Fun (and free) ways to dress up a card!

Simple is nice, isn’t it? I have more tools and gadgets at my disposal than many scrapbook stores but sometimes it is nice to get back to basics, use up my scraps and make stuff from scratch. Last year I got the crocheting book “The Happy Hooker” and there was a cute scarf made from crocheted flowers. I made a few small ones planing to put them on a scrapbook page but they sat in my UFO (unfinished objects) drawer because quite frankly I thought they were too gaudy…buy hey, who am I kidding, have you seen my work? I’m pretty gaudy! So I used it on this card:

Digital Stamp: Lindsay's Stamp Stuff, Paper: MME, DCWV, K&Co, Cupcake Sticker: Borders, Rubber stamp: Stampin Up

I used my Carousel Horse stamp and colored it with watercolor crayons and a blender pen (this, BTW is the fastest method of stamp coloring I have found) and added glitter glue to the mane and tail.I made the card with scraps lying around my craft table.

To Shape my paper I did not use use my Cricut (gasp!) I did it by hand and it is sooooo easy, here’s how: Grab a scrap of paper that is 1″ or so wide and cut it the length of the border you want to make. Fold it in half and sketch a curvy line on it (or scallops, zig-zags or whatever you like) then cut it out. Unfold the paper and you have a custom template. Trace it on the paper you wan to shape and cut on the line, easy peasy! I did the same for the scallop panel too except I folded my paper in quarters and drew one bump on it and trimmed it so when I unfolded it I had 4 scallops. You can save them and use them over and over again too!

Fold a strip of paper in half and draw a curvy line. (sorry about the blurry photo;)

Cut on the line and unfold. Viola, a template!

For another fun effect I used my Cutter bee Peircing bugs to make freehand sewing lines around my papers before I glued everything down. Just lay your paper on a foam pad and firmly roll the piercing wheels around the edges. you can use a ruler if you like but I prefer to do it freehand. Then use a pen to trace over the holes to simulate stitching.

I had so much fun with thi preoject! Now let’s see what the rest of the Lindsay’s stamp Stuff Design Team has cooked up for you this week:

Michelle H.

Kim

Tracey

Tamara

Lisa

Margie

Katt

Row

Melissa

Janet

Michele R.

Olena

Be sure to check out their creations and leave them some love. Have a grat day and happy crafting!