FIVE MINUTE BIRDS AND LEAVES

SUPER QUICK ALL-OCCASION CARD

Just to prove I do make cards occasionally..........
This is a five minute wonder.

The birds are made with a Martha Stewart layering punch, and the leaves have been cut using a Couture Creations die.  The same sort of design could be constructed with a number of different dies/punches.  The front of the card is shortened and the back panel bordered with strips of the colours used on the front.  I've just used plain papers.

The card is Regal's Kraft brown square singlefold.

The longest time needed is to get the strips on the back lined up straight but if you are organised this will literally take a couple of minutes to complete.

STICKERS ARE QUICK FOR CHRISTMAS

CHRISTMAS ANGELS

When you are running out of time, stickers come into their own as card toppers.  These Sparklelight angels from Regal are a little different to the usual Christmas offerings.  The sticker was made to look a little more formal by mounting it on layers of card. The colours chosen were found in the stickers

The embossing folder came with the Cuttlebug and the die used to cut the vine is from Couture Creations .  Basically it was a matter of adding what was at hand!! Oh yes, and some little rhinestones too, because you can never have too much sparkle (?!)

LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS TREE CARD

LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS TREE CARD

Just one card today - made by Janet and perfect for the last-minute card maker.  She has cut branches from one of the Kaiser Basecoat papers and decorated them with a little Snowtex and pearls.  The star is punched from shimmer paper and the trunk from plain brown.

The card base is a "Natural" singlefold from Regal craft cards..

There's still a week to go before Christmas so don't give up on the idea of handmade cards - there's still time if you start RIGHT NOW!!

SUPER QUICK CHRISTMAS CARD

LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS CARD

OK, time is moving on and if you haven't started your Christmas cards yet, something quick is best.

Tania has used a Sparklelight card from Regal as the base and added strips of paper, hole punched leaves. stickers and red rhinestones.

All in all, once you've assembled the materials you should be able to complete this in five to ten minutes!!

THREE MORE CARDS FOR CHRISTMAS

THREE MORE CARDS FOR CHIRSTMAS

Here are the last of the cards I'll be including from Marilyn's demo.  All three use Regal cards as their base.

The ornaments on the first card have been fussy cut from Kaiser paper and mounted on punched squares.  Some have been raised with mounting tape to add dimension.

The middle card is gold with three pockets made with decorative papers fixed with doublesided tape.  The words have been cut from patterned paper and baker's twine used in the holes.

The last card is a green triangle tree, decorated with peel off stickers, with a split pin star on the top, and presents cut with a Martha Stewart "gifts" border punch from shimmer paper at the bottom  five minutes work but with a lot more impact!!

CHRISTMAS STAR CARD

If you get started now its not too late to make a card or two like this before Christmas.  Tania has used Kaiser papers and rhinestones, a die-cut star from Regal and some peel off stickers to great effect here.

The base is a Regal square white textured card.

FRIDAY UPDATE

We've had our last demo for the year, but we're already planning ahead for next year.  If you have any good ideas for classes or demos we'd love to hear them.  We have our little schedule cards out for 2014 (yes I know, its unprecedented!!)   The February demo will be on Monday 10th.  More details soon.  The first class will be on Tuesday 04th February and it will have a "tea party" theme (sorry cards only, no real cakes), but will look at the techniques of paper piecing, iris folding and covering a shaped card.  The demos as usual are free, and the cost of the class (maximum 10 participants) is $20.00 which included all materials (except the usual kit of pencil, double sided tape etc).  If you're extra keen you can book (with payment) now.  The class for March will be Storybook cards (essentially making a little mini scrapbook) with Janet and I'll let you know the date soon.

For now though coping with the demands of Christmas is pretty much a priority.  If you still need to make cards have a look at the selection on the blog or pop into the shop and hopefully we'll be able to help with some last-minute card making ideas.

 As usual, there will be some new weekly specials to look at over at the Regal Craft Cards website tomorrow, including the ever-popular white textured square cards at a really terrific price.

I'll be posting some of Marty's cards from the recent demo during the next few weeks, too so check back each week for new card ideas.

THREE QUICK CARDS FOR CHRISTMAS

Three Quick Cards for Christmas

PARCHMENT CRAFT CHRISTMAS CARD

PARCHMENT CRAFT CHRISTMAS CARD

Jane Ash made this beautiful parchment craft card, using a pattern from the Christmas Treasures book.  Jane is one of Regal's mail order customers from WA so it was lovely to see her in person when she visited the shop last week.

Wouldn't it be amazing to get this for Christmas!!

(Parchment paper, tool and the book are all available on the Regal website.)

SECRET GARDEN COLLAGE CARD

SECRET GARDEN COLLAGE CARD

Tania has used a square card from Regal Craft Cards as the base for her beautiful collage, based on the Graphic45 Secret Garden Range of Papers.

The lace has been punched, and the components "fussy cut". The backing cardstock has been lightly inked around the edges to add dimension.

This really pretty card illustrates how important assembling various elements is to the success of the final product.  There aren't a lot of itmes used to make this card - just a lot of imagination.
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Thanks to Tania for sharing!!

CHRISTMAS CARDS IN NON-TRADITIONAL COLOURS

THREE CHRISTMAS CARD IDEAS IS NON-TRADITIONAL COLOURS

Three more cards from Marilyn this week - and some good ideas if you want to do something a little different from the usual red, green and gold.

The first card features hole punched squares in shades of blue, with a diecut silver tree decorated with blue rhinestones.  All the materials are available at Regal.

The second card combines pink Kaiser sparklets with border stickers on a standard white textured card - simple but effective.

The third card is equally quick to make - a picture placed behind an arch window card from Regal with the addition of blue lace "curtains".

CHRISTMAS TREE EASEL CARD

CHRISTMAS TREE EASEL CARD

Roma Bunyard made this card as part of the Easel Cards class she taught at Regal earlier on in the year.  It combines the clever use of die-cut shapes with one of Regal's gold foil Christmas trees, used as a backing for a tree picture.  Roma has finished off with just the right amount of "bling" to produce a really memorable, but achievable Christmas Card

CHRISTMAS IDEAS FOR DL CARDS

IDEAS FOR DL CHRISTMAS CARDS

Here are some more ideas from Marilyn's October Christmas Card demo.

The first two cards show a different way to present Sparklelight 3d die cuts (available from Regal Craft Cards).  The wreath and Santa are incorporated into the overall concept of the design.

The patterned papers are from Kaiser.  The panels on the door are backed on plain black paper and mounted with foam tape to add additional dimension.

Similarly the panels on the third card are made by cutting the image into four and mounting it onto forest green so that you seem to be viewing the scene out a window.  Santa's foot in the middle card has been tucked under the patterned paper to give the impression he is climbing out of the chimney.

All the base cards are white textured or white smooth DL cards available from Regal Craft Cards.

CHRISTMAS CARD WITH THREE BAUBLES

DETAIL

A Tuesday bonus......Marlene Exton brought his beautiful card into the shop and has been kind enough to allow me to share it with you.

Marlene has layered circles back to back for the bauble, added some adhesive leaves andcoloured some metallic trim with red permanent markers to add a little shine.  She has added detail with her sewing machine, and finished the project with a rub-on greeting.

The base card is a "Natural" square from Regal Craft Cards.

THREE BAUBLES

QUICK CALENDAR IDEAS

TWO QUICK CALENDAR IDEAS

These Regal Calendars are a great idea for Christmas gifts - what else can you get now days for under $2.00?!!

They have slots to fit a 6 x 4 photo or craft creation and a gold foiled border.

We've just popped a postcard in one and made up a 3d for the other.  How easy is that!!!

CHRISTMAS CARDS

AND NOW...BACK TO TRADITION

Marilyn made these traditional cards as part of the Christmas Card demonstration she did for Regal Craft Cards back in October.  All of them are based on Regal craft cards - from left to right the large square cut out, white textured DL and forest green square.  She has used some of this year's Kaiser papers for decoration.

Note especially how Marilyn has filled the aperture of the square cut-out card with diagonal rows of folded paper - super simple but very effective.  Also how a sense of life and movement has been added to the other two cards by placing the elements at an angle, rather than straight.  The blog will be featuring more of Marilyn's cards in the weeks coming up to Christmas, and as I mentioned before I'll be posting on both Wednesday and Friday until Christmas!!

SPARKLELIGHT CHRISTMAS CARD

SPEEDY SPARKLELIGHT CARD

Its time to be thinking about making Christmas cards.  There is a happy medium to be found here.....cards with a definite handmade look without too much time to construct is ideal.

Here is one example.  The Sparklelight backing card (from Regal) already has finely etched detail and a solid silver square for decoration.

The feature panel has been made by cutting a Sparklelight topper into pieces and backing each with white card. The first layer is placed at an angle to the solid square.  The top layer is straight and secured with some double sided foam tape to add a little height.

Its not quite a five minute card but shouldn't take more than about ten minutes to complete if you have all your supplies at the ready.

Unfortunately the picture doesn't do justice to the shine and shimmer or the Sparklelight products,

BOX ZIG ZAG CHRISTMAS CARD.

FRONT OF CARD

Tania has shown her usual attention to detail in decorating this box zig zag card (available from Regal Craft Cards) with some pretty Kaiser Christmas papers.  She has cut a simple Christmas tree to match the colour of the base card and added further decoration with peel off stickers, rhinestones, and a bow.

INSIDE

CALENDARS AND CHRISTMAS CARDS

CHRISTMAS CARD WITH MOTIF

FUSSY CUT CALENDAR

DL CALENDAR CARD

Lynne Armstrong has made some lovely Christmas cards and calendars.

Apart from the clever use of patterned papers (mainly from Imaginisce), and Regal calendars there are two other very good ideas.

The first is the pretty motif - made from pleated paper and topped with quilled petals and a rhinestone.  The second is the clever way Lynne has scored and folded the calendars so they will fold flat for posting, but sit upright and stable for display.

CALENDAR - SIDE VIEW

BURGUNDY FAN CARD

FAN CARD WITH ROSES

Lorraine has a real talent for producing elegant cards and this is no exception.  She has used a base from Regal for the main body of the fan, but has decorated the edge with "Cuttlebugged" burgundy card, edged with a lacy sticker.

At the bottom she has cleverly used one of the push-outs from the Regal fan aperture cards, inked the edged and decorated it with some hand-rolled roses with gold and white leaves.

White satin ribbons complete the project.

TWISTED EASEL

TWISTED EASEL

Roma has used a Regal three panel square card as the base for this twisted easel card.

There has been a great deal of attention to detail gone into this elegant example.

The main panels are patterned black/grey papers matted with red.  A narrow silver sticker surrounds both panels.

The heart pattern on the easel is adorned with pearl hearts.  The greeting is a topper mounted onto red and white oval matting and adorned with a rhinestone set into a silver split pin. The whole unit has been mounted with double sided foam tape for dimension.  A double tied bow completes the panel.

The base features a double mated triangle lifted with foam tape between the first and second layers.  The greeting is a heat-embossed stamp and a sparkly heart diecut has been added as an accent.  Hidden underneath the front panel is an additional pearl heart.

Whilst this card appears deceptively simple, card makers will appreciate each of these special touches.  This is not a five minute card but the results speak for themselves.

SPARKLELIGHT 3DS AND DOILEY CARDS

Sparklelight and Doileys

Betty Hipworth made these lovely cards using Sparklelight 3D sheets from Regal Craft Cards, and was kind enough to allow me to share her work with you.

She has taken the time to remove all the "loose bits" from the pre-made doileys and the result, as you can see, is really worth the extra efffort involved.

Betty made the card bases from Bazzill cardstock and has finished her work with peel off corners, borders and stickers.

TISSUE BOX HOUSE

PAPERCRAFT TISSUE BOX

We still sell these cardboard tissue box blanks at Regal.  They came about when (for those of us who can remember), everyone was padding picture frames, photo albums and all sorts of other things with wadding and then covering them in calico and lace.

I kind of have the feeling that its only a matter of time before that comes back into fashion again BUT in the meantime.........if you use masking tape instead of stitching to secure the base pieces together, there's lots of fun to be had decorating the house blanks with scrapbooking paper and diecuts.

It can still function as a tissue box cover, as you can see from the photo above, but would look cute up on a shelf just as decoration for its own sake.  It would also be a good project for older kids on holidays.  (I know I'm a bit late in this regard, but its not too early to start planning for the long hols ahead at Christmas!!)
The boxes are not on the website but if you come into the shop (or ask Vanessa on-line) we can find them for you - I think they are only about $3.00 each.

Just a note too re: Regals weekly special - this week there are small square white textured cards, horizontal folds with butterfly cut outs and a choice of three different inserts!!  I've just been on holidays and come back to find the Kaiser October release (which includes another set of Christmas papers) and some new Sparklelight 3Ds, amongst other things.

We have our next demo, which features Marilyn Donald showing lots of quick and easy Christmas Cards on October 24th.  There are still some vacancies for the Parchment Craft Class on November 01.  Please get in touch soon, if you are interested in attending.

MONOCHROMATIC HEART CARD

MONOCHROMATIC COLLAGE HEART

This card by Tania is a perfect illustration of why you don't always have to use a huge palette of colour to achieve a striking result.

Tania taught a "Collage Cards" class earlier on in the year at Regal, and this is a great example.  She has used papers (Kaiser), ribbons, lace, a pearl, a paper flower, chipboard shapes and ink to achieve this result.

If you are stuck for inspiration, why not put together a group of single coloured bits and pieces from your craft box and see if you can assemble them into a memorable card.

If your work ends up a masterpiece, why not scan it and then you can print out copies to use as card toppers in the future.

TINY EASEL GIFT CARD

TINY EASEL GIFT CARD

Roma has used her dies to cut a folded flower base card and then added a front easel panel in the same shape to make this cute gift card.

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Roma recently taught an easel card class at Regal, and this was one of her examples.

 Bigger is not always better, and this little card is very sweet.  It could even sit  open on top of a flat wrapped gift instead of a bow or rosette.