Friday, May 20, 2011

A difficult decision.

Well, Internets, the time has come for me to make the decision that has been pressing on my mind for a few weeks now.

I've decided to take a hiatus from the blog.

Don't get me wrong, I love making the cards and writing the posts! Life has just simply become too busy lately. I knew it was time to step back for awhile when finding time to do the blog each week became a stressful activity. I don't want to start associating card making with stress - that's just not right!

There's also a lot going on in Moose and my lives right now. We're fine (and in fact, he just called me with some good news that will help in the short-term!) and I know things will get better, but for now things are just a little stressful.

Here's hoping things return to "normal" soon! I promise to be back as soon as it does!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Bring on the light


AKA: Happy birthday to me!

Have I mentioned that Moose is the best husband ever? If you need proof, I give you exhibit A:


He built me a light box!!! What a totally amazing birthday gift! Plus, it’s one that just keeps on giving… just think of all the wonderful embossed cards I’ll be able to make with it. Plus, it’ll be exceptionally useful whenever I need to trace something!

Moose built the light box mostly out of things we had on hand: scrap wood; electrical wiring; an electrical switch; some 13W CFL lightbulbs and a piece cut out of a broken fluorescent light diffuser. He only had to purchase the piece of glass and the light fixtures. He has promised me that he’ll write up a tutorial on how to make a light box of your very own for me to post on here soon.

Here’s a couple shots of the box turned on (it’s SUPER bright, so the pictures didn’t turn out very well):



And, finally, here’s a picture of the very first project I did with the light box (a Mother’s Day card I made for my amazing Mom):


Be sure to show your Mom just how much she means to you this Sunday! Have a fantastic week, everyone!

Friday, April 29, 2011

No post today

Due to a really crappy week and a total lack of inspiration, there will be no post today. Sorry, internets! I'll be back next week with a fresh new post to knock your socks off, I promise!

In the meantime, please enjoy this video of two baby elephants playing in a kiddie pool (just 'cause it makes me squee everytime I see it!).

Friday, April 22, 2011

Quick Tricks: Easter Gift Tags



Today, to break tradition a little bit, I will not be providing a tutorial, but rather I thought I’d share with you some cute little gift tags I made for Easter this year, along with a list of the supplies and equipment used to make said tags. The fun of this project is that there aren’t any directions, no rules for making them. Just take a look at the scrap paper, embellishments and equipment you have hanging around and let your creative juices flow!


Supplies:
·      Scrap pieces of paper in spring colours/patterns

Equipment Examples:
·      Spring/Easter themed stamps
·      Stamp ink pads
·      Spring/Easter themed paper punches
·      Hole punch
·      Tag punch
·      Glitter glue
·      Ribbon, stickers or any other coordinating embellishments that you have on hand
·      Curling ribbon (for attaching tags)
·      Scissors
·      Glue stick
·      Anything else you'd like to use


I wish you all a very happy Easter! I hope you all have lots of fun with your family and friends this weekend.

See you next Friday!

Friday, April 15, 2011

An egg-cellent time of year




At long last, Easter is once again upon us. It’s one of my favourite holidays. After all, Easter is the holiday that welcomes spring, with plenty of pretty spring flowers, cute and cuddly holiday icons (who doesn’t like bunnies and little fuzzy chicks?!) and lots of yummy, yummy chocolate to be had.

A holiday this wonderful deserves a sparkly and pretty card to celebrate it, so of course, I just had to dig out the leftover white glitter foam scraps from December’s snowman card to make this shiny Easter egg card to mark the occasion.

Supplies:
·      Sheet of 8 1/2” x 11” purple card stock
·      Rectangle of white text paper, measuring 3 3/4” x 5”
·      Rectangle of white glitter foam (with sticky back), measuring approximately 3 1/2” x 4 3/4”
·      Scraps of pink and blue card stock

Equipment:
·      Paper trimmer
·      Bone folder
·      Glue runner
·      Pencil
·      Scissors
·      Small circle paper punch (about 1/2” diameter)
·      Hot glue gun

Directions:
1.     Use the paper trimmer to cut the purple card stock in half to get two pieces, measuring 5 1/2” x 8 1/2”. Set one aside for future projects.

2.     Fold the remaining piece of purple card stock in half with the bone folder to get a 4 1/4” x 5 1/2” card.

3.     Attach the white text paper rectangle to the inside right panel of the card with the glue runner.


4.     Trace an outline of an egg on the back of the white glitter foam rectangle, using as much of the space as possible. Cut out the egg shape.



5.     Peel off the sticky backing on the foam and attach the egg to the front panel of the purple card.


6.     Take the pink and blue card stock scraps and punch out eight pink circles and six blue circles.

7.     Use the glue gun to attach the pink and blue circles to the front of the egg.


I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s card. Have a fabulous weekend and I’ll see you next week!

Friday, April 8, 2011

Happy Birthday, Carol!



Last week, my mother-in-law celebrated her birthday. Carol is a lovely person. She’s always excited about things and has such a zest for life – it’s pretty inspiring! She’s the one who always wants to find out what’s around the next bend or what’s over the next hill when we’re out walking. She’s incredibly crafty (crafting fairies, knitting, crocheting and felting are her specialties) and she has the most amazing garden with such beautiful plants and flowers.

And so, here is a bold, bright and sparkly flower card to celebrate the day of my mother-in-law’s birth.

Supplies:
·      Sheet of 8 1/2” x 11” bright green card stock
·      Sheet of 8 1/2” x 11” white text paper
·      Scraps of purple and pink glitter card stock (big enough to punch out two flower punch sets from each)

Equipment:
·      Computer
·      Printer
·      Paper trimmer
·      Bone folder
·      Multiple flower punch (see picture in step 5 for example)
·      Glue runner
·      Glue stick

Directions:
1.     Create a new letter-sized document in a design layout program (or Word) with 1/2” margins. Create a 3 1/4” x 4 1/2” text box in the upper left-hand corner and write in the text, “Happy Birthday” at the top of the box. Centre the text horizontally. Print the document on to the white text paper.


2.     Trim the white text paper with the paper trimmer to create a 3 3/4” x 5” panel. Cut the bright green card stock in half to create two pieces, measuring 5 1/2” x 8 1/2”. Set one aside for future use.

3.     Use the bone folder to fold the bright green card stock into a 4 1/4” x 5 1/2” card.

4.     Attach the white text paper with the “Happy Birthday” sentiment to the front panel of the card with the glue runner.


5.     Punch out two sets of flowers from each scrap of glitter card stock.



6.     Glue the flower pieces together, alternating the colours.



7.     Glue the finished flowers to the front panel of the card, alternating colours and flower design.


This week was my first week back working full-time (plus a three hour commute, round-trip). I have plans to keep posting, but please be patient with me if I, once in a blue moon, have to skip a week!

Have a wonderful weekend. See you next week!

Friday, April 1, 2011

Happy birthday, Dad!



Today is my Dad’s birthday. Word cannot express how wonderful he is. He’s always been there for me, whether it was helping a four-year-old me unlock the shed door so I could go and play with the Barbie house when my older sisters weren’t around, or walking me through my very first house purchase when I was 21. He’s bolstered my self-esteem when I was down, congratulated me on my achievements when I was on top of the world and walked me down the aisle when I married the man of my dreams.

My Dad is a farmer. He’s big, tall and strong – so much so that when I said my Dad could beat other dads up, I wasn’t lying (not that he would, but he certainly could!). He has farmer’s hands. You know the ones, big and always showing traces of grease, no matter what. As a kid, I used to watch him working in his shop, sometimes handing him tools (I still am terrible at remembering which tool is which, so I don’t know how helpful I really was) and observing him work his magic to get the farm equipment running again.

Recently, I borrowed some Paper Crafts magazines from our local library and came across a series of Father’s Day cards that used nails, washers and nuts. I thought that idea was brilliant and so perfect for my Dad, so I came up with this design for his birthday card.

Supplies:
·      Sheet of 8 1/2” x 11” light beige card stock
·      Strip of 3” x 5 1/2” patterned card stock in coordinating colours
·      Sheet of 8 1/2” x 11” white text paper
·      Four (or more, if you wish) washers (two large and two small – I used 7mm and 10mm)

Equipment:
·      Computer
·      Printer
·      Paper trimmer
·      Bone folder
·      Glue runner
·      Hot glue gun and glue stick

Directions:
1.     Open a new letter-sized document in a design layout program. Create a text box (about 2 1/2” wide) with the sentiment, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” written in it. Print the document.


2.     Use the paper trimmer to cut the light beige card stock in half to get two pieces, each measuring 5 1/2” x 8 1/2”. Set one aside for future projects. Cut out the “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” sentiment, leaving a small border around the text.

3.     Fold the piece of light beige card stock in half to make a 4 1/4” x 5 1/2” card.

4.     Attach the “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” sentiment in the middle of the strip of patterned card stock with the glue runner. Glue the patterned card stock strip to the card, centering it vertically.


5.     Using the hot glue gun, carefully glue the washers on to the card in the pattern of your choice.


Enjoy your April Fools’ Day and the coming weekend, everyone. See you next week!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Spring Inspirations: Butterfly Block Card



Like the contrary little minx she is, Spring teased us earlier this week with bright sunshine and warmish temperatures. Then, of course, Winter reared its dreaded head once more, blanketing the ground with snow (making me quite grumpy when I woke up and observed said snow falling once again). Yes, I know that early spring weather is never predictable and that snow at this time of year is to be expected, I still wish that once the highly anticipated first day of spring rolled around, the weather would magically warm up and stay that way until the winter solstice came round again.

To keep my spirits up while the weather fluctuates, I decided to make the brightest, most springiest card I could think of. And so, here is the butterfly block card. Here’s hoping it brightens up your day as much as it did mine.

Supplies:
  • Sheet of 8 1/2” x 11” blue cardstock
  • Sheet of 8 1/2” x 11” pink cardstock

Equipment:
  • Paper trimmer
  • Bone folder
  • Pencil
  • Metal-edged ruler
  • Craft knife
  • Small butterfly paper punch
  • Glue stick
  • Wax paper
  • Heavy book

Directions:

  1. Use the paper trimmer to cut a 5” x 10” piece of blue card stock. Hold on to the scraps to make the butterflies in step 4.

  1. Fold the 5” x 10” piece of blue card stock into a 5” x 5” card with the bone folder.

  1. Cut a 5” x 5” square of pink card stock with the paper trimmer.

  1. Use the paper punch to make 13 blue butterflies from the scraps in step one.


  1. Open the blue card and mark guidelines for making horizontal cuts 1” apart along the length of the inside left panel.


  1. Use the craft knife and metal-edged ruler to cut along the guidelines from the edge of the card to the fold, creating five 1” wide horizontal strips.


  1. Create guidelines for cutting the pink square of card stock into five strips. Make each strip slightly smaller than 1” wide (you’ll have a narrow strip of card stock left after you cut the strips) since you won’t be able to fit all the strips in if you leave them the full 1” width, no matter how tight you are able to make the weave. Use the guidelines to cut the pink square into five strips.


  1. Close the card. Take the first strip of pink card stock and weave it into the left side of the front panel (right up against the fold) to create a checkerboard pattern with a pink square starting the pattern. Glue the strip into place.

  1. Continue weaving and gluing until all the strips are in place.


  1. Trim the edges of the card with the paper trimmer as needed.

  1. Glue the blue butterflies on to the middle of each pink square.

  1. Place the piece of wax paper on top of the closed card. Put the book on top and press until the glue is dry.

That’s all for today, folks! Have a great weekend (here’s hoping that it will be sunny and beautiful!) and I’ll see you next week.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Going to the chapel...



Wedding invitations have been on my mind a lot lately. My sister got engaged back in February and I offered to do her invitations for her as my gift to the happy couple. I also have another friend who approached me and asked if she could hire me to do her invitations. I’m so honoured and pleased that they like my work and that they trust me to create the stationery for their special days. That means so much to me and I couldn’t be happier.

I actually got into paper crafting when I myself got engaged. In my professional life, I had been doing graphic design for quite some time, so the interest in paper, printing techniques and eye-catching designs was already quite firmly in place. This seemed like a natural extension for me and I really wanted to create an invitation that was ours and ours alone.

After picking our colours (we each ended up picking one, which was nice), I started searching for paper merchants and stumbled across Paper and More. I ordered samples and ended up being quite impressed with both the cost and the quality of the paper available, not to mention how quickly everything was delivered (six business days for the cheapest option). The one downside to Paper and More is that they only deliver within the States. At the time, we were living in Virginia, so that wasn’t a problem. Now that I’m back in Canada, I had to go through their customer service (which is excellent – the customer service rep who helped me was super nice and everything went so smoothly) to have the paper for my sister’s invitations delivered to our friends in Indiana. Since I’m seeing one of them this weekend, it all (very happily!) works out.

Anyway, being so preoccupied with all things wedding invitation-related, it only seemed natural that I should showcase my own wedding invitations in today’s post. I ended up doing all of the stationery for our wedding – invitations, favour tags, programs and thank you cards. We both wanted simple and elegant stationery, so I created this design for the invitations, using crocuses as the design element (please excuse the whiting out of personal details - there's just no pretty way to do that!):



The reply card also featured a crocus and was nestled inside a pretty silver A2 envelope:


Finally, we had a double-sided directions/map card, but I couldn't figure out a way to do that without having them one big mess of whited out bits.

 I don’t have any pictures of the rest of the stationery, but they all featured butterflies, since I saw this great idea and ended up making all of the bouquets out of feather butterflies (purple, silver and white). Our theme for the decorations became butterflies and flowers (we held our wedding at my parent’s farm and my Mom slaved over her flowers all year just for the occasion – they were beautiful!) with feather butterflies scattered over the tables and decorating the cake, and my Mom’s flowers growing everywhere. We also gave away silver flower pots with little purple heartsease seeds inside as our favours. Here are some wedding day pictures:

Even my hair had butterflies in it (photo by Steve)

Heading down the aisle with my Dad, framed by Mom's flowers (photo by Steve)

Posing with my Mom (photo by Steve)

Moose and his sister (photo by Steve)

'Cause every farm wedding requires hay bale pictures! (photo by Rufus)

And combine pictures, of course! (photo by Rufus)

(photo by Rufus)
I love the idea of using wedding invitations and stationery as a way to introduce a theme for a wedding. I am so happy with how everything tied together. Everything was beautiful and our special day couldn’t have been better!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. We’re off to the States for the next few days and I’m very excited! See you next week!

Friday, March 11, 2011

Weighty matters


Understanding paper weights


When you first start working with paper, the different types, finishes and, especially, weights, can be quite confusing. More often than not, you can pick up two different brands of 60 lb. text weight paper and have them be completely different thicknesses - not to mention how much difference there is between a sheet of 60 lb. text paper and a sheet of 60 lb. cover stock!

There is a simple explanation as to why these variances occur, but first, let me give you an overview of the systems used to calculate paper weight.

Paper weights are measured in one or both of two different systems: Imperial and Metric. The Imperial system uses pounds (lbs. or sometimes just the # symbol) as the unit of measure, while the Metric system measures in grams per square metre (g/m2 or gsm).

Imperial System

A paper’s weight in the Imperial system is calculated based on the weight of a ream (500 sheets for the most part, but can sometimes be 1,000 sheets) of paper in its original, uncut (base) size. Generally, for text weight, this uncut size is 25” x 38” and for bond weight (commonly used as printer paper), it is 17” x 22”. For cover (aka card) stock, the uncut size is usually 20” x 26”. The difference in uncut sizes is why a sheet of 80 lb. text weight paper will differ in thickness from a sheet of 80 lb. cover stock paper.

Because of the lack of standardization in base sizes, it can sometimes be confusing to work with the Imperial system. It is, however, the most prevalent system used in North America, so it’s a good idea to become familiar with it. If you’re ordering paper and are unsure of whether you’re going to be happy with the weight or quality, order samples. Many companies will offer sample books and swatches either for free or for a minimal charge. I always order swatches/samples myself (especially when I’m working on special projects, like wedding invitations!). It’s the only way to make sure I’m happy with the weight, look, colour, quality and feel of the paper I work with.

Metric System

The Metric system, on the other hand, is standardized. Since it deals with the weight of one square metre of the paper, it doesn’t matter what type of paper (i.e. text, cover, tissue, etc.) is being measured. Plus there’s no need to worry about what the base size of the particular paper is and how that affects the weight. As a result, it gives a more accurate indication of how thick a paper is – as long as you are familiar with the system and how heavy certain types of paper are, of course. I know many professional printers who prefer to use the Metric system for this reason.

Paper Weight Chart

This chart shows the basic conversion between the Imperial system and the Metric system. Remember that this is just a guide to give a basis for comparison - due to the variances in thickness that can happen with the Imperial system, it is impossible to have a completely standardized conversion chart.

Paper Type
Imperial Weight (lbs.)
Metric Weight (g/m2)
20 lb. Bond/Copy (most common printer paper weight)
20
75
60 lb. Text
60
89
24 lb. Bond/Copy (often sold as “premium” or “high quality” printer paper)
24
90
70 lb. Text
70
104
28 lb. Bond
28
105
32 lb. Bond
32
120
80 lb. Text
80
120
65 lb. Cover
65
175
80 lb. Cover
80
215
105 lb. Cover
105
285

I hope this post has helped answer the questions you may have had about paper weight. Have a great weekend and we’ll see you again next week!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Tricks and Techniques: Dry Embossing



Happy Friday, everyone!

Today on Card Tricks, we are going to be looking at dry embossing, a simple technique using stencils and a stylus to create stunning raised images.

Like heat embossing, this technique adds texture and elegance to your designs. Unlike heat embossing, dry embossing uses the paper itself to create the designs, not any added embossing powders or inks. While it can be a more subtle design element, the effect is just as beautiful.

Supplies:
·      Piece of card stock (light colours are best to start with, since the light shines through them as you are working, making it easier to see what you are tracing)

Equipment:
·      Embossing stencil
·      Double-ended embossing stylus
·      Tape
·      Piece of wax paper
·      Window (with good light) or light box

Directions:
1.     Tape the stencil to the window (or light box, if you have one).


2.     Tape the piece of card stock face down over the stencil image of your choice. Rub the wax paper lightly over the card stock (this helps with the gliding of the stylus during the tracing).


3.     Slowly and carefully trace over the image with the stylus with a light, steady and even pressure. Use the small end of the stylus for the intricate details and the large end for the larger details. Do not press too hard or you will tear the card stock.


4.     Remove the card stock and stencil from the window and carefully take off the tape. Turn the card stock over to see your finished embossed design.

I hope you all have a great week. I’m trying to get over a bout of something nasty, so I plan on taking it easy for a few days, myself. As a result, I have not decided what to do for next week’s post, so it will be a surprise for all of us. See you then!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Tricks and Techniques: Heat Embossing



Got a special occasion coming up that requires a beautiful and absolutely stunning card design? Of all the techniques out there for paper crafting, nothing says elegant more than embossing. The shiny and smooth raised surface of the embossed design on a piece of high-quality card stock is sophistication at its very best.

When I was first introduced to embossing by my design teacher in college, I fell in love with it instantly. He told us about printers being able to do it for bulk orders (it was an advertising course, so, of course, our needs would have been for elegant marketing materials or, perhaps, business cards) and showed us the difference between the two types available: the more expensive version which embossed the paper and added ink to the raised surfaces so that you could see and feel the reverse image on the other side of the paper; and the more cost-effective version where only the ink is raised, not the paper.

Imagine my delight when I discovered heat embossing and dry embossing for paper crafting. I had no idea that there was a way to emboss on a smaller scale at home! Today’s post will cover heat embossing with stamps, while next week’s post will walk through the steps of dry embossing with stencils. I’ve been having a lot of fun with both techniques and I hope you will too.

Supplies:
·      Piece of card stock big enough to fit your stamped design (any colour)

Equipment:
·      Acrylic stamp in the design of your choice
·      Acrylic stamp mount
·      Embossing stamp pad
·      Embossing powder in the colour of your choice
·      Small paint brush
·      Heat tool (like this one)
·      Two sheets of scrap text weight paper
·      Heat-resistant surface (I used a wooden cutting board)

Directions:
1.     Fold the two pieces of scrap paper in half to make a crease down the middle of each. Place them beside each other on a sturdy surface with the crease placed so that the paper will fold upward. Put the piece of card stock on top of one of the pieces of paper.

2.     Gather all of the equipment together. You’ll need to work quickly, so having everything ready and within easy reach is a good idea. Plug in the heat tool (do not turn it on yet) and place it beside the heat-resistant surface you are using. Put all the rest of the equipment by the two pieces of scrap paper.

3.     Mount the acrylic stamp on the stamp mount.

4.     Saturate the stamp evenly with the embossing stamp pad. Press the stamp on to the card stock, using firm and even pressure.


5.     Cover the stamped image with embossing powder. Tap the card stock on to the scrap paper to remove the excess powder. If there’s any loose powder remaining on the card stock, use the paint brush to carefully brush it off on to the scrap paper.



6.     Move the card stock to the heat-resistant surface. Turn on the heat tool and hold it about two inches above the image. Slowly move the nozzle in a circular motion until all of the powder is evenly melted with a glossy, raised finish. Wave the card stock a couple of times to set the image, then set it aside until it is cool.


7.     Turn off and unplug the heat tool and allow it to cool on a heat-resistant surface.

8.     Wash the stamp and stamp mount with warm, soapy water.

9.     Return the excess embossing powder to its container by placing the bottle on the piece of scrap paper that doesn’t have powder on it. Carefully lift the other piece of paper over the bottle’s mouth, using the paper’s crease to help funnel the excess powder into the bottle. If any powder spills, repeat the process by reversing the functions of each piece of scrap paper (i.e. the one that was the funnel is now the one that holds the bottle and vice versa).

Tips:
·      Always use clean stamps.

·      For best results, be sure to use firm, even pressure when stamping the image.

·      Ensure that all stamps are cleaned with warm, soapy water before storing.

·      To avoid scorching the image or the card stock, be sure to constantly move the heat tool in circles and keep it at least two inches from the surface.

·      If the card stock curls, heat the back of the card stock and then wave it a few times through the air. Place the card stock under a heavy book and press for five to ten minutes.

I hope you all will have as much fun with heat embossing as I have had. It took me a few practices runs to get it right, but my persistence certainly paid off and I’m so happy with the results.

Have a fantastic weekend and be sure to come back next week for a tutorial on dry embossing. See you then!