Hello everyone
I want to do a weekly post of the above title, from what I have learned and currently do within my craft room. A lot of my experiences have come from trials & error, experimentation, ideas I have picked up and simply playing around.
I will have various topics that I will address weekly, I may add to as a Edit, or Continue, in as some can be extensive or as I learn more about "stuff ".
Now, I am not trying to copy anybody else's ideas and passing it off as my own. These posts are about what I have learned from various sources, my experiences and what works for me in MY craft room.
Each topic will have number of points, more points will be added in the next week, if I have more information.
Ready?
PAPER/CARDSTOCK
When I make a greeting card, tag, notecard or anything that requires card stock, I obtain it from a few sources.
Solid
1. All my white/off white bases, or pre color card stock and black, are mostly from Artist Acrylic/Watercolour /Sketch Pads. This could be 190, 225,300 or 400 gsm thickness. I find this to be the most cost effective for me.
2. I also purchase large A2 sheets from craft stores, discount stores or KMart and such for a few dollars and cut it down to my required base card size. This my be of a pure white shade or colours.
3. Cereal and cardboard packaging boxes come in various shades also. I sometimes remove the outer printing by tearing away a few layers down. Some are easy to remove others not so and I can cover this either with printed adhesive roll(vinyl), wrapping paper, wall paper or butcher paper.
Patterned
1. Cup Cake Liners.
They come in some of the prettiest colours and patterns. I use it as plain/patterned backgrounds, that goes with the color scheme or my project. I will iron it out to flatten, between 2 sheets of copy paper as some have a wax coating and my ruin the paper or iron, when heat is applied. You get die cut designs on a few and these can be used as embellishments. You could die cut, punch or fussy cut it, to your desired look. They can be adhered to card stock also to be more firm.
2. Paper Serviettes/ Napkins.
I use this often, you get 20 to 30 per pack, starting from a dollar up. You get varying sizes and you only really need one section or less, per card. I always adhere mine with cling film/ Saran Wrap, to my cereal boxes. Perfect to use it as a designer paper background. There are many tutorials on YouTube, demonstrating paper napkins in card making.
3. Tissue Paper.
I have heaps of this, whether white, coloured or patterned. I use it for another texture background, which I either paint or use plain. I adhere it to card board, the same way as my paper napkins.
Never buy plain white tissue paper Please! if you want to save pennies. Ask a local shoe shop, friends, family to save theirs and give to you. It can be stamped on and used as washi tape. Made into tiny flowers as embellishments, tear a strip, stain it and add character for a masculine card.
4. Wall Paper.
If you or family/friends, recently decorated you/they may have leftovers. We have a hardware store in Australia that allows us to take 20cm sample pieces for free, I have obtained lots and am sure I am popular on their CCTV by now, I do go to various suburbs also, wellllllll! they said it was free.
5. Paint Chip Samples.
Another hardware or paint store score.
6. Scrapbook Designer Paper.
I sometimes buy scrapbook designer sheets/books and ask for this as gifts from family members when they offer, but I never use up my books because, I photocopy it to get more. Oh I know now how cheap is that!, well it is cheaper to buy ink than multiple books. You get 12" by 12" and smaller in sometimes the same designs, I obviously am going to get the cheaper, smaller book right?Right!
KMart, Target and Other major outlets sell them, don't forget to look in Discount stores, that sometimes stock them too.
So that is week one's tips, but there will be a continuation next week of this topic.
Hope this inspires you to save in one place to spend on other wanted crafts,
Cheers
Deirdre'