Great Greeting Cards For All Occasions

You've gotten a wonderful hand-made card, so you know that someone cares enough to take time for you. Looking at it, you wish that you could do something like that for them, as well, but you have no idea of where or how to begin. Not only that, but you perhaps don't feel that you are artistic, crafty or possess any talent for that sort of thing. Wrong! Creating great-looking cards, even on a budget are not difficult.

One of the best ways to begin, is with a good sturdy 20lb. card-stock. This comes in all colors, so it's up to you which you use. Anyone who does not feel artistic or creative, can use a little something called, "Rubber Stamps". These are wonderful designs cut into rubber and mounted on either acrylic or wood blocks. You can also buy unmounted stamps and mount them yourself. Some come in sets that can be mounted on acrylic blocks, removed and used again and again. They are stored on a sheet and require a special adhesive after a period of reuse. In the long run, I find these more expensive than the pre-mounted stamps because there is the cost of the stamp set, itself, the separately sold acrylic block and the adhesive you will have to eventually buy. You don't have this with the single-priced, pre-mounted stamps.

Rubber Stamps come with all sort of designs and pictures in just about every subject imaginable. From a golf ball to an entire ocean or wood scene, you can find these. You can use one with a scene by itself or buy numerous trees, flowers, animals and wildlife stamps and combine them to make a scene. There are also background stamps for adding a little class to the basic card.

If you want to make bookmark cards or a keepsake card, I suggest using archival papers, tape, glue, pens, pencils and inks. These are not much more expensive, but if you put all of that work into a card; the recipient will most likely want to keep it and an old yellowed card that is falling apart is not much of a keepsake. Archival cards will last a long long time so that your recipient can scrapbook or even frame them.

Whether you have one rubber stamp or 1000 is irrelevant to making an inexpensive, yet expensive looking card. One stamp can go pretty far depending on what you add to the card, the colors you use, the cutouts or accept papers, ribbons, beads, etc.

Stamping inks come in pigment form, which often requires an embossing gun, ( a heat tool that is hotter than a regular hair dryer and sets the pigment so that it does not smear; or dye-based which can be stamped right onto the paper. There is a plethora of colors to choose from. These range in price from 5.00 to30 or more,

depending on the size and type of ink pad you are getting. If you're on a budget, like me, you can always stamp in black or brown for a more antique look.

You can buy all sorts of paper punches in all designs and punch out various things like bells, doves, trees, etc., for confetti or larger ones for use in the design of the card.

Decorative-edged scissors are available in many beautiful edge designs. You can edge the card, ribbon, anything that is going on the card, including the flap of the envelope, (just don't cut off all of the glue that will seal the envelope.)

There are also many types of glitter that you can get to stamp and emboss designs. Just stamp the image using a good pigment ink and sprinkle the glitter on. Working quickly, heat the glitter, following the instructions that come with the embosser, usually until the glitter begins to slightly change it's look. You will be surprised at how expensive a card can look with a little glitter. You can also buy embossing calligraphy pens for a nicely embossed message or greeting. You can also use the glitter with these pens.

You can also purchase a stylus and any number of embossing templates to press or emboss a design into the card stock. You simply trace around the design on the template with a stylus. It raises the design onto the card.

Start with a blank piece of card-stock or a blank card. If card-stock, you will want to decide what size of card you want, and whether you want it to open as a book (side) fold or a top fold. Cut it to that size and use a "bone-folder" to score and fold the card in half.

One of the easiest ways to make an expensive-looking card is to use background stamps or decorative mulberry paper or other decorative papers.

If using a background stamp, stamp a light colored ink on the front of the card either covering the whole card front or stamp the images randomly and equally spaced.

If using a decorative paper, I always cut it a half inch or more smaller than the card front. (Here's where the expensive-look gets tricky.) You will want to use a glue or tape that will not warp the paper or make it pucker as it dries. Too many gues do this, so it's best to use a double-sided, archival type of tape to adhere this piece of paper. Place the tape around each edge, as close to the edge as possible and carefully place it on the card, making sure to smooth as you adhere.

Now that you have your background, you can either use a punched cut-out or a stamped image that has been cut out with an exacto knife all of the way around it, to add an image or decoration to the card background. You can also use dried leaves, feathers, or anything you want to add to the card. If you use anything natural, you might want to use a non-toxic spray lacquer to lightly coat the leaves or flowers so that they last. You can also buy archival type laminate and press them between it to preserve them.

Use either double-sided tape, or foam mounting tape to secure the image to the card.

You can also buy letters and sayings in various sets with which to add a greeting or message to the card. Stamping two of the same image, using one as a background image of a different color and placing the other over it with foam mounting tape, gives a great dimensional look to the image. You can even use two different sizes of the same image, as many stamp images come in more than one size. Placing the smaller image over the larger one will give you a shadowed effect.

I don't believe that it's cheap or tacky looking to print designs off of the computer to use on cards. In fact, there are hundreds of thousands of images that are available and free to download. (If you do download images, please make sure that the site you get them from permits you to use their art or clip-art images. These sites will usually state whether you can use them or if here is a fee for their use.

This is great especially since you can download more than one of the same image and print it onto different colored card stock or even photographic papers. You cane use them as main images on your card or backgrounds for your own drawing or your favorite rubber-stamped design.

If you are a bit more creative and there is still a bit of a kid in you, you can also buy archival colored pencil sets for around $3-5.00 a set and stamp an image to color.

I love to use ribbon on my cards as frames for the design or you can get a wider piece and use it as a binding for the back spine of he card.

If you are on a budget and not making a keepsake card, you can use a number of papers and objects around the house and yard to make a great-looking card as well. Tissue papers from gifts you've received, especially the decorative types are great for backgrounds. Laminate leaves, grasses, small flowers, feathers, etc., for using on the front of the card. Pieces of ribbon, burlap, old scarves, etc., can also make a beautiful card, it's all in the placement and design that you use. If you want to use glitter, buy some small tipped bottles to apply the glue before sprinkling on the glitter. The effect will be slightly raised, but the thin line of glue will not pucker the paper.

Photographs always make a great card and there are cards available that have frames on eh front. You can place the photo inside of the front of the card. It's simple and with gold-leaf or a gold pen, edging it, it can look quite elegant.

Another trick is to punch out a design shape in the front of the card with a larger punch and place the photo behind that or colored papers for a striking silhouette effect.

Finally, if you want to make a really elegant card, you can buy gold-leafing or just a gold calligraphy type pen and using a ruler, trace around the edge of the card front. You would be surprised at how elegant this makes a home-made card appear.

Go ahead, jump out of that box and explore. I guarantee that the recipient of your card will feel very special and you will have experienced a wonderful, healthy, natural-high away from the daily grind!

Arts and Crafts For Kids

Speaking as a Great Aunt of 6 super little ones, I know the value and the joy of crafting with children whenever they visit.  Their eyes light up at the mention of making something nice for Mom, Dad or just themselves.  I can feel the energy boiling up to the surface of their adorable little faces as eyes beam brightly at the "Crayola" supplies.  

My personal preference is "Crayola".  They've different size crayons, pencils and stampers for small or larger hands.  They're washable!  "Crayola has an almost endless supply of Pencils, Pens, Stampers, paint pens, clay, coloring markers and even glitter-pens.  What kid doesn't love popping the cap on a nice fat marker or glitter-pen?  Especially when they can create a paper bracelet, bookmark or card.

"Crayola" markers are perfect for coloring on Rubber Stamps because it washes off easily with a simple baby wipe.  I prefer "Wet Ones" or "Pampers".  Both clean off Stamping ink and the "Crayola" markers and leave a color-free rubber stamp to use again.  They are not harmful to the rubber or wood and are a quick way to clean and re-stamp in another color.

Every good art project requires Pencils, Safety Scissors, washable glue and Construction paper; are all essential.  I especially prefer washable glues and paints with younger children, but if you have to use another type of glue, make sure that you know exactly how to remove it. 

Another, newer essential in my crafting cabinet is "Fun Foam". Fun Foam requires a special type of glue and it comes in a washable brand.  Hot glue will work work with it, too but make sure that the child is old enough to work with a glue gun and that he or she is very careful.  The smaller glue guns don't get quite as hot, so older children can learn fairly comfortably, to work with these, but always make sure that they are supervised. 

Either paper, card-stock or foam can be used for making cards, bookmarks, drawing or coloring, making paper chains, necklaces, even cut into strips and woven into baskets that can then be Rubber Stamped and colored.  I always enjoy the ideas that kids come up with when they are working with a large variety of craft supplies.

Beads are always great for the older kids and either plastic lariat or good old cotton string is perfect for stringing beads.  Every little girl likes beads and boys like them to. It's easy to get them both creating a beautiful beaded necklace for Mom for her birthday or Mother's Day.

Another great tool for jewelry is cereal.  Kids can string "Fruit Loops" or "Cheerios" on licorice string and have a healthy, fun snack later.  Around the holidays, there are many great "gingerbread house kits" on the market.  Cookie crafting is a fantastic way to get children interested in crafts and baking, too.

For "Fun Foam" crafting, I like to keep wood craft sticks, aka, tongue depressors or Popsicle sticks around so the kids can spread the glue with them.  These come in two sizes and various colors and are inexpensive.  It's keeps hands clean and the furniture, too. 

"Foam bookmarks, cards, hats and jewelry are popular with kids.  There are even kits for creating and building bird houses, Halloween and Christmas decorations and bags and Foam ornaments.

Fancy ribbon of all types is an incredible crafting tool and girls love making their own hair decorations.  Ribbon can also be added to paper or Foam to make wonderful bookmarks and cards. I also keep lots of colored and textured yarn around for adding beads and making string bookmarks. Adding beads to each end of a ribbon makes a wonderful ribbon bookmark and ribbon makes a great necklace on which to hang a pendant.

Paper bags are great to decorate with Foam or rubber stamps.  Punch holes add thread through the ribbon, decorative rope knotting it inside of the bag for handles.  Kids love making a beautiful gift bag after they've made Mom or Dad a gift.  It completes the gift and makes them feel like they've really done something very special.  But it costs very little.

Old Computer disks or Cd's which are no longer functional can be used to make Mom or Dad a set of coasters.  I keep sheets of felt and cork for putting on either side of the Cd's.  The felt on the back and the cork, a bit smaller on the front so that some of the shiny part still shows. 

You can also cut Cd's apart into little shapes and kids can make clay ornaments or cups with these pressed into them.  "Crayola" also makes a wonderful clay.  They make wonderful mirrored ornaments for a Christmas tree!

Paper punches come in all shapes and sizes and are great for creating collages with the punched shapes.  Kids really love punching out designs and making their own Confetti. 

Tissue paper can be used to make great flowers.  Fold 8-9 sheets together like an accordion, tie it with thread in the center and then slowly pull apart the individual sheets all the way around.  For a variation, trim the edges with decorative scissors to make other flowers like tulips and peonies.  These paper flowers can then be mounted on sticks with glue or tied together to make a bouquet.  And kids love easy origami projects like airplanes and boxes.  If origami paper is too expensive for your budget, Save old decorative tissue papers that come in gifts that you get for these projects.

Safety with kids projects is always a major consideration.  I have a number of favorite products that I use.  Safety scissors come in various colors, either metal or plastic.  Decorative scissors also can be bought with blunt ends for safety and usually are plastic coated for protection.  I keep washable, non-toxic glues around for paper, foam and material.  "Elmer's" is one of the best and there are several brands of Non-Toxic Fun Foam glue.  I like moistened wipes for a number of uses, but my favorites and the most useful I have found so far are those listed above.  I also keep "Lysol Wipes" around as they are good at getting up spilled glue, crayons, markers and inks.  I like the "Mr Clean Sponges" especially because they easily remove various rubber stamp inks easily from most counter tops, but always check before you use any cleaner on surfaces.  If you have to use glues that create fumes; make sure that the crafting area is well-ventilated.

There are many down loadable coloring and craft items that are on the web.  Kids can download bookmarks, coasters, cards, door hangers, or just coloring pages.  And don't forget the library.  You can find hundreds of books with craft ideas and patterns for copying and tracing.

Lastly, the most important thing for any kids art project is a good anti-biotic product and bandages.  Kids do get paper cuts and even with the safest scissors, accidents do happen.

As you work with kids and these tools, you will not only become more creative as an individual, but I guarantee that you are going to learn a lot about creativity from the kids!  Here's wishing you and the children in your life safe and happy crafting!

Copyright, 2007, M.L. Kiser