Handmade cards are a surefire way to brighten someone’s day—whether that day is a special occasion like a birthday, anniversary, graduation, holiday or just another ordinary day. Those of us who make our own cards are in on the big secret that making the cards can be every bit as fun and satisfying as receiving them! Today we’re sharing a few cardmaking tricks that can help you create cards for all occasions. The artwork examples we’re using to illustrate these tricks come from our It’s the Little Things Cardmaking workshop, featuring papers embellishments and stamps from this fun and versatile collection!
One thing that these examples will prove is that using products designed specifically for cardmaking can really simplify the creative process! These products are tailor made to provide popular sentiments and are sized perfectly for incorporating into standard card sizes. The It’s the Little Things collection features an incredible 6″ x 6″ paper packet, but the true cardmaking stars are the coordinating stickers, stamp set, and embellishments all designed especially for cardmaking!
Let’s start with patterned papers. These are a cardmaker’s best friend as they can really cut down on the design work that goes into a given card. Whether working with standard 12″ x 12″ papers or the 6″ x 6″ size, a collection of coordinating patterned papers allows you to choose out two or three favorite designs that you’d like to use and let them do the heavy lifting. A large piece of patterned paper does a great job of creating an appealing and eye-catching background for your card, which you can then accent with smaller pieces of coordinating accent papers.
In other instances, you can give two patterns that work well together more or less equal billing. This technique can be used to set up great visual contrast on your card, as in this breathtaking congratulations card, where the white background of the top paper is perfectly balanced by the black background of the bottom paper:
Building up from there, you have a wide variety of ways to top off your card with accents and sentiments. For accents, the It’s the Little Things collection features stickers and embellishments that will bring a smile to any card lover’s face. The cardmaking embellishments pack includes both black die-cuts and white acrylic shapes with options both for accent pieces and sentiments! Take a look at these examples to see these elements used to full effect!
We also love the die-cuts in this collection that are sized to fill up a card, taking the role of sentiment and card design all in one, minimizing the need for any further embellishment!
We also don’t want to leave out the fun sticker sheets that provide more colorful embellishment and sentiment options! Because the stickers are designed to work together with the paper collection, getting a harmonious card design is practically guaranteed!
Finally, when it comes to adding sentiments to our cards, stamping is of course one method that we are especially partial to. A great stamp image lends itself to repeated use, which is what makes stamping a great fit for card sentiments. Different designs can help lend a unique feel to even the most common sentiments! Tailor your sentiment design to the occasion and the tone of the card to strike just the right feeling!
The best cardmaking stamp sets feature interchangeable sentiments. This makes it possible for you to make a batch of cards ahead of time and leave the sentiment area blank. Then, when you’ve got a card giving occasion, you have a few different sentiments you can choose from to match the occasion!
The next time you’ve got a card giving occasion, remember just how easy it can be to make a meaningful gesture with a handmade card when you’re working with the right tools! Let us know in the comments which of the cards above you would be happiest to see in your mailbox, and then put your creativity to work making a card of your own to brighten someone’s day!
