Matting and Layering

A cardmakers term that  needs to be explained as many new  cardmakers are stopped in their  tracks by words  that those of us who know  how to make cards use  willy nilly.

I remember going to a computer  class many years ago and being asked by the tutor  "Do you know anything about computers?"    To which 80% of the class said a most emphatic "NO!!!"

She then proceeded to tell us to use the mouse to add the cursor to the search box ... and click,  add the title  "Whatever it was.... "  and hit enter.

Most of us spent the next few minutes looking for furry creatures running around, wondering what a cursor was,  why we needed to hit anything and  where and what it was we were entering. 

So a not very  helpful tutor and a not  very explicit lesson, as she clearly didn't understand  the answer "NO" to  her own question in the first place.

I know when  I started to make cards it was something I had never come across and I  couldn't find a detailed answer to  my question   "What is matting and layering?" ....

Having been asked the same question ...  and  not wanting to be tarred with the same brush as  my earlier  tutor with the PC's, ...  I decided to make a short video to explain  exactly what  Matting and Layering   is.

It is aimed at those people new  to this hobby  who don't know all  these terms  that are bandied about.

It has had a good response from lots of people ...  so I seem to have hit the correct level and I am happy to be of use to the many many  people joining the growing band of new cardmakers every single day.

It is for  You  that  Card Making Magic   was born.

Hugs xx

Choosing Colours

Some of the questions I have been asked lately ...  in emails to the website ... are concerning colours and patterns for the cards that I make. 

"How do you choose colours?"

"How do you know which patterns work together?"

"Do clashing colours work with each other?"

If you are a seasoned card maker then maybe to you the answers are obvious.

But the website is created for those that don't know the basics and so I tried my best to answer these questions as easily as I could.

I kept in mind that many people are a little scared of colours and patterns ... unlike me who goes ahead and tries anything with anything... and I wanted to build up that spirit of adventure in the newest of cardmakers so that they will be happy with what they come up with.

So I have done two more videos that will deal with this subject,  and maybe answer some of the concerns that arise when someone is faced with any array of colours, patterns and textures and they don't know where to start.

And judging by the response on YouTube ...  and in yet more emails it has been very well recieved.

Choosing Colours  is under five minutes long  and yet I hope it gives the information that a "Newbie" will find useful the next time they want to make a card.

And this card proves the point of not being afraid of colour and just playing with the papers that you have in your own "Stash" and seeing what works together.

The image is from Humphreys Corner  from Crafters Companion and has been coloured with Spectrum Noir pens. 

Floral Ovals from Spellbinders has been used to layer the image

The "Bling" as always is from Want2Scrap and is well worth checking out.

Hugs xx

Pretty card ....

Back to the pretty girly card for this one and I thought I would make it for a young birthday.

This one is pink .... well no surprise there then .... and the Teddy Bear was free with a magazine.

I have layered him onto a Spellbinder Floral Oval and then added the lot to the card with foam pads.

I have added Glossy Accents to the balloon and sprinkled in some Glamour Dust whilst it was still wet.

The background has been created with embossing folders and the ribbon is from   Fantastic Ribbons   where you will find some wonderful lace and buttons, as well as many coloured ribbons.

The number three was created from that useful little addition the Card Candi ... and you can get many colours, patterns and sizes from   Craftwork Cards

There are many things that you can do with this little embellishment and using it to make the number is just one of them.  I have added them to this card with tiny foam pads and I have used the pink polka dot ones for effect.

Hugs xx

... and puppy dogs' tails.

Here are some more of the cards that I have made with a "boy" theme to them. 

And now I am getting withdrawal symptoms and will need to make some  "girly" cards soon .... very soon. 

This one has the Faux Leather  that I posted about a few weeks ago ... and the buttons to keep the male look.

The link takes you to the video on how to get the look for yourself .... from masking tape.

The images have been coloured with Promarkers ... and were done in  the early days when I first started to colour in ... so not very good  ... but hopefully I have got better.

This is a stamped image from  Lili of the Valley

They have lots of lovely boy stamps for you to colour anyway you want.

And the addition of the ribbon does not take any of the boyish look away.

But it will be back to the pretty cards again tomorrow so I can use all the embellishments I like to add.

Hugs xx

Slugs and snails ....

If you're like me then you are simply in heaven whenever you have to make a card for a girl.

You can go to town on all the lovely embellishments that can be added ... Flowers, Ribbons and Pearls in abundance and pretty pastel pinks and lilacs Mmmmm Mmmmm !!

But every so often we need to make a card for the boys and then we have to start head scratching to come up with the ideas.

 
This image was free in a magazine pullout... and there were lots of them on the pages.

I scanned it into the PC and now I can print them off to the size I want whenever I need a new image.



I have coloured all these images with either Spectrum Noir or Promarkers.

This young man is from the LillyBoo collection from Cuddly Buddly

There are many images to choose from and they suit all age groups and occasions.

They are not expensive.... and because they are digital downloads they are yours instantly.

The name on this card makes it more personal and I  added the wall background to keep the boyish look.

This one was from   KennyK Downloads 

The digital papers are all in shades of blue... and are free from  Summertime Designs

You will find lots of papers for you to use and this one is the Fathers and Fedoras Kit.

Buttons are always a good addition to male cards and the sentiment for this is from the "Pretty Tuff" CD from PolkaDoodles

But even though it is a male card doesn't mean  it can't have some pearly swirls on it.

And this one just adds a little more to the Tug of War boys from KennyK.

Hugs xx