Making Handmade Cards – Easy and Fun Way to Express Unique Messages
Life is scattered with many important occasions. We have big days like Christmas Days, Valentine’s Days, Thanksgiving Day and we also have days that are personally special to us like birthdays, graduation days, christenings and even anniversaries.
Of course, greeting cards play a huge role in the special occasions scattered through our lives. It is not uncommon for us to receive a birthday card, a Valentine’s card, a congratulatory card or even a good luck card. Now, if you are one of those people who simply love to receive cards, then it is high time to turn the table around. Why not start giving out really great cards to those people who matter to you? And the best thing about this plan is that you can make card-giving extra special for those people — by creating handmade cards or personalised cards.
Hesitant to try out your luck in card making? Here are the best reasons why you should try it outâ¦
1. Cardmaking is fun and easy. One of the best reasons why you should make your own cards is because it is easy and fun. Card making can make idle hands work and be creative. Imagine yourself enjoying conceptualizing of card themes, thinking of concepts, creating personalized messages and adding color and spice to each card you make. Making cards at home can be a family activity as well. It can certainly be exciting to gather round the entire family (adults, teens and kids alike) to go shopping for card making supplies and set the weekend for a fun card creation activity.
2. Cardmaking allows you to express your creativity. If you have always wanted to put a part of you in a work of art, then card making can be one way to do so. Making personalized cards allow you to harness your creative skills. This can easily be done as you try using various card making materials just to end up with the perfect card you have in mind for a special person.
3. There are a lot of tools that can make card making easier and more enjoyable. Nowadays, making handmade cards is no longer that difficult as there are different tools that can be used. For example, there are decoupage card making materials that can easily be bought online. You can even have embosser machines or even stamp blocks to use for your card making activities.
4. Handmade cards show your sincerity. Most people opt to receive greeting cards that have the personal touch. While store-bought cards still have their value, handmade cards automatically touches us deeply. When we receive cards that were handmade, we often feel very special.
5. There are tons of card making materials to use. Since there are practically no rules in personalized card making, anyone can use all sorts of materials to create a unique greeting card. Many card making materials can be used including stickers, stamps, glitters, glitter pens, paint, stencils, stick-ons, ribbons, laces and even cut-outs.
6. Making your own cards can be a good alternative to store-bought cards. If you simply do not have the patience to buy greeting cards from malls or bookstores, then making your own cards can be a good alternative to the usual cards which are bought from a store. Also, your own cards can prove to be a relief from the generic themes and ideas found on commercially-made cards.
Importance of Paper and Card Making Materials in Birthdays
Birthdays are one of the most important time of the year for someone. It is that one special day when everyone’s attention is on him or her. For some, they actually feel popular when it is their birthday because of the avalanche of greetings that they would receive on their mobile phones and now on their Facebook walls. It is through those greetings that many people tend to affirm their existence and importance into the life of the people around them. It is one of the best feeling in the world during birthdays when you realize that you are also equally special to people who matters to you the most.
And of course such special day would not be complete without a celebration or a party. Could you imagine a party being held without using even a single piece of paper? Your banners and other party stuff would not be made of paper, impossible, isn’t it? Paper is a crucial component in our lives, particularly during birthdays. Most party favors are usually made of paper. But, why is it? You may ask. Aside from the fact that paper is pretty cheap, there are also a lot of things that you could do with paper. It’s a very versatile kind of material. You could play on its color, shape and size!
But other than the festivities that come with the birthday party, we should never forget the many smiles and laughter that the gift brings to the celebrator. It is through those gifts that the special role that the birthday celebrator plays on his or her guest is immortalize. More often, these gifts are normally symbolic. Aside from the gift itself, they could also mean something else. It could be the very thing that started their friendship or the one thing that they could remind themselves of their special bond at any given time. Gifts during birthdays are really so special that it is already considered as a sin if you would come in a birthday party without a gift.
But what could make us even more special is when we receive a personalized card in our birthday! Sure, personalized cards are already considered as the scapegoat once you have either forgotten to buy a gift or you are too busy or lazy to buy a gift. But then again, if you would think about it even more, card making is even a more toxic job as compared to finding the perfect gift. It would lead you to go to shopping for all the card making materials that you will be needing to complete your masterpiece and you would really have to spend a considerable time while you will be making it. Plus the fact that, after all the toil and hard work, you would also need to come up with a very meaningful message in the birthday card.
In terms of principles & outlook in life, that is, I guess, I am a strong willed person and that i am the type who “doesn’t go with the flow”. I have always been a believer of the paradigm that i don’t have to do a thing just because everybody is doing it. I value moral fiber and good sense of virtue.
Card Making Crafts-Transform a Standard Greeting Card in to Classic Memorabilia
With a little bit of creativity and just a few simple steps, you can easily convert any card with a special meaning to you in to an unforgettable card making craft and keepsake for you or your loved ones. Here is how you do it.
Recently, my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with all the fanfare and memories that should be afforded a couple that make it to that point in their loving relationship. They also loved what I was able to do with the announcement I kept from the happy event when I transformed it in to a crafty keepsake and a marvelous card making craft.
You will need the following supplies: Please keep in mind that you will need extra rub-on lettering in case you make a mistake and have to redo any of the lettering. You will also want to pick colors that coordinate with your greeting card as noted below.
Greeting card: For this project I used my parents’ 50th Wedding Anniversary announcement. 1 clear acetate sheet: Must be durable enough that when folded, it can stand up on its own. 1 sheet of decorative scrapbooking paper: We chose a sheer background with a cream colored floral design. 1 package of letter rub-ons (190 count): We chose brown to coordinate with the gold anniversary card and cream colored scrapbooking paper. Satin ribbon ½ yard: We chose a brownish gold color. 1 package of decorative jewelry used for jewelry making: We chose a gold colored heart shaped pendant with a rhinestone. The pendant has two openings, which will make it easier to insert the ribbon. Gold cording 1/8 yard Glue adhesive stick 1 package of crafters adhesive foam stickers Scissors Hole puncher 1 card envelope or gift box to protect your card design
Step 1: Fold plastic acetate sheet in half creating a card base. Next, center greeting card under your plastic sheet to determine how much of the plastic you want seen once the greeting card is secured in place. Be sure to leave enough space at the top so that a hole can be punched through the plastic without touching the card underneath. Remove greeting card and set aside.
Step 2: Measure and cut scrapbooking paper to cover one side of the plastic. Next, apply glue adhesive to the back of your decorative scrapbooking paper and position on to the clear plastic acetate in the bottom inside half only.
Step 3: Apply clear foam stickers to the back of your greeting card, attaching one to each corner of the card. Once adhesive stickers are secure, carefully insert and attach greeting card to the center of your decorative paper, leaving enough space for a punched hole to be made at the top of the plastic.
Step 4: Remove and apply rub-on lettering according to package instructions to the top outside area of the clear plastic acetate. Note: Having your greeting card underneath will help to guide you in placing your rub-on letters.
Step 5: Using your hole puncher, punch out one hole at the top middle of your clear plastic. Punch a second hole right next to the first one. Next, fold ribbon in half and loop through the back side of each hole pulling the ribbon up until both ends are even. Secure with a loose knot.
Step 6: Thread cording through the heart pendant openings and secure around the ribbon knot. You are now ready to make a decorative bow, tying the ribbon and allowing the heart pendant to hang loosely as a focal point. Once your card making project is completed, place your decorative keepsake in a pretty gift box or envelope. Another idea would be to display your design on a wooden or metal easel.
Linda Johnson is a degreed and experienced crafter and interior/exterior decorating specialist, with years of experience helping friends, family, and clients solve their decorating and craft needs. Linda and her contributing writers invite you to submit your own great ideas for free, and also find tons more craft ideas and decorating projects like this with photos to try yourself
Hey Everyone – I just bought and received a WHOLE bunch of new Scrapbook Tools and Supplies – some were given to me by manufactures who wanted me to test their products and tell you what I think and some are new things that I have purchased. Visit www.AboveRubiesStudio.com to see what I’ve done with everything and what I think of these fabulous Scrapbooking and Cardmaking Products!
Is Filling Out Surveys For Money A Scam – Here’s How Real People Are Making Money Filling Out Surveys
Is Filling Out Surveys For Money A Scam
I am certain that you have seen the hype and over blown ads to entice you to start your own online business. The opportunities are limitless with the explosion of the internet, especially in the last few years. The problem is do any of these solutions realistically make you an income? Is Filling Out Surveys For Money A Scam
The online business that we are going to take a look at is one that is getting a great deal of attention today. Many people are discovering that they can make a decent living by filling out surveys for companies from their computer with online surveys. This internet trend is being questioned, and with healthy skepticism. Is taking online surveys a scam? Is anybody really making any cash with this trendy money machine? Really?
I am guessing at one or another, many people have taken at survey at a store or even the grocery. Maybe your banking institution has called your home to ask you a few questions for their customer service satisfaction survey. All types of businesses are paying a great deal of money to each person for answering a few questions to find out what is the product to market or to gage their products in the market place to their potential customers.
As the internet becomes more accessible to a broader range of the population, many companies are employing the power of the internet to get information from their market surveys. This opportunity offers many individuals to earn some money on the side that would not otherwise have a chance to make some easy money.
The varieties of companies that will offer a sum for your valuable answers to their surveys are doing this for a reason. It will save them so much more money by offering surveys than to take on new staff to engage the consumer in other marketing campaigns.
You are not alone if you are some of the many persons who are doubtful as to whether any money can be made by just filling out a few surveys. Is Filling Out Surveys For Money A Scam
But, there are many people already earning a decent coin by providing their opinions to survey questions. To be sure, not all online survey companies pay the same rate. Some survey contributors have reported earnings as far as 0 per one-hour survey. The average person will receive anywhere from to for every completed survey.
Where should you start to embark on getting extra cash you deserve? The first step is to join a survey network that maintains a huge database of surveys for you to complete. There are free survey sites where you can become a member and for your time and energy they will pay you with a free entry into a sweepstakes. Of course you just cannot make money with these sites.
If you really want cash in your pocket you should focus on taking surveys from a paid membership survey network. The cost is minimal to you, about and it is a one time fee only. Once you become a member you will have complete access to their database of surveys guaranteed to make you start earning some real money.
Ensuring you join a network with a money back guarantee, you one time investment will be compensated if for some reason you are not satisfied with your results. A quality legitimate survey network site will be more than glad to return your investment without any questions as they know that every person who joins their network will be a satisfied client.
The greatest advantage of taking survey online is it can become a really good part time income supplement just for filling out online marketing surveys. You can easily apply, and make over 00 in your first month by taking the first step of only a small investment in yourself.
The best of luck in your new opportunity for an online income. If you have any questions, we will be happy to be of assistance to you. Is Filling Out Surveys For Money A Scam
In the task of manufacturing printed circuit board PCB layout plays a core role. A graphical representation of the circuitry is very necessary to manufacture a PCB. And it is produce during the layout process. The detail description and graphical representation of the circuit is better known as PCB design. Nowadays various automated machines, driven in part by the data provided by the PCB files are used to assemble and test most of the circuit boards manufactured. That is why PCB layout becomes evident.
Due to the advancement of CAD tools by several different companies, it becomes very easier to manufacture the PCB layout by using CAD software tools. For effectively and efficiently design a PCB and to generate the necessary files to manufacture the board, these programs are computer-based applications that offer various tools and techniques.
Design for manufacturability has rapidly becoming the most integrated part of the PCB design process. While designing a board the Designers must take into consideration the manufacturing process. For which the designers needs to understand the manufacturing process and how layout affects that process.
There are various things which the PCB design solution should consider including current flow, size of the circuit, and electromagnetic interference to specify track width. Also, impedance, signal tracks and openly needs to be measured for a particular circuit in order to make the precise PCB design. There are several other things which need to be thoroughly described in the layout like the positioning of components, their alignment and relationship with each other.
It is also possible to prepare a multi-layer design through CAD software. And to keep the visibility intact, the actual display of different layers is done in separate colors while they are combined into an overlay image.
Established in 1987, Blackburn Circuit Design Ltd provides a high quality PCB layout UK, manufacturing and assembly service to the electronics industry. With professional PCB Design engineers, they offer a wealth of layout experience ranging from single-sided boards for the consumer market through to complex multi-layer flexi-rigid PCB’s for the defence industry.
If you are a beginner in card making it is best to study the basic techniques applied in making card. All techniques available will give you a unique and elegant finish to your invitation or greeting cards. Browse for online techniques and you will see the techniques below that are used regularly in the card projects by seasoned and beginner card makers. They’re all techniques, easy to master and wonderful for creating dozens of cards.
Water paints – Water paints creates a lovely effect for backgrounds on cards. It has this amazing look effect of drawings reflected by the water paints.
Calligraphy – Using different types of fonts for alphabets and numbers adds a very artistic flair to card making.
Rubber Stamping – Rubber stamps can be purchased, including different colored inks to create patterns, shapes and pictures onto your cards.
Embossing – Is used with metal templates to create a raised effect on the piece of metal. This can be done using stamps, patterns and shapes that are “embossed” into the metal to create these effects.
Quilling – Quilling involves rolling several layers of thin paper to create a great effects on your cards. The paper is wound around a quill to create a basic coil shape. The paper is glued at the tip and the coil shaped, these shaped coils are arranged to form flowers, leaves, and various ornamental patterns.
Punching – Using different sizes and designs of hole punch, you can create a few great textured holes that can be embellishments on your card making craft.
Iris Folding – Very similar to quilling as it involves layering different colored strips of paper to create spiral effects in your crafts.
Decoupage – includes using colored and printed paper that is glued to create effects. You could also use gold leafing techniques that come under the heading of decoupage. Decoupage is actually very simple. If you know how to cut and paste, you already have the basic techniques involved in decoupage. Basically, you cut out pictures; you glue the pictures onto an object like a card; and then cover the object and pictures with a few coats of glue/decoupage medium to protect it.
The techniques above are very simple to learn yet very effective when used in card making. You can purchase a great guidebook that will enable you to check over how each technique is executed. It will also give you easy instructions and inspiration for your imagination.
In terms of principles & outlook in life, that is, I guess, I am a strong willed person and that i am the type who “doesn’t go with the flow”. I have always been a believer of the paradigm that i don’t have to do a thing just because everybody is doing it. I value moral fiber and good sense of virtue.
Now that you have made the switch to recycle bags, it is time to put your efforts into action. The following tips are designed to help you make the switch from plastic to reusable bags.
When making the switch to recycle bags it is important to consider how many bags are needed. Obviously, larger families will need larger shopping bags and individuals who shop more frequently will not need as many recycle bags as someone who only goes to the store once or twice a month.
In general, it is a good idea to buy between five and eight reusable bags. Shoppers who find they need more recycle bags can simply purchase more as they determine their personal needs.
While it is the most obvious point of becoming a reusable bag shopper, it is also considered the hardest part. Many shoppers find themselves forgetting their recycle bags when they head to the store. At least one reusable bag retailer, ITYSE.com, has found a way to cut down on the forgetfulness by designing a fashionable purse that also serves as a carrier for the recycle bags.
For those green shoppers who don’t have an iTsYE, it is a good idea to return the recycle bags to a purse or vehicle so they are accessible for the next trip to the store.
Does a cantaloupe really need a bag? Making the switch to recycle bags also means being a responsible user of plastic bags in general. Most of us are accustomed to bagging all of the items in the produce aisle. However, there are several products such as bananas and vine tomatoes that don’t necessarily call for a plastic bag.
While the use of recycle bags is becoming increasingly popular, most courtesy clerks are not well versed when it comes to utilizing the bags. Before the cashier begins to ring up the day’s items, inform him or her that you prefer to use your mesh grocery bags. The cashier, in return, will either bag the items or communicate the desire to the courtesy clerk.
Encourage the courtesy clerk to utilize the recycle bags to their fullest potential. Tell the clerk the bags can hold more items than plastic bags and discourage the bagging of larger items altogether.
Chris Kodama founded Ityse with her business partner Shawna Pierson. Ityse sells stylish purses that each hold several mesh bags inside. The purses are designed to help people save the planet in style.
You are going camping! That is exciting. But with all of the things you need to bring, you are all confused and your idea of fun is slowly draining. How the hell are you going to start gathering up your camping gear. You personally need to ensure that you have all the basic camping gear in the right place before you start camping. Here are sure ways to help you round up your stuff to compose the best of your camping gear.
1) You may need extra camping gear more than you will ever know if you plan on camping for extended periods or if you are planning to camp outside of the cabin. Hence, you must plan your camping. If you are staying out in the wilderness instead of staying in a hikers’ cabin, then you have to carry a suitable tent, comfortable sleeping bags, or mosquito repellers. If you planning on staying longer, then there is a need for lighting batteries, more food supplies, or cooking equipments. It all depends on what you are planning to do on your trip. Have a list of activities to do alongside with the materials needed. Do not forget necessary items. As much as possible avoid the luxury ones. Do not bring things that you won’t be needing. The idea with outdoor travels is packing light for ease of travel.
2) Get information and discounts on the best camping gear from catalogues. Every now and then, camping gear manufacturers and stockers send out mags or flyers with festive sales, discounts, or special infos. So make the most out of it.
3) Go to the large shopping malls like Wal-Mart. They hold an array of basic camping gear available at a wide range of budget. They are also great for purchasing cheap but good enough camping gear (Just make sure to consider buying the more durable equipment, not just the good-for-one-use items, if you are a frequent camper).
4) Practical experience tells you that you can make your own camping gear. Gather up on some books or online tutorials and march to the do-it-yourself store. Most of the items you probably need are just lying around the house. This reduces your camping gear expenses at a fraction of the cost. Plus, doing activities like this adds in to the fun of camping.
5) Ask around among family and friends if they have the camping gear you need. There is always the practical benefit of mutual borrowing. Go ahead and buy one or two quality items that you can exchange. Just make sure that you do not cause damage to others’ invested equipment.
6) Before buying anything else, consider the best backpack you could ever get to hold in the rest of your camping gear. This is probable the one thing that you want to invest in. Buy a good quality bag with just the right size (style is not that necessary). You certainly don’t want myriads of mini bags or tied-to-rope items hanging around when you traveling outdoors. And trust me, you will know what and how much to put in right after you have a good idea of where to put it.
7) Check your food items. Consider taking in less by preferring dehydrated meals that are lightweight. When it comes to water, it is better to carry much as there may be no available safe drinking water around on the camp site. Bring very little sauces and seasonings like sugar and salt. You may not need jars and jars of them if you know what I mean.
8) Consider the time of the year you will be traveling. If you are going out on the summer months, then bring along light clothing. If you are going out on the cooler months, then pack heavier but warmer clothing. And you might be needing a quality rainwear regardless of the forecast.
9) Share your camping gear between hiking partners. Delegate who will bring what. This reduces the possibility of bringing more than you will need. You do not need too many flashlights do you? You get the idea.
So those are the tips. Escaping the great outdoors is exciting, and to consider carefully planning your basic camping gear can even get you a long way in having the best vacation ever.
When it comes to cards, there are plenty of patterns you can choose from. Card making has never been easier because the Internet is full of ideas on what you can do in your next card project. All throughout the year, you might be sending out Christmas cards more than birthday or thank-you cards. That is why it is important to think of ways to save on Christmas cards. There are a lot of simple and easy to follow instructions. You just need to search for them on the Internet, print them out and you’re all set to start your first card making project.
The easiest would be scribbling an image on the cover. You can use sparkly paint or glossy markers. Look for a nice card stock. For DIY cards, card stocks with unique edges are perfect and would be suitable for any kind of design. Look for sparkly fabric paint. Gold or silver would be perfect for Christmas designs. Take the pen and scribble a tree at the center of the card. Then put star stickers at the end of each row. You can also add a sticker that says a holiday greeting at the bottom of the tree. In just a few minutes, you have just completed your Christmas card.
Collages also look good on cards. You can use printouts or different textured paper for your images and then stickers for the caption. In the scrapbooking aisle, you will often find stickers on sale. You can cut the pieces that you don’t need and just use the parts that you want. A good example of a collage is a Christmas card with cut-out trees. Use a corrugated paper for the tree. Make a pattern of triangular shapes. You can also cut them in graduating sizes then cut the corrugated paper along the edges of the pattern.
Card making can be easy and fun. All you need are the essentials and a few embellishments. Even a simple sparkly marker could do the trick. Look at patterns than scribble the design using a marker. You can also add stickers to complete the look. Stars and other holiday images would be perfect. Collages would also be a great card making project. You can glue different images using different textured paper. For Christmas trees, corrugated paper would be the most suitable material. There is a variety of easy to follow instructions. All you need is some research and a few supplies.
Visit Paper Mill Direct to know more about Calendar 2011.
Materials and supplies you need to make different types of greeting cards; learn this and more in this free arts and crafts video taught by an expert. Expert: Heather McCanna Bio: Heather McCanna has been making cards for ten years. She teaches craft lessons to Elementary School children, and regularly volunteers arts-and-crafts time to a local high school. Filmmaker: Charles McCanna
When people find out I make cards they often comment that they couldn’t do that. They automatically assume every card I create is something I came up with but the truth of the matter is anyone can make cards and you don’t have to come up with the ideas yourself. The world is full of ideas and inspiration and lots of them for little or no cost. So where do I find ideas and inspiration?
I can remember when I first learned about rubber stamping and card making. I got some supplies and went to a gathering with a few friends who also enjoyed paper crafting. I sat down at the table with everyone, pulled out my supplies and then had no idea what to do next. I didn’t know what to make. I sat there thinking and thinking, getting more frustrated by the minute. Then I was let in on a little secret. Most card makers don’t just sit down and create cards from scratch. They begin with an inspiration piece. Quite often a card someone else made.
Online
Since you are probably online reading this article let’s start here. The online world is full of ideas for card makers. There are entire sites dedicated to galleries of card samples. Many card makers now write blogs as a place to share their creations. The companies that make and sell card making supplies often have galleries dedicated to cards made with their products. Many of the card making and paper crafting magazines also have online content. Some is what you would find in their regular paper publication while more often there are ideas and examples they couldn’t fit in the printed version. This leads me to the next place to find ideas.
Magazines
There are dozens of magazines currently in print dedicated solely to card making, paper crafting or paper arts. Check your local book store, craft & hobby store, or big box departments store and you’re sure to find plenty.
Stores
Many local paper crafting, card making, stamping or scrapbooking stores have projects on display that change with the season or when new products are released. You can even take your camera or camera phone into the store and snap a photo of any projects you like to refer to later when you sit down to create.
Think Outside the Box
While this idea may not appeal to beginners many experienced card makers look to nontraditional places for ideas and inspiration. Our world today is more saturated with advertisements and color than ever before. Look through any magazine at the ads, the layouts, the fonts and color combinations. See what colors and color combinations are popping up in local stores. What trends are hot in home fashions and interior decorating? Ideas and inspiration are everywhere. You could even be inspired by the front of a box of cereal. Just keep your eyes open and pay attention.
What’s most important to remember is that you don’t have to pull ideas from thin air. There are plenty of places to look for inspiration. Start with something and once you get going the ideas will flow. You’ll find yourself making small changes to the idea you began with and soon the creation will be your own. Now find an inspiration piece and get started.
Chris Twing is a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator located near Austin, TX. She teaches both in person and online classes that cover stamping, card making, scrapbooking and 3-D paper crafting. For more great card making ideas please visit http://bit.ly/bbrI81
To see more of her work please visit
Mini haul of Sizzix dies and a set of rubber stamps. I didn’t even know they sold rubber stamps. Great deals on the sizzix.com site. Shipping cost half as much as my total product. Saved over off original price of everything. Saving the rest of my scrapping pennies for CHA in Anaheim this weekend. Thanks for watching. Video Rating: 4 / 5
Great deals on the sizzix.com site. Shipping cost half as much as my total product. Saved over off original price of everything. Saving the rest of my scrapping pennies for CHA in Anaheim this weekend. Thanks for watching.