Christmas cards series 3-9

I realized I that I haven't post any of the Christmas card series from 3-9, so I decided to post some pictures and their links to the Youtube tutorial for each one so you can choose and watch the ones you like the most. Enjoy!

 

series 3:Going nut with the nutcracker

 

series 4: Jolly

series 5: Nutcracker's love

series 6: snowman greetings

series 7: Santa's gifts

series 8: sweet kids

series 9: snowglobes

Christmas card 2: Angels' song

This is the 2nd card of my Christmas series. I decided to post here the materials I used and the link for my YouTube video of how to make it.

Materials

Jolee's boutique(R) angle sticker (or any angel sticker you have)
41/4"x51/2" note card 
InKssentials(TM)   foil tape sheets
ribbon
embossing machine (I used Sizzix(R))
embossing sheet or mold (I used a Cuttlebug(TM))
optional:
stamp with sentiment or sticker
you can use aluminum foil and paste it to a piece of card-stock before embossing it.


video link: how to make Christmas card # 2: Angels' song video

Modifying Christmas greeting cards making kits

Christmas is around the corner, and during this season we all want to show our deepest appreciation. A greeting card is a great way to do so, but some of us don't want to buy a card set with the same design or just don't have time to craft your own from scratch. The solution is simple, a Christmas greeting card making kit. I know some of you might be saying "hey, what part of no time and not the same design you don't get Lora?". Trust me I do get it, and I am gonna show you in the video below just how easy is to save time and make unique cards in no time with a card making kit. Enjoy the video :)

Chritmas card 1: snowfalke wonderland

I've decided to do a video series of Christmas cards, tags, boxes and gift ideas. This is the first Christmas card from scratch. Hope you like it and enjoy!!!

Say your thanks with these easy thanksgiving cards

Thanksgiving is around the corner, everybody is making dinner plans at home or going to someone house for this eventfully day when family and friends gather together to say thanks and enjoy each other company. So I felt a little inspire and decided to make some cards with the thanksgiving theme. These are easy and beautiful cards that anybody can do and that are not too expensive. Also you can always give it a twist and make them totally your own. To make it easier for you I decided to make a video of it so you can replicate it or just get some inspiration. Enjoy and happy thanksgiving!!!

Note: if you don't have or cannot find the cornucopia stamp, you can always look for an image of it on internet and color it. Remember you can use any stamp you want.

One scrapbook paper: more than one different greeting cards

A big portion of crafters out there, like me, have fell prey of the viral, popular and wonderful art of scrapbooking. This most certainly means, that all of the "victims" have beautiful scrapbook papers at home; if not they are going to look for it right after finishing reading this blog post. From a single piece of paper, like the one below, you can create up to 4 different greeting cards. I highly recommend the cardstock paper or something similar, like the one shown below; but any other will work just find.

scrapbook paper

Some might not believe this, but that gorgeous and high quality piece of paper just cost me 28 cents. What can I say?, I'm a sales' junkie. With those 28 cents and just a few other materials, plus my imagination , I can create a couple of beautiful greeting cards that will not only leave the receiver mouth wide open and feeling special, but will also be the main topic of conversation among everybody. There is nothing wrong with showing off your skills.

Ok, lets start. As you could see, the paper has two major designs in opposite corners that stand out more than the rest. Those are the front of two of my cards, so I want to make sure that when I trace and cut my card they will be unaltered. You can set the dimensions of your card to your liking and just trace light lines to outline where your are going to cut. I decided to use a greeting card that I had as a mold. I placed the card on the paper with the design up so I can see where the main design is, in this case the bird. With a pencil I lightly trace the outline of the card.

mold dimensions: w 8in (24 cm) x h 6in (17cm)

Time for cutting. If you are good with scissors and ,unlike me, can cut in a straight line be my guest and use your scissors. But, I'm pretty sure that as a fellow scrap booker, some of you already have the "guillotine" , go ahead and use it; leave the scissors for minor details. In this case, I'm making a folding card; if you are too, go ahead and fold it through the middle. Don't rush the folding, make sure you are connecting  and aligning the open ends as precise as you can.

Now that I have my first card, is decorating time! Is important to think what you want to convey, what is the card purpose and most importantly what does, by looking at it, you feel. Seriously, as an artist and a crafter, is important to feel our work; that’s where our inspiration come from. For me, I felt nature, simplicity and beauty, a dream and peace. I want my card to convey all these emotions to its receiver but at the same time I want to keep it open to almost any occasion. So I looked up for some simple, yet gorgeous stickers that helps me convey that. And voila!!!

card #1: folding card

As you can see above, that’s the final result. I got to say that I love this paper even more, because of the double side print; which took out the common white. Don't miss understand me, there is nothing wrong with the inside been white, is just that I love the wonderful and coordinated twist that this type of paper gave me. You can always find a way to make the inside of your card more interesting, by using words or maybe stamps, who knows where your imagination will take you.

Ok, I know I said "different cards", but I wasn’t talking only about the printed design Your card does not have to be the common folding card, it can have a different style. For example, it can be a one piece, double sided card with the front design on one side and the message on the other.

card #2: folding card

card#3:double sided card

I decided to use the left piece of paper and use the other side to decorate the inside of another card. At the end I got 4 different greeting cards from just one piece of paper.

made by: Lora's Crafts and Arts Ideas

With the variety of paper prints out there the possibilities are endless. Can you imagine all the different and personalized greeting cards, invitations, etc. that you can do for just pennies?!! Oh, well my imagination is running wild just thinking about it, how about yours?

Re-dressing those not so pretty greeting cards

How many of us have bought one of those blank greeting cards packages that are on sale, just because is convenient, inexpensive  and we like some of them? I guess a couple of us had. Even if you haven't buy the big package, some of you, like me, might  have had hard time finding the perfect  birthday or father's day card that would convey our feelings to the other person.  Stumbling over  cards with not so pretty or meaningless design and nice message inside, or just plain boring; we all have find those, is not fun at all. 

The other day, was my friend's friend birthday, and he was going crazy trying to find a birthday card at the last minute. He found one with the perfect funny message, but he hated the picture. With not too much time to spare, to keep going around trying to find the perfect card, my light bulb lighted up and I suggested him,  "why  not making it your own? Just cover the front design with something you like."  Yes, you heard me right (well read me right).  His answer, "I have not much time for buying materials for that, plus I don't know what to use."  But what kind of friend would I be if I don't have his back?

So I brought him home, and show him a bunch of scrapbook papers that I have, most of them left over pieces of paper from my previous works. There were also some 'happy birthday' stickers that I had save because, honestly, I wasn't to fond of them nor did I know what to use them for. When he looked at the papers he was less convince of it been a better idea, he thought it was too much work. Ok, time for me to let my creativity come out and fast. What I did? I layered all the festive papers that could be used in the table, as well as the few stickers. Then started to see what will look good with what; everything as fast as I could since we were short of time.

Finally, we found something simple that would work. Some adjustments to the card dimensions were needed, so we could make use of the paper we decided to use. Other "last minute" changes were needed, like the use of a small piece of paper to cover the folding edge of the card so the small part of the old design was covered; by the way it ended up being way better than the initial design we had in mind. All this, in five minutes and for practically nothing but, in this case, the cost of the card.

So it doesn't matter if you already have so cards at home or if you just by one only for the right message, the important is that you convey your feelings. There is no better way to do the later, but by putting some of yourself on it. So don't be afraid of using your scrapbook, origami materials or even magazines for something else, as for example greeting cards, it will save you money by using material you already have plus will show how much you care.