POSTCARD NO.3

A very nautical take on this postcard. Of course to look at it you would just think it is a plain card and a great one for men, but no. This is a postcard which if you turned it over you would see that the reverse is printed ready for you to post off to the lucky recipient. See postcard image no. 1.
This card has utilised dies twine and some adhesive pearls to add interest.

TRAVEL CARD

Been on a trip or know someone who is going and need to make a card? What better example than this one Sharon has made.
The photo /slide lines are cut from a strip of printed acetate and a number of travel stickers we have in store have been placed under the acetate. It's finished off with the camera sticker. You could use stamps or die cut to achieve the same style card

Tania's clock step card

Tania has made this step card using Regal's pre-made card  base. By using browns and blacks this has given the card a masculine feel but if you used pastels for example, it would be a totally different look. The black triangle on the left has been embossed with a pattern that goes well with the background paper which is from the Ultimate Crafts Evening Cocktail 6 x 6 pad. She has used a nesting die to create the circles for both the back panel and the forward decoration. Not sure where the clock face image came from but maybe a stamp or from the Kaiser antiques sticker sheet.
 What can you do when you run out of room to fit the greeting? Now was the Best wishes deliberately stuck on that way or not? Either way it looks good and gives a quirky twist to the card! It's finished off with four sticker dots and borders for a very pleasing effect!

stacked ovals

Another offering from Heather. This card is made using a set of  nesting dies. She has used the entire set for this. The ovals are cut out of black card a contrasting card with some surprise images or greetings on each oval. Then a hole punched in the top. The bunch has been fixed together using a split pin and a piece of ribbon so as to allow he whole thing to swing. Finished off with a bit of bling, Kaiser adhesive pearls and a greeting sticker.

ALL-PURPOSE SIMPLE SQUARES CARD

SIMPLE SQUARES

How super simple is this card.  If you have hole punches it may be time to get them out of the cupboard and put them to good use.

Select four different paper (a great way to use up your scraps), and cut four large squares (punch them, die-cut or just use scissors!).  If you have a corner rounder punch, round off opposite corners.  If you don't then you can buy yourself one at Regal /Craft Cards or use a coin as a template and cut with scissors..

Cut out a square in another colour that is big enough to fit all four square with a bit of space between and around them, and stick the smaller squares in place, with the non-rounded corners in the corners of the backing square (see photo).  Mount the whole thing onto a square singlefold card from Regal Craft Cards

You can just stop there if you like, but if you want to add further detail you can either add an embellishment to the middle of the shapes or to one or all of the smaller squares.  In this example I've punched out two circles, added some holes and threaded some stranded embroidery cotton through.  You could use a button as an alternative.

One of the great things about this card design is how versatile it is - you can vary the colours, or emboss each square with a different pattern or paint them etc, and couple this with embellishments appropriate to literally any occasion from weddings to birthday, to Christmas.  A little tip though - unless you use a really "loud" embellishment, the paper is the star of this card, so don't skimp on quality.

POSTCARD GREETING CARD

It's sometimes hard to find traditional pictures to go onto "men's cards" but one source is postcards! 

Regal sell a range of Tasmanian postcards that feature scenery, fishing, trains etc as well as historic advertising that are perfect to add to your cards.

The first step in this card is to cut a large oval from thin blue card stuck to adhesive double sided Jac paper .

Peel of the backing and stick it to the front of the card.  Using removable tape, secure a smaller oval die in the middle of the blue one, and, with the card open, cut through all the layers on the front i.e. make a hole with a frame.

 The next step is to use this hole as a guide to stick some red paper/card to the inside panel.  Again, using removable tape, position a smaller oval die in the most appropriate place on a postcard.(Tassie people will probably recognise this picture of the West Coast Wilderness Railway).  Cut out your picture and stick it onto the red oval.  You can mount it on foam tape if you want for added dimension.

DOODLING WITH DIECUTS

ADD SOME PATTERNS TO YOUR DIECUT

I've used a Uniquely Creative die as the feature of this card, but any die with open spaces will do.
Cut out your feature from black cardstock (its often easier to do this after mounting it onto double-sided Jac paper or similar) and stick it onto a smooth plain singlefold card - Regal Craft Cards have a great variety of colours, but I've stuck with traditional and chosen  "white smooth" (PL2).
Grab a pen with a fine tip - I used a Zig Millenium pen (also from Regal) in .03 black, but you could use any colour or even mix it up a bit and use more than one.
After that just doodle a different pattern in each of the sections and your done. 
I wouldn't claim this as "Zentangle" but how about relaxing doodling for all ages?  Its quite fun to do, why not give it a go.

FATHER'S DAY TOOL BOX CARD

Following along from last week's Father's Day card is another example from Sharon.  She has used the same little die cut tools (Two different sets of dies are available in the Regal Craft Cards catalogue) mounted on strips of acetate to make this fun box card which would do equally well for Father's Day or a birthday. 

There are lots of templates on-line for box cards and you can change the size to fit whatever you would like to have popping out of them, and that is limited only by your imagination!

Sharon has covered the box with sticky-backed silver checkerplate paper, leaving gaps and adding split pins to give the impression of drawers.

The greeting sticker at the back is also available from Regal.

FATHER'S DAY CARD

FATHER'S DAY CARD

With Father's Day just around the corner, why not make a card for the occasion, or help your children/grandchildren make one for a special man in their life.  Sharon's card would fit the bill.

She covered a plain Regal singlefold card with decorateive papers.  The piece with the torn edge could be replaced with sandpaper or cork if you want to add more texture.

The die-cut tools are attached with little split pins.  Paper Roses tool dies and the split pins can both be ordered from Regal Craft Cards.  Just add some sticker letters to spell "DAD" and your done!

ELEPHANT COLLAGE CARD

ELEPHANT CARD

Marilyn has made a quick but effective card featuring an image cut from a piece of paper from the "Threatened" series by Fabscraps.

You don't need a lot of supplies to make this card, just a selection of co ordinated papers, some adhesive pearls, double-sided tape and some scissors.

We sometimes get a big fixated on die-cutting, special inks and suchlike, and its a good reminder that design is the major factor in any card!  Why not sit around and play with some scrap paper, and come up with some new ideas.

Oh, and of course, I should have mentioned that underneath the layers is a Regal Craft base card!

VINTAGE POSTCARD PYRAMAGE

PYRAMAGE USING VINTAGE POSTCARDS

Regal craft cards have lots of vintage postcards, and photoslot card bases too, so this takes a lot of the work out of making these cards.  Both examples use sets of nesting dies. 

Choose the focus of your cutting - in this example the baby's face, and the man and two children, and make sure that the smallest die (placed cutting side down) frames this area nicely.  Position the rest of the dies evenly around the smallest.  You can use as many dies as you like (and will fit) but three is about right for this size of postcard.

Use removable tape (or magnet) to keep the dies in place and run though your cutting machine with whatever stack you usually use for die-cutting.  Carefully remove the pieces.

Replace the pieces, using double sided foam tape or silicone glue to add increasing or decreasing height. The baby shows the pieces stacked up so that the face is the highest point, so the first (larges) die-cut went in with one piece of foam tape, the next was stuck in using two, and the third using three.  The man and children, was stacked the opposite way so that the design was inverted with the people in the centre at the lowest point, and the border dies getting progressively highter, so that you end up looking into the picture. 

Its hard to see the three dimensional characteristics of these cards from the picture, but have a play, you'll be pleased with the results, which are always quite effective (with not nearly as much work involves as there appears to be!)

COLLAGE CARD WITH ELEPHANTS

ELEPHANT COLLAGE CARD

Marilyn has chosen a "natural" theme for this collage card, featuring a picture cut from Fab Scraps paper, matted on red and then black card

She has selected brown and white buttons, woven cord, decorative ribbon,paper leaves and a real skeleton leaf, and then assembled them on a Regal Craft card base.

This card would be suitable for all sorts of occasions - everything from birthday to fathers day to bon voyage!

You may not have the specific materials used for this example (although most of them are available from Regal Craft Cards), but the general idea can be used more widely.  Find a picture you like from scrapbooking paper, or a sticker, a stamp, a diecut or whatever, and then rummage through your craft supplies and assemble a pile of products that suit the theme.  After that its just a matter of playing with all the elements until they come together on a way that makes you smile!

FOLD OVER CIRCLES

FOLD OVER CIRCLES

Not all that long ago, we used to make this type of card using a metal template, taped to paper and cut with a craft knife.  For people like me who are, at best "OK on a good day" with a knife it was best avoided.

Nowadays however, its easy - just arrange your nesting dies one inside the other at approximately equal distances apart - (use a magnetic sheet or a bit of removable tape to keep them in order if you want), on top of your A and C plates (in most die-cutting machines)

Next, line up the top cutting plate (the B plate in a Cuttlebug or Go Cut and Emboss) with a point half way along the nested dies, and run it through your machine.  Only the part of the circles covered with the top plate will cut, then just fold over every second semi-circle cut and that's it!

Double sided paper with a different paper underneath works well.  You can stick the circles down, although I prefer to leave them unattached to add dimension.  Of coursse,you don'e need to use circles at all - any nesting dies will work.  Mount the whole design on a Regal base card and there you are!  What used to take hours can be happily finished in under 10 minutes - the most time-consuming part is chosing the paper.

BIRTHDAY CARDS WITH MOTORBIKE STICKERS

StickerCollage

Marilyn (top card) and I have used different approaches but similar products to make these two cards, which each feature Sprarklelight motorbike stickers (available from Regal,

Marilyn has mounted the stickers on blue card backing, the words come from one of the Kaiser pads, and black adhesive pearls, silver sequin waste and a greeting sticker (coloured blue to Match) complete the card.

The second card uses a piece of lapis lazuli shimmer card from which stars in various sizes have been cut.  The panel has been mounted over silver glitter card, using foam tape to add dimension, and the stars have been outlined with a silver paint pen.  A small orange ribbon has been added to the corner (the complimentary colour to blue)to pick up the colour in the bike rider's hat.

Both card bases are, of course, from Regal Craft Cards

Die cut background

AUSTRALIANA DIES

SIMPLE CARDS WITH AUSTRALIAN DIES

Two very simple cards feature this week.  The first, with the die positioned on the inner panelbehind the oval cut-out has been made with the Ultimate Crafts "Small Grass Tree Tag" set which includes not only the grass but two oval nesting dies as well.

The second is also from the Australiana range and shows an example of how the Old Farm Card tag set can be used.  In this instance the set includes the wagon, a separate wheel, and two nesting tag dies.

At the time of writing, both die sets were available from Regal Craft Cards, which is where both the base cards were purchased.

TWO MEN ON A FENCE

MULTI-USE TWO MEN ON A FENCE CARD

This is sort of a five and a bit minute "wonder" - it certainly won't take too long to make.

All you need is a base card from Regal Craft Cards and the Paper Roses die (which can also be ordered from them), a little white ink and some paper.

I put down the lightest green paper first and then lay the straight edges of darker green at an angle each side just slightly over the top, and trimmed to the edge of the card.  That way you don't have to measure or cut neatly!  I fussy cut a hill from dark navy cardstock, and die cut the men, stuck them in place and then sponged in some white clouds.  Technically "sponged", I actually used my index finger which I find worked just fine!

That's it.  You could easily add a greeting if you wanted, either on the bottom edge or in the sky space, and you could send the card for just about any occasion - everything from birthdays to greetings from Tasmania, to Fathers' Day.  Add a heart in the middle (the gender of the folks on the fence is not clear) for Valentine's or engagement, or stick down a couple of bunnies in the paddock and a tiny egg or two for Easter.  There's lots you could do with this basic design.

POSTCARD SWING CARD

OPEN SWING CARD

SWING CARD FRONT

Regal make these lovely swing cards already cut, folded and ready to decorate, as well as the stickers, papers and even the postcard, so if you are looking for a quick to make card which has great impact, gather your supplies and have fun!

OVERLAPPING CENTRE FOLD CARD USING POSTCARD IMAGES

OVERLAPPING CENTRE FOLD CARD

Here's another idea using postcards available at Regal Craft Cards - this one featuring vintage jam labels.

Just construct a centre fold card.  This one has been made especially to fit the images. If you want to adapt the technique for other sizes its easy to make a centre fold card by removing half a panel on either side of a three panelled card).

After you've made your card base, cover it with whatever background paper you like (if you want to).  I've just used a plain dark blue for this example.

If you haven't made your card to fit the images you're using, then cut the images to fit the card - you'll need three, just large enough to cover the height of the card, allowing for a couple of millimetres in between.  Its not a bad idea to back the panels as they are probably a bit more likely to get bent than on a normal card.  In this case, I've just used the same white cardboard used for the base, leaving a little border all around.  This works doubly for this card as it covers the text on the back of the postcard.

Centre all three panels over the fold and tape the top and bottom ones to one side and the middle panel to the other and its done!  I've made it sound much more complicated that it actually is.  Its an effective and easy card form.

ANOTHER CARD FEATURING A POSTCARD - SUITABLE FOR FATHER'S DAY

CHEERFUL SAILOR CARD

This cheerful card was made by Marilyn using a postcard available from Regal Craft, placed on a white single fold card, decorated with patterned paper.

She has trimmed the picture, and matted it on a dark blue border, and added a similarly matted sticker (once again from Regal).

Marilyn has embellished the card with an anchor charn "tied" with twine to the greeting, and added a couple of split pins to finish.

Father's Day might be on Sunday, but you'll still have time to finish this card if you start right now!  Otherwise its a good one to have in the cupboard as its suitable for both sexes and all sorts of occasions!

VELLUM PEEK-A-BOO CARD

VELLUM PEEK-A-BOO CARD

INSIDE THE CARD

We're having a bit of a "masculine" card-fest at the moment, and here's another.

A piece of decorative paper is stuck to the front of a singlefold white Regal Craft card, and a sticker is placed on top (I've used a
Sparklelight sticker from Regal SLS2009).

Cut vellum large enough to wrap around the card (i.e. the same height as the unfolded card, and every so slightly wider) and fold it in half.

Slip it over the card and mark (in soft pencil) the corders of the sticker, then remove, and either use a punch upside down or tape on a square die to cut out a window in the vellum.  (You can also use a craft knife).  Put a small piece of double sided tape just over the fold on the back of the white card, and carefully place the vellum over the top.  (You might want to do a test run first to make sure the window is in the right place).

Double sided tape can be seen through the vellum so you can either put it on carefully and leave it "as is" or add a border sticker or strip of paper over the top.  (If it really worries you, you can always sew the two layers together - three or 5 holes and some decorative thread are probably best as vellum tends to perforate with sewing machined lines)

Add a charm and greeting on the outside, and a different sticker and a paper border (matching the front of the card) to the inside and you're done.

In reality the patterned paper can be seen more clearly under the vellum on the front of the card, and the contrast between the shine of the sticker and the matte finish of the overlay is quite pronounced