A Crafting Technique

This post is going to be a bit different. I’m sharing a tip of how to expand your supplies, so they work for you. Sometime in the past, before Covid, I had picked up a set of cards and envelopes from Avery, still in the unopened package, at the thrift store for I think $2.99. The package got put in with my photo paper and forgotten, until this week. I pulled it out and decided to use them instead of filing them away again. Holy Gamolie!  Each card was 8 ½” x 5 ½”. I do not make cards that large. But, even my non-math brain, said wait a minute. I can cut these in half and have 50 A2 size cards instead of 25 large ones. So that is what I did. They are now top folded but that’s okay.

         But then I looked at the envelopes. They were really good quality and just too nice to flip into the recycle bin. Luckily the flap was the rectangle type and not triangle. So, I turned them into A2 size envelopes. Here’s how.

1)   Cut the envelope so it is 5” wide.

2)  Score at 4 ½” (I like mine a bit wider if I’m making them myself.

3)   

Make a slit on the cut edge to the crease as shown and trim the opposite corner at an angle. This will reduce bulk.

                      

 4)  Fold along the crease line on what will be the front of the envelope. (No glue yet)

 

 5)  Place the envelope together and press the other side over (front of the envelope). This will ensure a strong crease and it will sit flush with the other side.

 

6)  Add a bit of your choice of glue to one flap and adhere.

                      

7)  Trim the envelope flap to match the other side.

8)  That’s it. This took me less than an hour, including figuring out how to do it and take the photos along the way…. But wait, there is more.

9)  I still had a stack of 25 very small potential envelopes. I just cannot throw things in the garbage or recycle bin unless I absolutely have to. I used the same process and made 25 small slim line cards. Then I simply made small slim line card bases and absolutely nothing was wasted. I don’t usually make slim line cards but I have 25 to make now.  I have a few made already actually – next post! Stay tuned!10

10) If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments and I'll be happy to answer them.

Cheers

Violet

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Technique to Try

 We are finally getting some spring like weather here in Ontario but the wind is keeping it chilly…..but just chilly, not cold.

Instead of posting a card today I’m posting examples of how to change flat images into a more interesting image. This is not a new technique and it has been around for years but some people may not have read about it if they are new to card making or scrapbooking.

 I’ve had this supply of pretty flowers, leaves, shells and butterflies along with a complete alphabet for years and years and seldom used them because they looked flat. When I’m making a card or finishing a scrapbook layout, I want instant embellishments and I do not want to stop to make one embellishment look better.

Here’s what I mean. This is what the original items looked like.

                               

They were all printed on pink or yellow or blue paper. But when you punched them out, they each had a border....and not even an even border.

 This is a close up of them.

 

Why print a blue clamshell on a pink background?

 So the only way to make them more interesting was to cut off that border. This did take a while as there were quite a few of each design but I just sat and got it done.

But they were still flat looking. So, darker ink was sponged along the edge and in the centre so they looked like this.

                                          

The ones on the bottom were what they looked like when the borders were cut off. The ones on top started out exactly like the two on the bottom but what a difference the ink made. Already looking better.

 The next thing I did was to give them each some dimension. You do this by turning the image over and run a sounded object like a stylus all around the image until he curls up. Then flip it over and push down in the centre. There are scads of old YouTube videos on how to do this. Like I said, it is anything but a new technique!

Once they are given dimension they look like this.

 

The one on the right is the original one cut out. The one on the left has been inked and given dimension. Ignore that centre though. It got a drop of water on it made the ink run….but it was an easy fix.  I took this sideways so you can see the lift the one on the left has. The original one is just completely flat.

 And here is the easy fix and the finished flower on the left and the original flower on the right.

 

 Hard to believe the one on the left started out like the one on the right but it did. Some flowers will get a fancy centre like this one; some will have the smaller die cuts added to the centre; and some will have pearls or gems. That I will a quick finish to the flower when I want to use them.

I did the same basic thing to the other images as well and you will see them in future projects. It was a couple of afternoons well spent - now that I have them finished!

This works for any flowers or butterflies that you stamp; colour and then cut out as well. Same procedure works. Some crafters on YouTube say to dampen the flowers first but it depends on the thickness of the paper. This paper was thin and dampening was a deterrent, not a help. 

That’s all for a warm Monday, May 9, 2022.

Cheers

Violet

PS: To save a card to your Pinterest account, simply hover over the image until the ‘Pin It” symbol appears and then click…it sometimes takes a few seconds. This will take you to your own Pinterest account to save the card.