Help with getting started

goldy

22 years ago

Everyone seems so gifted and smart over here.Can someone direct me to a site where I can get started makeing cards?

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Comments (5)

minnie_tx
22 years ago
Goldy, there are thousands. Right here is a good start. Many share their how-to's.
I would suggest first get a small supply of card stock, maybe white or a cream color. Make sure it is card stock and not construction paper. You can start with one or two rubberstamps and a few stamp pads. A Gold and black. Try your skill at stamping on waste paper to get the feel of how to make a good imprint.
Look around the house and find colorful napkins, wrapping paper and even old cards received in the mail. Do some practice cutting and layering different things to a card to see how it looks. If you check the gallery here there are many samples of what I mean. Get a few colored pencils or markers and try coloring in the stamp after you stamp the impression. I'm sure others can help suggest things.
Red_Confetti
22 years ago
You will love making your own cards, Goldy! Minnie has about covered it about getting started and what materials to use.

Some folks use special software for making cards on their computers... it includes clipart, layouts, etc. Most of the programs cost just a few dollars up to about $15.00, I guess (I've never bought any). You can also use the computer to print the message inside the card, and then use your artistic materials to decorate the front! If you are familiar with Word or some other word-processing software, you can use that to print your message.

If you live near a Michaels, GardenRidge, or similar crafts store, you'll find the blank cards with matching envelopes as well as glues, markers, gold paint, stamping and embossing materials, packages of tissue paper in lots of colors, ribbons, paper punches, glitter, stickers,... well as you can probably see by now, just about anything that you can get to stick to paper will work!

You can also buy big packages of cardstock at WalMart and office suppy stores and make your own cards. It is cheaper to do it that way if you are going to make a lot of cards. But then you have to find a matching envelope, or make one the right size. That is why packages of matching cards and envelopes are nice to use, especially when you are getting started.

Look through your previous crafting supplies... you probably have yarn, fabric, buttons, wrapping paper, crayons, who knows what!! that you can use to embellish a card.

You can find clipart and other pictures online to use on your cards if you don't want to rely on your own artistic skills.

But look at the cards at the card stores... sometimes the cutest and most effective cards are very simple and have just a little image on front with maybe a ribbon or some other decorative doodad. Cards don't have to be complicated to be effective!

Stuck for a verse? There are some sites on line with suggestions, or just browse the cards when you visit WalMart, etc. and remember the verses you like! And be sure to look at the verses on the cards you have received.

The hardest part is making your first card. If you know a child who would enjoy receiving a card, start making fun cards for him/her! Kids certainly aren't critical and will love any card you send them. It won't be long before you'll be making cards for all occasions, especially all those friends' birthdays that keep popping up! They will be impressed that you make the card 'special' just for them!

Oh, and don't forget to check at your library for card-crafting books. I check out lots from my public library. And don't shy away from the books in the children's area... they are the greatest for explaining how to make cards!

And be sure to come back to this forum with your questions. We'll be happy to try to answer them for you.
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1. Before doing anything get a good, reliable soil test to see what that soils pH is and what the levels of Phosphorus, Potash, Calcium, and Magnesium are. Then dig in with these simple soil tests, Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drainsÃ¯Â¿Â½ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. to see what else about that soil needs help. Possibly, once you know more about the soil and can make knowledgeable decisions about what to do about the soil to make that into a good and healthy soil, then you can decide if tilling, which can help with leveling, or total removal of the present sod (often not necessary) and replacesment with some kind of soil and then laying sod or seeding, or whatever.
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I don't have much advice to offer, but I would suggest coming up with your final vision now, then work toward it in manageable pieces. That way if unexpected things come up, you will be able to keep moving in the right direction. We are about halfway through going room by room with new paint and furniture (bought everything cheap when we moved in 11 years ago, neither of us lived away from home in college). While I love the colors I used in the bath and "library", I may have picked slightly different shades if I had a color palate planned so the colors all complimented each other. We also had some unexpected major outside work done. We just wanted to replace the leaking windows. Turns out they were not flashed, no house wrap, no insulation, rotted plywood, etc...So we ended up taking care of all that and new siding. Had I known I was going to redo the kitchen I would have put in a bigger window and maybe moved the patio entrance to the great room (the walls were all open, would have been easy). But instead we just replaced what we had with new stuff. All that money spent and no nice bay windows, or better flow, or improved lighting, etc. If I had a plan or wish list, I could have easily made changes as we fixed things to move in that direction. Feels like throwing away good money for some things now since the current (replaced) stuff is fine.
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neutral colors . . . light (but not pale) color on the walls. Prefer a more sophisticated color . . . a creamy yellow.? More cream with a hint of yellow. Not interested in golds or tans You might want to look at the Ellen Kennon line of full spectrum paints. Her "Pumice" color gets consistently rave reviews as a great neutral. The site below is not her site, but it shows some of her colors used by a designer. Here is a link that might be useful: EK colors
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I'm baaaack!!! Thank you so much for helping me with my powder room, so on to the next dilemma. Any ideas or opinions are welcome (and begged for!). Figuring out where the sink and w/d go are the biggest decisions because it turns out plumbing is one of the first items the builder needs! The room is 15’ 4 “ long and 8’ 6” wide (from wall to wall) I’m sitting here with tracing paper and am already blocked!!!!! :) Hopefully my goals aren't too lofty: Passage way I’m hoping to have a passage way from the closet to get into the laundry room. I love the idea of coming in dirty and just taking my clothes off in the closet and walking them into the laundry room to hang dry or toss in the washer. At the very minimum I want a ‘pass' through so I don’t have to carry baskets or so I can toss in a wet bathing suit. I currently sort my clothes into different baskets as I take things off, so if I only have a pass through and not a walk through, maybe I would stack my baskets on shelves in a cabinet and have that cabinet accessible from the laundry side too. *I want a raised w/d *I’d like one deep counter for folding in which an entire shirt will mostly fit. *I rarely rarely sew, but I’d like a spot to sit and sew on a button or work on a stain etc. *I will want a space for a nice sized pull down ironing board *A big area for a drying racks (hanging and laying flat). I will consider getting a drying cabinet like this one, but it's completely not necessary http://staberdryingcabinets.com *I’d like to have space for a steam cabinet if they should perfect those. The reviews aren’t great. *I was hoping to have a rotary iron for linens, but I don’t know if it will fit. *If I don’t put in a rotary iron, I want a line to hang linens so I can use a garment steamer on them. *There is another area for housekeeping items, so I don’t need to store vacuums etc. If there is room, storing overflow items would be nice (extra tp, suitcases up high perhaps, linens/towels) The venting for the w/d will go through the roof, so the w/d can be placed anywhere in the room. I hear it’s more efficient for the sink and laundry room to be close for plumbing purposes.
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goldy
Original Author
22 years ago
You all have been a great help.If I get started now I should be a pro by the holidays.Thanks for the circle of friends I know where to go.You all are so crafty.Goldy
goldy
Original Author
22 years ago
Red Confetti I got your email and was real glad to know I have help on this forum.Looking over this card making material I know I will need help in the future.Talk to you later.Goldy
CandyWA
22 years ago
One last tip... don't throw the mistakes away. If your stamped image on the card doesn't turn out well... you can paint over it... glue another card stock image on top of it (use hot glue dots to give it lift)... you can add tissue paper, ribbon, fabric, or any doo dad you have on hand... and recreate the card. If all else fails... cut it down and make a gift card, book mark, gift tag, etc. With those leftovers... use paper punches to make shapes for future use.

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minnie_tx

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minnie_tx

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