Inside the Mind of a Cardmaker

A very lovely lady wanted a very special card for a 70th wedding anniversary.  I asked for some additional info, so I had something to work with.  Turns out the couple owned roller rinks, so I'm thinking "as life rolls along" type of verse.  Kind of kitschy but cute.  Then she added that they are also into ballroom dancing.

Well, that set a whole different tone.  Out went the kitsch and in went the elegance.  I went searching for a design that included a couple dancing.  Online I found a cute layout:

 

 

I instantly had a ton of ideas on how to change this to what I needed.  The heart needed some pen work, the girl changed into a couple dancing and music notes instead of clouds.  I've recently found GraphicStock, an image warehouse, and they are offering a 7 day free download of 20 images a day.  Fantastic deal!  Anyway, I found the perfect image of a couple tango-ing.  I found the music staff in the Pazzles Library - wonderful resource.

 

So, here's what I came up with!

 

 

I'm very happy with the way it turned out.  I hope the buyer and the recipients like it too!  Thanks for the order, Teri!  Anytime you need a special card, you know my number!

Dingbats!

Gotta love a dingbat!  A dingbat is a non-alphabetic font - all the letters are replaced with characters or drawings.  And the authors of these fonts are amazing - the artwork they put in is beautiful and very creative.  You can find dingbats on most of the free font websites.

The scrolls and flourishes I used for these sympathy cards are from a single dingbat font.  It takes a bit of time for my Pazzles Inspiration to draw them, but they are worth the wait.

 

 

My little critter at the bottom is a dingbat.  Isn't he cute?

 

The ribbon tags that say Merry Christmas are also dingbats.  I've used quite a few of those from that file!  Just download the font like any other.  I've created a sheet where I can change the font to see all the designs.  Some authors also use the number and symbols characters.  Gotta catch those too.

 

Even the flowers in these Pergamano Parchment designs are from dingbats, as well as the scrolls around the flowers. 

 

Dingbats range from flowers, scrolls, and cartoon characters to sports, logos and medieval weapons.  Take a look at dingbats and find a whole new range of options for your creative projects!

Quick Tip for the Perfect Paper

I keep quite a store of paper and cardstock on hand, but this weekend as I was trying to make a card, I actually found I didn't have the right paper!  This is the card and here's my tip:

 

I was looking for a background paper for this card with baby blue and a very muted pattern.  All I found in my stash was a very beige and medium blue damask print.  It was close, but really took away from the ribbon flower, and the flower is the star of this card.  So, Prima Chalk Ink to the rescue!  I daubed white chalk ink over the whole background paper and voila! the perfect piece. 

Print and Cut Clipart for Cards

The perfect clipart can really make a card!  Finding the perfect clipart is a bit of a bother, but it can be done.  Every time I find something really cute or clever, I create a card around it. 

 

I found this cute little frog in the Pazzles Library and had to use it in a card.  I found this layout online and created my own version in my Inspiration software.

 

I got lucky and found this darling race car when I went looking for something "speedy" for this Get Well card.  I suspect that I'll be making this card again shortly, as it will sell first to the next person needing a Get Well card!

 

And one of my co-workers is actually hoping for someone to retire soon, so she can buy this card.  She just loves it!  I have to say that the alligator was an inspired find.  The clipart having the front feet in that position made the placement of the sentiment a breeze.

 

 

I just love adding print and cut butterflies to a feminine card - in person, they really pop!  Because these are actually photos of real butterflies, with a little shaping, it looks like a beautiful butterfly just stopped by to grace your card! 

 

Pazzles offers great videos on how to do Print and Cut so I won't bother to repeat any instructions.  Just know that it is easy and nearly foolproof and takes a simple and easy card over the top!

All About Embellishments

I realized that this weekend's cards had lots of embellishments.  They can really make a card.  Here's a selection that highlight what I mean:

 

This card would go nowhere without the print and cut butterfly.

 

And ribbon flowers add so much - texture, color and dimension.

 

 

 

And pairing a ribbon flower with a fancy button added just the right touch.

 

This is a remake of a previous card where I used pearls in the spiral pattern.  This time I went with rhinestones.

 

Even ribbon can enhance a card.  But the string of pearls really makes it pop.

Had a little fun with feathers. 

Thinking Outside the Cutter

Sometimes I come across a design that I just adore - but can't figure out how to cut it out!

This card shows my thinking...  instead of cutting out all those scrolls, I used the pen tool and drew it on the paper!  I had to fill in the design by hand, but I was able to capture the concept.

 

The card below again shows the use of the pen tool.  Even if I spent hours and hours fixing the flower drawing, I'd never be able to cut such small pieces and be able to put them back together on the paper.

The flower is a dingbat - a non-letter based alphabet.  Using it on a sympathy card seemed perfect.