"Basic Card Making" Tutorial Part 1

Hi Everyone - It's Wednesday and that means it's time for a tutorial here at QKR Stampede...

Every Wednesday we will be showing you different techniques and tutorials on the Eureka Stamps Blog

as well as here at QKR Stampede!

Sassy Raggedy here with you today and I am going to start with a tutorial on basic card making.  I am 

showing you the basic supplies I always use for my cards. Now remember, this is a tutorial on just the 

basics only.

Basic Supplies:

• Two Sided Craft Mat Measured
• Bone Folder Tool
• Paper Trimmer
• Scor-Pal
• Card Stock

Frequently I will have people ask me how to get started with card making.  I have to stop and remind myself that not long ago I also had no idea where to start.  One thing I have learned is that everyone develops their own way of card making.  So, without getting too technical today I am going to complete this tutorial with basics. There are all types of supplies out there - from inexpensive to top of the line.... I still use the same cutting mat, paper trimmer and scor-pal that I started with.

• Pre-Made Cards - Many crafters like to use pre-made cards (cards already cut to a certain size & packaged to sell in stores). The most popular are A7 (5x7) and A4 (4 1/2x6 1/8). These usually come packaged with envelopes. Using pre-made cards are the easiest to design.  
• Card Stock and Designer Papers - I enjoy making my own card base.  Normally, I will make a 6x6 card but if I know I will be adding a lot of embellishments I will use 5.5x5.5.  Let's get started on making a 6x6 card using a piece of white card stock.

•  First I always use a sheet of card stock measuring 12x12.  Normally, card stock comes in either 8 1/2 x 11 (which is regular paper size) or 12x12.  So since your card stock is 12x12 you want to measure and mark your paper at the 6 inch mark.  You will mark each end of your paper. 

• Once measured and marked you will then take your paper trimmer and line up your cutter on the pencil marks that you just measured.  Now you should have a sheet of card stock which measures 6 inches wide and 12 inches in length, or 6x12.

 

• Now you want to make a crease in the center of your card stock. The best way to do this is to use a Scor-Pal.  I used to just fold over my card and crease with my hand.  However, after the first time of using the Scor-Pal to do this I was hooked.  And I had never heard of a "bone tool" yet it is one of my favorite tools to use now.

• So let's place our 6x12 sheet on our Scor-Pal horizontally.  Since our length is 12 inches all we want to do is score our card stock in the middle of at 6 inches.  You will see measured grooves in your Scor-Pal.  Take you bone tool and place in the groove and slide it across your card stock staying in the groove.  You will see how your bone tool is scoring your card stock.  Normally, I do this 2 to 3 times.  

• Now you want to fold your card stock where the scoring is.  It will be easy to fold. Then take the bone tool and slide across the fold a couple of times.  This will make the crease in your card very smooth and professional.

• That's all there is to it...You now have your basic card and you are ready to design your card as you wish.  I normally will used designer papers added to my card followed by images and sentiments. My last step would be the embellishments.  

In Step 2 of Basic Card Making I will go further with the card, showing you how to add your images and sentiments, as well as the embellishments.  We will also learn to do the insides of the cards in Step 3.

For those new to card making I hope you have learned a little something to help you along.  Please stay with us for more tutorials and techniques.  If you have any questions or comments please leave them on the post and we will be back in touch.

Be sure to go to the Eureka Stamps Blog and check out what technique Deb has to show you using Mica Powders.

And remember there are no errors in card making....

Sassy Raggedy aka Joann