Write. Click. Scrapbook.

Scrapbooking Cards

So glad you could join us for the final day of Card Week.  Today I want to show you some ideas about what to do with cards (handmade or not) from loved ones that we want to preserve.  I guess this has been on my mind lately with all the Christmas cards we got during the holiday season.  In the past I've just thrown them all away, but I've realized in the last couple of years that there are some aspects of these cards I'd like to document (names, signatures, photos, etc).  First I'll share a few of my own projects, and then I'll share some cool inspiration from other crafters.  Though all the examples I'm showing in this post are Christmas themed, you can use these ideas with cards from any occasion.

 

Christmas Cards 2010 Layout

This layout was included in the WCS December gallery, Holiday Homes.  It was a great way for me to preserve the memory of our loved ones' holiday greetings without taking up all the room that saving each card would.  I tried to punch mostly names, signatures, and fun design elements from each card.  This was easy and quick, but it's one of my favorite pages to look at.

 

Double Panel Card Collage Layout

I scored two 12 x12 sheets of cardstock at 6 inches and then taped them together on the back.

Then I adhered a sheet of 12x12 patterned paper over the seam to cover it and add stability.  Then I just trimmed parts of cards (names, signatures, fun design elements, photos, etc) and created a collage over the 24 x 12 inch area. 

I added some paper, embellishments, the date, and title to the front of the panels so when the page is closed and in my scrapbook I know what it is, but if I want to look at the collage I just remove the page and open the panels.

 

Card Mini Book Layout

For this page I saved entire cards from family members and created a mini book that I included on the layout.

I punched holes in the stack of cards with my Cinch machine and then wound ribbon through the holes to bind them since the wire binding would have been too bulky in my scrapbook. 

 

Pocket Page by Lynn Ghahary

I love this pocket page by designer Lynn Gharary that was featured on the Scrapbook and Card Today magazine blog.  It's beautiful and a wonderful way to preserve entire cards in your scrapbook.  Lynn shares full instructions on how to create a pocket page of your own HERE.

Below are some fun decor ideas for displaying cards.

 

Recycled Christmas Card Wreath

Source: bhg.com via Aly on Pinterest

 

Scrapbooks, Etc shares how to punch or cut circles from your cards and create a wreath that you can hang as decor next year.  This would be super fun for a birthday.  How cool to see the cards you got the year before again!

 

Christmas Card Tree

Source: marthastewart.com via Aly on Pinterest

 

Martha Stewart posted this project, which would also be adorable covered with Valentine's Day cards.  Hmm...I think I feel a project coming on!

Thanks for joining me this week.  I've enjoyed sharing my thoughts and projects with you.  I hope these ideas have been helpful and inspiring.  Don't forget to share your creations from this week in our flickr gallery.  Happy cardmaking!

and the giveaway goes to . . .

Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to comment. We hope you will still consider signing up for Aly's class. She is a wonderful teacher and cardmaking is a skill that will forever come in handy!

Szervos, please send us an email with your Big Picture Classes username. We will need it to properly credit your free class!! Congratulations!

give.away.day. featuring Aly Dosdall & Big Picture Classes

Seeing as this week is card week here at Write.Click.Scrapbook., we have teamed up with Big Picture Classes and Aly Dosdall to offer a free spot in a new workshop, 28 cards in 4 weeks!

A handmade card can have such special meaning. It shares a uniquely creative part of you with your loved ones. But sometimes it’s a challenge to find the time to make one. In this brand new workshop, 28 Cards in 4 Weeks, you’ll get ahead of the game by creating a year’s worth of quick, simple and stunning cards for all seasons and occasions. They’ll be ready to use at a moment’s notice.

During each week of class, you’ll make seven cards, each taking 15 minutes or less. You’ll learn to use sketches, samples, downloads, and videos to create some cute and clever cards that your loved ones will enjoy receiving. Don’t feel pressured to keep up—you can always access the handouts and videos and make the cards whenever you have time. Card-making doesn’t get much easier than this! Topics will cover major events, holidays, seasons, and many every day occasions and themes. Plus, won’t it feel great to use up all those scrapbooking leftovers in the process?

If you'd like to be considered for this giveaway please leave a comment below telling us if you already enjoy making cards, or if cardmaking is something you'd like to try.  Comments will remain open until this evening.  One lucky number will be drawn at random and posted on Friday. Please remember it is your responsibility to check back and to claim your lucky number by midnight on Saturday! Good luck everyone!

Using Sketches for Cardmaking

Hello!  We made it to Wednesday--halfway to the weekend!  Glad you're back for more.  Many scrapbookers find sketches helpful in creating layouts.  Sketches take out the guesswork in the design process, and can save time.  They can also be easily adapted to work in various situations, i.e. single vs. double page layouts, varying numbers of photos, etc. 

Sketches can also be very useful for cardmaking for the same reasons.  They give you a good starting point, and they can also be adapted to different shapes and sizes of cards.  When making cards you don’t have to use a sketch specifically made for cards.  You can use scrapbook page sketches as well.  Take a look at some examples below.

Here is a layout I created and the sketch to match:

 Here is a valentine’s day card I made based pretty literally on the sketch:

You can see the sketch very easily in the above card even though the card is a rectangle and the sketch is a square.  Now take a look at a set of fall place cards I made based on the same sketch, but rotated 90 degrees to the right.

The basic elements of the sketch are still present.  The journaling card with the name takes the place of the photo, the twine-laced eyelets take the place of the grid of embellishments, and the tree accent takes the place of the journaling strips.

The card below is based on just the right side of the original sketch--the grid of text and embellishments.  To accommodate the size of this card (and the size of my square punch) I left out the bottom row of the grid on the sketch so there are only three rows instead of four.

Other options for this sketch might include flipping it horizontally so that the grid is on the left side, or cutting out the grid and just using the left half of the sketch.  Going back to the original sketch, rather than a grid you could create a collage of embellishments and text along the right side of the card.

Using sketches when making cards provides a great spring board for your own creativity.  Sketches are also wonderfully versatile.  You can apply any sketch to any size or shape of card.  Just identify the basic elements and carry them over from the sketch to your new canvas.  You can also choose any element of a sketch and just use that in your card or project.  The possibilities are numerous.

If you're interested in using sketches to create cards, below are some online card sketch resources:

Becky Fleck's CardMaps

Card Positioning System

Split Coast Stampers Sketch Challenges + Forum

Card Patterns

Remember, if you create a card inspired by the above sketch (or anything else you see this week), please share it in the WCS flickr gallery.  I can't wait to see your work!

Don't forget tomorrow is give.away.day.  Come back and see what we've got in store for one of you wonderful readers.

Card Design Tips

Welcome back to card week. I'm glad you're here! Today I want to share with you some of my go-to design tips for cards. I don't consider myself an expert, but I have picked up a few pointers over the years that help me to create cards I'm pleased with quickly and easily.

To be honest, translating my scrapbooking design habits onto a small card was awkward at first, but after some practice it became much more natural for me and now I really enjoy making cards.  Here are a few tips that helped me get comfortable working with a small canvas:

1) less is more--when working with a small canvas, don't try to add too many elements or your card's design won't be as effective

2) pack one punch--on most of my cards I try to use one high impact element as my focus.  That might be a cool embellishment, a large sentiment, a "wow" color combo, or an awesome technique.

3) three's company--a scrapbook page requires three basic things: photos, text, and embellishments.  A card needs three basic things as well--just swap your high impact element for your photo(s), use your sentiment as your text, and choose your embellishments to compliment the previous two items.

Remember, sometimes your elements will overlap, i.e. your high impact element will be your sentiment, etc.  Also, these tips are meant to be guidelines and all three won't apply to every single card.  But they are a good place to start.

Here are a few cards that illustrate the above tips:

Less is more

Kimber McGray is the genius behind this simple and fabulous card. Some cardstock and a butterfly punch are all you need to create something with tons of "wow" factor.

Source: twopeasinabucket.com via Aly on Pinterest

 

I found this card on the Pebbles Inc blog by guest designer Kimberly Neddo. I love how all it takes is a couple patterned paper banners, a simple sentiment, and a few well-placed embellishments to make this stunning card.

Source: pebblesinc.blogspot.com via Aly on Pinterest

 

Pack one punch

The punch packed into this Doodlebug card I created is the cluster of buttons demonstrating the sentiment.  Adding much more to this card would have given the buttons too much competition and detracted from the main focus.

The high impact element on this card I made with Creative Memories products is the paper loop tree.  The remaining elements on the card all serve to compliment the focal point rather than compete with it.

Three's company

The card below by Kasia Curry is a great example of this tip.  The trio of punched hearts is the high impact element, there's a simple sentiment, and a few button embellishments that compliment the hearts.  Love it!

Source: natureofcraftythings.blogspot.com via Aly on Pinterest

 

 

This card I created using Jillibean Soup products demonstrates the three's company idea as well. The twine-wrapped button is the high impact element here, the mini tag includes a sentiment, and the paper, border stickers, and brad all compliment the focal point.

I hope these tips have inspired you in some way.  Again, they're really just guidelines to use as a spring board for creating.  What matter's most is creating what makes you happy in a way that works best for you.  Tomorrow I'll share some thoughts on using sketches for cards--even sketches meant for scrapbook layouts.  Until then!

Welcome to Card Week!

Hello WCS readers, Aly Dosdall here.  I'd like to officially welcome you to (and invite you to hang around for) Card Week!  Indulge me while I share a bit of my creative history.  I started scrapbooking over 14 years ago and for about 10 of those years I didn't make a single handmade card.  I actually refused to take the cardmaking plunge for a while.  Now I actually enjoy making handmade cards.  In fact I have 2 small baskets full of cards I've created and whenever an ocassion comes up all I have to do is pick one, write something on the inside, put it in an envelope, and voila!  It's like having my own custom Hallmark store at home!

My Personal Card Philosophy

Here are a few thoughts that changed my mind about cards:

--handmade cards carry special meaning
--you can customize handmade cards for any occasion
--handmade cards are a great way to use up paper scraps
--handmade cards are usually less expensive than store-bought cards
--handmade cards are a quick creative fix if you don't have time to create an entire scrapbook page

Finding the time to make cards can be a challenge, and sometimes it's hard to balance how much time to spend on something that may end up in the trash or recycle bin.  While each crafter has to find a groove that works for her, here's how I approach card-making:

1) When making cards for friends and family I try not to spend more than 15 minutes on each one.  I love being creative--it's my lifeline some days.  But my time is also precious, and for me family comes first, so I have to set myself limits.

10 minute birthday card using a black felt tip pen and ruler, Sassafrass felties, and a mini brad.

2) I also find that making a quick card after I've finished a layout and while my scraps and supplies are still out on my desk works really well for me.  I get more mileage out of my supplies and time that way.

Travel mini album pages made using an 8 x 8 October Afternoon 5 & Dime paper pad, and a 15 minute card made while the supplies were still sitting on my desk.

 

3) I'm a big believer in scraplifting myself!  If I find a design that I love, I have no problem using it over and over.  Don't feel like you have to re-invent the card wheel every time you make one.

Now it's your turn!  If you create a card (or more than one) inspired by something in this week's posts, please share it in our flickr gallery.  I'd love to see your creations! 

Well, that's all for today.  I'll let you chew on those thoughts and tempt you to come back tomorrow when I'll be sharing some tips for simple but effective card design.  Until then!

Sunday Photo + Words

 Photo by  Cano Vääri

write.

Hello, and welcome to January's write. Saturday!

One thing I love about creativity prompts is how they can take people in such different directions. This month's gallery theme was "today" and when I browsed through it, I was seriously amazed at how we each put our own unique spin on it. From Karen's writing about a small moment with her son to Christa's journaling about her upcoming grand adventures—and everything in between!—it's inspiring to see all the places a little word like "today" can take us.

Another useful thing about using one idea to create more is how the original idea helps you do something you might not otherwise have done. Today's journaling prompts hopefully will help you do exactly that: journal about something you've been meaning to write down but haven't yet. They're each inspired by a layout from the January gallery.

 

One Vacation Moment

I don't know about you, but when I write the journaling for vacation photos, I tend to take a long time. There is so much to tell! Rather than trying to cram all the stories into just one layout, get specific.  Write about one small moment within the scope of an entire vacation. It might be the magical moment, the experience you knew while it was happening would be the one that made all the pre-vacation stress worth it. Or maybe it's something you remember, looking back. You might not even have a photo of the moment—and that's okay! Write the journaling, then find a photo that fits well enough.

Ann did this in her Today She is a Princess layout. Think about all the experiences you have at Disneyland—yet this moment with her daughter had to be better than anything else. (Even, I'll bet, Space Mountain!) In a decade or two, Kira might not remember anything else from the trip—but this is unforgettable!

Marnie and I both used this "one moment" idea to create our layouts.

When my family was last in California, we took our kids on a whale-sighting cruise. I didn't get the fabulous photos I was hoping for, and my camera battery actually died, but the words help me tell the story anyway!

 

Marnie also took one moment from a recent vacation and let it be the reason for this layout.

Everyday Messes

Documenting the everyday details of our lives is one of the best thing about scrapbooking. Your perspective on those little details changes when you make a layout about them. Write about one of the little piles or messes you usually find around your house. Think about both where the mess comes from and how you feel about it.

Donna's These Days captures the pile of shoes, helmets, and jackets that are the evidence of happy childhood hours. A house with such a pile is an exuberant, child-filled home! What do your home's messes reveal about you?

Celeste played along with this prompt. She focused on one little mess: shoes. I love this layout because it reminds me that the shoe mess is universal!

In my messy layout, I focused on my three hot spots—the places in my house that always accumulate clutter. (I hope I'm not the only one who has those!) But I also pushed a little bit to think about what those hot spots say about me and how I really feel about clutter in the first place.

 

Dramatic Weather

The goings-on of the great outdoors is something that's easily overlooked in our layouts—until the weather grabs your attention. It's when a storms surprise us, derail our plans, or cause unexpected damage, great stories are made.

Celeste's Today layout documents the aftermath of Storm Alfred this fall. All those fallen branches! Can you think of a weather-related story (it doesn't have to be as dramatic) you've never told before?

Last year, we were hit with five inches of wet, heavy snow—on May 24! It was incredible. I'd already blogged about the damage, but I realized I'd never told the story for my son Kaleb, who was with me when the damaged branches came crashing down. It's his story, too, and I'm glad to get it told!

 

......................................................................

Isn't it fun to see how one little word, "today," generated such a variety of topics! I hope one (or all!) of these prompts will get you thinking in new directions. To recap, here are our journaling challenges:

As you ease back into your everyday, January routines, I hope you'll find some time to write a few stories you haven't before. We'd love to see the results!

Keeping Your Goals in the Forefront

Hello again! It's Friday and time to wind down our discussion about our goals for this year. Thanks to everyone who shared their plans and projects in the comments.

 I asked the rest of the Write.Click.Scrapbook team what their goals were for the year, and the following is a list of links to blog posts where they talk about how they plan to tackle 2012. So many inspiring ideas! Thanks ladies!

 

Goals from the WCS Team 

Celeste

Paula

Vivian

Lisa O

Christa

Monika

Amy

Karen

Marie

Erin

Alexandra

Amy

Donna

I also want to share how some of us are keeping our One Little Word in the forefront. Earlier this week I completed a vision board that now hangs in my scrap room. Basically it is a collage of images and words that are meaningful to me this year. 

I posted more about the vision board on my blog.

Celeste made a layout about her word Capture

Karen purchased a ring to keep her word, Savor, close.

And Monika  altered letters for her scrap room

How are you planning to keep your goals and word for the year visible? 

Finally, here is a list of all the projects talked about this week, so that they are handy in one spot.

 

Photography

Capture Your 365

Project 52

Focus 52

Monthly Photo Challenges

Gratitude Project

A couple new ones too!

Monika told me about this app for the iPhone: Photo365. It's $0.99 and there's a version for the iPad too.

And I found a great list of projects on PhotoJojo

 

Scrapbooking

 Project Life

Marcy Penner's DIY Project Life

Ella's Take 12

Week in the Life

December Daily

Creative Jumpstart

 

Are you ready to scrapbook 2012?

and the giveaway goes to . . .

Thank you everyone for taking the time to comment. We are impressed by your accomplishments and your plucky natures! Thank you for sharing your successes with us. Reading through them gave us hope for our own. And, might we add, some of you are very brave and made very tough, albeit good, choices this past year. Congratulations!

Melinda, will you email us are writeclickscrapbook at gmail dot com? Please be sure to include your mailing address. Thank you!

Francine is back shortly with her final article. What a tremendously inspiring week she is providing!