of white card a little smaller than the actual blank greeting card. I like the effect of the card stuck to the base card - if you wished to, you could add more colour by mounting the card. I chose to keep the fresh feel of the white card:


After I cut the card :-
  • I used the Memento ink to stamp a scrolled image to the top half of the card.
  • Then I flicked drops of Mr Huey Mist ink onto the card. You can see from the four cards made that when I do this there is no technique or precision. For me the ink goes where it wants to and I work with it.
  • Using two stamps I stamped the sentiments onto the card. Two of the cards I left blank so they can be used for any occasion.
  • Knowing that I was going to place paper bows across the scrolled image I added some Gems for that sparkle.
While the ink was drying I made the paper bows using a template I found on the internet (or HERE is a paper bow tutorial by another team member, Jennifer) I adapted the size of the template for the card, added some white cotton to the back of the bow for some added interest and then adhered the bow to the card using double sided foam tape.

By keeping a common theme for the cards they came together nicely!


I loved making these cards so much that I repeated the common theme by creating four more cards. Making all these cards means that I now have a nice stash of cards waiting to be used!

Stop by tomorrow to see the next set of four cards!

Louise x

Louise is a mum of three boys and she blogs her life and crafting at Boys, Bugs, and Beautiful Buttons!


6 comments :

Lesley G said...

Gorgeous - love them :)

furrypig said...

gorgeous cards Louise, I wonder how those bows cope with being in an envelope? I must start up my cardmaking for 2014 I am missing 6 on the 6th. Happy New Year xxx

scrappyjacky said...

What a lovely selection....and 'six on the 6th' has inspired me to work this way far more often as well....rather than just making 'one off' cards.
I also like 6 x 6 pads for cardmaking.

Lisa-Jane said...

They are fab Louise! Bows seem to be really in this season so you are bang on trend as always. I prefer to work on sections of card too and then adhere them after. Then I can hide any overlaps of ribbon etc too.

Mel said...

Gorgeous I am going to check out the bow tutorial.

Annie Claxton said...

These look so stylish and so "do-able" - I will definitely be pinching this idea thank you! :o)