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Table of Contents Computers & Card Making Think Outside the Box Free Project More Summer Party Invites Creative Rescue Summer Plans You Brought Stamps? Computers & Card Making The first cards I ever made were created with one of those computerized card-making programs. I could choose the cartoon on the front, the sentiment inside, the name of the recipient and add a "Made especially for you by Sue" logo to the back before I printed it on plain white card stock. It was awesome! Boy, have things changed. Now I choose the card stock first (one color or a printed pattern? textured or not?). I might choose a stamp (what kind of ink? should I emboss it? do I color the image with pencils or watercolors?) or a sticker or a rub-on transfer for the focal point, or I might decide to use the sentiment itself as the main design element. Then it's time for a seemingly infinite variety of embellishments, including fibers, brads, more stickers, more rub-on transfers, patterned and textured paper ... the potential for creativity has increased exponentially. Back to top. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Want it delivered to your inbox every three weeks? Sign up here Think Outside the Box I've never understood people who insist that a creative activity must be done a certain way. I have this weird way of casting on when knitting ... other knitters tell me I "can't" do it that way, but it's a lot easier than the way they're doing it, and nothing unravels, so I don't see the problem. Sometimes card makers can get trapped in the same mindset when thinking about computers and card making. To me, the most obvious benefit of using computers in card making is the ability to change the type size and font of the sentiment you want to use. There are so many free fonts out there for personal use you never have to use the same one twice. (Don't believe me? Just Google "free fonts" and see how many results you get!) But it doesn't have to stop there. Reader Kay writes, "I use clip art on my cards. I also like to use greeting-card programs, print the inside and then print the graphics, etc., on the front on a separate piece of paper (I make it smaller). I cut that out and put it on the front after I have added scrapbooking paper so I can embellish it. It works great for me as I am not very good with stamps and coloring." You can even scan dimensional embellishments such as lace or fibers, and use them to reduce bulk on cards that have to be mailed. Back to top. Free Project This has to be my all-time favorite summer party invitation. The toothy shark makes me laugh out loud every time. This design uses a computer to produce the text on the inside of the card. Fishy Bites By Lisa Johnson Materials Diner 5 1/2-inch-square turquoise crackled card with envelope, prepurchased Card stock: white, white pearlescent Printed card stock: Diner Jukebox double-sided, yellow/blue polka dots Scrap paper Just Add Water embossed card-stock stickers (includes lobster, shark, starfish and waves) Summertime double-sided ribbon Blue fine-tip marker Tinkerbell alphabet foam-mount stamps Four Circles rubber stamp Chalk ink pads: green, blue Large silver round snap Eyelet punch and setter Clear glitter glue Adhesive foam tape Fabric glue Instant-dry paper glue Computer and printer (optional) 1. Ink card edges with green chalk ink. Cut a 5 1/2 x 1-inch strip of white pearlescent card stock; use blue chalk ink to stamp "you're INVITED" on card-stock strip, leaving extra room at left end. Stamp "for a bite" with the same ink on a scrap piece of white pearlescent card stock; cut angled shapes around each word. 2. Cut two pieces of Diner Jukebox printed card stock, one measuring 2 x 3 1/4 inches and the other measuring 1 1/8-inch square. Ink edges of both pieces on green crackled side with green chalk ink. Ink circles stamp with green chalk ink and stamp once on scrap paper; stamp circles on bottom third of card and randomly on card-stock pieces, re-inking as needed. Embellish with glitter glue as desired; let dry. Adhere large piece of stamped card stock to upper right corner of card; adhere card-stock square to lower left corner. 3. Adhere "you're INVITED" strip to card 1 1/4 inches above bottom edge. Attach waves sticker to card along top edge of "you're INVITED" strip; trim edges. Use fabric glue to adhere ribbon to bottom edge of "you're INVITED" strip, wrapping and adhering ends inside card. Punch a hole through left end of "you're INVITED" strip and set round snap. 4. Use foam tape to attach shark and starfish stickers and "for a bite" words to card as shown. 5. For inside card, hand-print, or use a computer to generate, party invitation information on a 4 3/4 x 4 3/4-inch piece of white card stock. Adhere to yellow/blue polka-dot printed card stock; trim a small border and adhere to inside panel. Attach lobster sticker to lower right corner. Embellish envelope with waves sticker; trim sticker edges. Sources: Card, printed card stock, stickers, ribbon, round snap and Crop-A-Dile eyelet punch and setter from We R Memory Keepers; rubber stamp from Hampton Art; chalk ink pads from Clearsnap Inc.; fabric glue and instant-dry paper glue from Beacon Adhesives Inc. Copyright © June 2007 CardMaker magazine. All rights reserved. Click here for printer-friendly page. Back to top.

More Summer Party Invites

Don't miss the July issue of CardMaker magazine, which has an entire section devoted to summer party invitations. And check out the Epson Creative Zone Web site, which has fun summer projects like these:

• Project #157: Summer Fun Party Invitation
• Project #159: Summer Fun Party Sign
• Project #37: Patriotic Projects

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Creative Rescue

Jessica writes:

"When I have a problem creating, my remedy is simple. Take the day off. Don't force yourself to try to create. Just do something different today and don't even think about your creative space. If you have a room, just close the door. If you only have a small space, throw a sheet over it or something! Or just don't look at it. I find that if I ignore my creative space for a couple of days, when I sit down again, the ideas flow freely!

Of course, my favorite way to prod my creative process is with my print copy of CardMaker magazine. My first copy of CardMaker is so loved that the cover has fallen off! It has turned down corners and small sticky notes stuck to the pages."

This is great advice, Jessica, even when you're under the gun with a creative project (like the birthday card for your best friend, not that THAT has ever happened to me ...). Taking a short break from your current project to page through a favorite book or magazine -- even if it is a completely different topic -- is an effective way of recharging the creative batteries.

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Summer Plans

Linda writes:

"I am travelling to Europe (from Australia) for my vacation this year, and I will be taking a small journal for jotting down ideas, a diary of travels (for a scrapbook later), and of course, my digital camera with extra batteries and memory cards. I will be trying to find scrapbooking and card-making shops in all the countries I visit, just to browse and see what others are doing. I must admit, not having my stash close by will be hard to imagine -- I might need medication for withdrawal symptoms! I will have to make do with a bottle of good French wine. C'est la vie!"

Mary Ann writes:

"When I go away on my summer vacation, I don't usually take any of my card-making supplies with me, since we vacation with my step-sister, and she is not a crafter. But I am very lucky to get to go on a vacation in the fall too. My husband is an avid hunter, so every fall we head to the mountains for a week. I take all the supplies I need to make my Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas cards. We have been doing this for many years and have met many of the local folks, who refer to me as the 'Craft Lady,' a title I am quite proud of!"

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You Brought Stamps?

Terrie writes:

"I recently went on a bicycle trip through the California wine country. At the airport, I had to switch some things from one suitcase to another to redistribute the weight. When I opened the suitcase, one of my traveling companions exclaimed, 'Stamps?! You brought stamps?!' That wasn't all; I had already stamped a bunch of items and water-colored them on the three-hour drive to and from the airport and on the airplane both ways. I got a lot done ... including adding to my stamp collection from some fun stores in California!"

Brenda writes:

"My summer travel plans this year include Niagara Falls (U.S. and Canada), so I found an 8 x 8-inch scrapbook and roughed out about 10 pages plus a title page, without a photo, of course! We plan to be gone about four weeks with some stops along the way from Florida. I am taking some supplies with me in two separate storage boxes, one of which is a sorter box to help me organize the photos. As this is our fifth trip so far, I hope I'm better organized than I was when we went to Alaska last spring (14,642.2 miles door-to-door in nine weeks!). I bought too much in the way of unique Alaskan and western Canadian stickers, etc., so now I have to make another trip to use it all up. LOL!"

I love reading about your summer plans, so please keep sharing them using my feedback form! I'll use as many as I can in upcoming newsletters.

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Until then,

Happy card making!

Sue Reeves
Editor, CardMaker newsletter

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