Cardmaking-Tips-and-Techniques

Written and Created by PaperCraftCentral Susan

Card making is a great way to make someone feel special.Try some Cardmaking-Tips-and-Techniques that you may not have seen, or forgotten about, by browsing through the ones on this page.

"The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne,
the' assay so hard, so sharp the conqueryinge"
~Geoffrey Chaucer circa 1342 - 1400

How do you feel when someone gives you handmade cards? I know I always feel touched that they have taken the time and made the effort to create something unique and heartfelt for me. It may not take a lifetime to learn this craft, but the more time you spend on it, the better you will like the results. And beginner cards are just as heartfelt as advanced ones, so never be afraid to start!

Wouldn't it be good for you to have the chance to make others feel appreciated? You can read more about why people do make handmade greetings in the first place, but if you already love to make them, do scroll down to find Cardmaking-Tips-and-Techniques.

You might also like to see my Card Ideas made from class kits.

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You can make your own cards at home with your scrapbooking supplies. You can also use rubber stamps to embellish your card making in almost infinite ways.

Here is some information if  you want to know more about the card stock and designer series paper I use for my projects.

NOTE: You can purchase quality supplies from Stampin' Up! to enable you to do this.  Check out my ordering site if you live in Australia to see what is available from Stampin' Up! for stamping and papercrafting supplies or tools.

The first site I found that illustrated literally hundreds of different stamping techniques was SplitCoastStampers. I still go there to browse member's cards for new ideas and technique tips. It's a very friendly community and great for new card makers to get ideas.

I made the 'Happy Everything' (stamp set now retired) card shown above with a few basic supplies and some sponge daubers. Sponge daubers are little cylinders of plastic or wood that are tipped with a dome of sponge. You can press them into an ink pad to pick up some ink, then apply them to your paper to define the edges or to help you make a scene or background. Make sure you rinse your sponge daubers well before changing ink colours, or do as I do and have one for each colour.

SPECIAL NOTE: To find out a little bit about quilled cards, subscribe to Paper Twists and access the back issues.

Here's how I made the 'Happy Everything' card shown above:

• I used a pink coloured cardstock as a base and
• Versamark ink to stamp the pattern on the background and
• two different coloured papers to mount the main image on and
• a Stampin' Up! stamp to make the flower from the set 'Greetings Galore' (retired). The image is stamped on glossy white cardstock with black Stazon ink. Then it is coloured in with chalk pastels and a blender pen. The background has been sponge-spotted yellow with a sponge dauber
• last I speckled the image with more ink to give it a random and completed look.

Here are some other Cardmaking-Tips-and-Techniques:

Make a Banner Card to shout out your congratulations or another message to someone

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 Try Cardmaking-Tips-and-Techniques for using Brayered Landscapes. It is a lot of fun and the results may surprise and delight  you!

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Colour Ribbons to exactly match your projects

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Make your own Papercraft Bears or Papercraft Ladies

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Try some Big Shot embossed effects to enrich your card making techniques in various ways. I show you how with a series of cupcake cards.

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Add some Black Magic to your papercraft repertoire, for drama and impact with a little bit of nostalgia thrown in

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Try a buckle card as a lovely variation of the gate fold technique

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Make some Card Spinners, interactive elements on a card that actually spin.

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Try some Easel Cards (also called photo cards) and use one of your favourite photos to show it off

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Working with Chalks can be so soft and subtle

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Crayon Resist Technique is a fun way to make an impressive card quickly

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Dry Embossing adds texture and depth

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Heat Embossing makes things pop!

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Make a faux flannel blanket using glossy card stock and reinkers and a Big Shot embossing folder

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Here's how I made the small Faux Metal heart shown below

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And here's how to make a faux metal motorbike using a larger rubber stamp

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Try taking a nice Get Well Card with you to visit a sick friend

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Glitter Embossing is just so, well, glitzy!

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Faux Silk can add elegance and texture too

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Make soft papers to use in your projects with the Faux Suede technique

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Get luxurious with the Faux Velvet technique

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Gatefold Cards can make a grand statement

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How to make your own envelopes

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How to use card sketches for inspiration.

Inchies are addictive and can be made from scraps

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Try some different ink techniques to add pizzazz to your projects

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How Do You Find Inspiration? I show you one way to be inspired in Stamps Craft 2

Folding can be a great way to add interest to your cards. Try a Folded Greeting Card (also known as a Stair Step Fold or Accordion Fold card). Let me know if you want to learn any other special card folds.

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Try the Iris Folding Technique

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The Kissing Technique helps you get more use out of your stamps

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Masking can add depth and interest in a one layer card

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Paper Piercing can look like a design element on its own, or like faux stitching

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Do You Get Your Free Copy of Paper Twists Yet?

Subscribe to Paper Twists to get the latest news and information from PaperCraftCentral.com! You'll often get new card ideas and other information about:

• Papercraft hints and tips
  
• New ideas in the papercraft world
  
• Reviews of new products and tools. What works and what doesn’t!
  
• How to save money on paper crafting supplies

Remember, subscribing to Paper Twists is Free!

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Now Here are more Card Making Techniques For You:

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Make some Penny-Roller cards to impress and celebrate!

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Quilling is a very nice technique to learn and quilled elements make great enhancements, It's something to add to your Cardmaking-Tips-and-Techniques repertoire.

Using Recyclable Products in paper-crafting. Go green!

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Reflections Cards can really dazzle!

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Do you like special card folds? Me too!

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Try some Thanksgiving art projects by making a pumpkin card:

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Twinchies are the bigger brothers and sisters of inchies and are great embellishments to add to your Cardmaking-Tips-and-Techniques repertoire.

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Rub Ons - Custom Made ones!

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Stamping with Bleach can have surprising results

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Tearing tips for your card making and also your scrapbooking pages

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Water colouring tips

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Sometimes you need to match your card to your wrapping paper too, if you are giving a gift at the same time ☺

If you still need more card ideas, check out the projects I make every year using many of the techniques mentioned above:

• Card Projects from 2019
• Card projects from 2020
• Card projects from 2021
• Card projects from 2022
• Card projects from 2023
  

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Now you have some card making tips and techniques to try, go ahead and have some fun! When you have made a project, I hope you will share it with me here.

Read more about PaperCraftCentral Susan here.

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