Hello everyone! Nina here again with another post in our on-going series: The Missing Manual for Card Making. I am one of those people who reads every word in a user manual and hopes there is one for everything, haha! While I am still learning new things everyday, I want to go ahead and document what I’ve learned. I'm sharing simple bite-size tips in the hope that they will be useful to you too. Today, I'm sharing some simple ways to go beyond on your normal clean and simple cards! CAS (clean & simple) cards usually utilize a strong focal and a lot of white space. It does not mean that the card should be plain & dull!

1. Go Beyond Paper

The reason I love card making is that it gives me the chance to incorporate many different materials into a project. The most commonly used for CAS cards are sewing notions (thread, ribbon, button...). Instead of using the cloud stamps from our Rain Check Stamp Set for the focal, I die cut some felt using our Partly Cloudy Die to add texture and dimension to my card. I also used a piece of ribbon for a pop of color.

2. Go Beyond a Glue Stick

Another great way to add texture and visual interest to a card is to use a different way to attach your elements. Instead of your plain old glue sticks (or tape runners), try using foam dots, your sewing machine or even a stapler! The contrast between the felt and the staple also makes the clouds looking extra soft and fluffy.

3. Go Beyond a Stamp

There is no limit to how you can use your stamps. Use stamps in unexpected ways will always help making your cards shine. For me, it usually happens when I made a mistake. On this card for example, I stamped the raindrops too close to the left edge and needed something on the left. I thought about a piece of washi tape but I wanted a more clean look. And then I saw the outlined clouds from our Rain Check Stamp Set. Isn't it a great way to add a scalloped border to a card? (Wink, Wink!) Together with the sentiment stamped in black, we've created a visual "frame" to draw the recipient's eyes to the focal. I wish I had stamped the sentiment a little bit lower on this card though... Hmmm...

4. Go Beyond a Square Corner

There was a time when I couldn't make a card without rounding the corners. LOL Remember that you don't have to round all of the four corners? Rounding 1, 2, or 3 corners according to what's already on your card is a great way to fix any small positioning errors. Rounding the two corners on the right on a side-folding card is one of my favorite finishes. The rounded corners (as shown above) also help bringing your recipient's eyes back to the focal!

5. Go Beyond Cardmaking

This photo for our current Photo Inspiration Challenge is a fun and creative DIY project. It inspired me to use clouds and raindrops on a baby shower card. I used felt because the clouds in the photo were made from felt. The metallic shine on those stars led me to use my stapler. My card is a straight forward interpretation of this Home Decor project, isn't it? :) I hope that you can start looking for details on many other creative works to incorporate them into your cards. The possibility is endless. Do you have a favorite trick to spice up a CAS card? Share with us in the comment! We will pick a random winner to receive this Rain Check Stamp Set on Friday, April 3! Most importantly, find time to create and make something today!