Have a go at making cards!

I love making cards!  Christmas is a wonderful time for me and I've already got my cards made for this year but I was asked to lead a small group at our local Trefoil Guild so that they too could have a go.  I decided that I would make some cards using minimum of specialised kit and a maximum of stuff that people might have already.  

Surround the aperture with double sided tape

I explained about dividing A4 card (I suggest using 200gsm to 300gsm for those who like to know these things) but for aperture cards it's easier to buy blanks.  Anyway, here are my notes for my first couple of cards.  

Open the card out and on the inside frame the shape with double sided sticky tape.    Lay your first ribbon or piece of lace across the card making sure it sticks to the tape at both ends.  Carry on laying pieces of ribbon working out from the middle.  It's OK to overlap but NO GAPS!  When you have covered all the aperture turn the card over to admire your work.

Now put a row of double sided tape all around the middle section of the card but before you peel off the tape backing check which way the card will need to be folded.  When you are sure, peel off the tape back and stick the card together.  (I realise I have laboured this point but I have come to grief before today!)  As you can see the lace which I put in first is top of the heap.

If you are an accomplished card maker chances are you have stamps or dies or some other clever way of adding a greeting.  Maybe you have wonderful handwriting.  For lesser mortals like myself peel offs are a wonderful invention and usually cost well under £1 per sheet.  They can be stuck over blemishes and as far as I am concerned that makes them brilliant value.  The easiest way to apply a peel off greeting is to lift it from the sheet using a piece of masking tape from which most of the tackiness has been removed by sticking it to your arm or tee shirt.  Press it firmly to the greeting and lift carefully.  Still on the tape put it carefully on to the card and then peel away the tape.  I've added a few stars (without using tape) to cover the marks on my card.  

This is a variation on the same technique.  This blank is from my stash and is very shiny.  Here I have backed the leaves with green ribbon and have used some greetings ribbon across the bauble but the red design across the bauble is made up of folded paper.  I've used tiny peel offs for the holly berries.  I didn't have any dots so I used gold stars with red middles.  I could have used tiny buttons or red sequins but I wanted to use stuff from the stash.  Coming up to Christmas there will be lots of red and green around (magazine features? wrapping paper?) so it's not necessary to buy anything specially.



Very special note for Mandy in case she reads this.  Sorry about the peel offs.  I know you hate them.