How to Use Braided Cardstock on a Card

 Card making can be so easy or as tough as you make it. Now braiding the cardstock was a new technique for me, but putting together this card was super simple. This is a diy all can do. So for card making tutorial, I am just showing you how this card came to be. The first layer was a simple 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 piece of cardstock that I cut a frame using a stitched square die. The braided pieces went behind it. Then I layered this all on the card base, adding just a few stickers. One of those stickers came from Dollar Tree. I love showing you all how to make cards like this. It is a homemade treasure I hope someone appreciates when they receive it.

In case you are wondering, the other stickers came from those Spell binders Card Club Kits from back in 2021. I am just letting you know if you are one who wants to join a club kit, understand those kits will last and last. I have several months’ worth and I am not sure when I will ever use one up completely….maybe 2026?

To watch this card come together just go to the video here.

Use All Your Leftover Scraps for a Second Card

When you are making handmade or homemade cards, you want to use all your patterned paper scraps. You want bang for your buck for sure. So here is another card making tutorial 2023 for your list of things to do with your scraps. All card maker beginners can do this one. Just use what you must make another super simple card using what was left from the first card I made using this Echo Park March kit. Since this is a double-sided piece of paper, you are able to use up all those scraps on the second card, leaving virtually nothing behind. This DIY can be done using minimal supplies. Just the cardstock, a card base, adhesive, and a cut apart from the same 6 x 6 paper pack. It really is that easy. Do not forget to help coordinate the inside of the card. On this card, I used that small scrap to make a banner. That went on the inside of the card tying it all together. The only accents added were a couple of chipboard pieces from the collection. You could add bling, sequins, or anything else if you wish. As always, there is a video. It can be found here.

Let's Cut Up a 6 x 6 Paper Pad

 

It is so hard to cut into a new pad. It is also hard to use up a pad. (laughing to myself) I am not sure the last time I finished off a complete pad in making my papercrafts. But I keep at it! This is part of the March Echo Park Club Kit I showed you a few videos ago. It is time to use it to make some cards. The best thing about this kit is it has all the elements you need except for card bases, adhesive, and other elements from your stash. If you are a cardmaking beginner, you may want to check out a kit like this. In the end, the fact that it is handmade is really the biggest element. I am just loving this kit and thinking of other crafts I can make with it. The possibilities are endless for sure. Well, enough jabbering, I will show you my process of how I decide I am going to cut into this pad. Then in the end I make the first card using this kit. There is really no card making technique in this video, but I am sure I will be adding some as I move forward with this kit. Hope you get some crafting today.

There is a video, you can find it here. It is only 1 minute long so it won't take much of your time at all.

Making Card Sketches Your Own

 

I love card sketches. Whoever it was that had the first idea to share a sketch, just thank you. Between my Pinterest board for card sketches and the one for color combinations, I really don’t have to put a lot of effort in. That is an effort in coming up with an idea. But what is great about card sketches is that you can make them your own. A card sketch can be interpreted in so many ways. With different stamps, papers, and embellishments it becomes something uniquely yours. With the card sketches, I have been experimenting a bit more with color combinations that I don’t usually use. I did that on today’s handmade card. Again, if you like crafts, you may just want to try cardmaking. It is so much fun. I like it especially because I can’t draw so the fact of using a stamp to “draw” for me is so much fun. Then I get to play around with the colors, textures, patterns, etc. to then make a great card that I think a friend would love to receive. Sorry, I didn’t share here the technique of adding color to an embossed background. I will share that soon I promise. Hope you get some crafting in today. The video for these cards can be found here if you want to check it out.

Making a Shaped Card Using Dies

 

It is so simple to make a shaped card, yet I don’t do it enough. So, today’s the day, to take one of my shaped dies and use it to make a card base. From there, I added a couple of other techniques I have used in the past. I did not use an embossing folder, instead, I used my score board to make score lines after I stamped the image I wanted to use. From there I added some bling on each section where those embossed lines met. I decided to keep this simple, so I did not color the image. Instead, those gems just catch the light each time I tilt the card. This is why I love handmade cards. You get to DIY it in a way that you love. If you haven’t yet tried card making as a craft, you should. It is so fun to put together homemade items and then send them to a special someone. Please take a look at the video here.

Simple DIY Paper Braiding

 As always, I am looking for new things to try in my card-making. That is what led to this simple paper braiding. I will post soon the finished card I made with the two braids I completed. I hope you will give this craft a try. I want to try this at some point with double-sided patterned paper. I think it would look fabulous. Once I got comfortable with the paper braiding, it became simple. The colors I chose were purposely picked. I thought I would use this on a masculine card, though I am not sure the card I eventually made would be considered a card that is masculine. You’ll have to let me know what you think.

This handmade braid could be used in so many ways. You really have to try this DIY craft when you get the chance. Let me know what other papercrafts you decide to add this to in the comments below. Yes, I included a video here for you to watch the entire braid being made.

Acrylic Paint Swiping

 So, let's just swipe some paint on cardstock, to see where we end up. That is all I did today. I used acrylic paint. I think a reinker would work for this as well. Then built on those backgrounds once they dried. You could of, course use a paintbrush, but I just used my finger to do this quickly. To see the video of this card being pulled together head here.

Hershy Kisses Easter Basket

 To see this one you will have to head to my YouTube Channel.  Since this is for my kiddo, I did not get a picture before I put it up to bring out tomorrow morning.  Head here and here to see both 1-minute videos.