[The Missing Manual for Card Making] Stretch A Sketch
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Hello everyone! Today I'm sharing a post for a series of postings I've wanted to do for a while. 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 think I should go ahead and document what I've learned. I will share simple bite-size tips in the hope that they will be helpful to someone else too.
When I first stumbled across card sketches, I felt like that I found a piece of that missing manual for card making. A sketch takes out the majority of the "guess work". I believe limitation is what stimulates creativity!
The example I'm using today is the sketch for our current Waffle Flower Challenge. It was based on the card on the right.
We can follow a sketch closely or give it a little twist to make our card standout. Stretch a sketch is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
Cut them out as shown and I had my "meaningful" elements for the card.
At this point, we were getting close to make a card that makes people wow. But it still needed something special. For example, the white piece of cardstock looked plain. So I replaced it with a cloud patterned paper (I think we need cloud stamps, anyone?). Balloons don't just float in the air, right? No brainer, let's add the strings!
The sentiment form our Surface – Tag Stamp Set is just perfect for this card! I popped the pieces on with some foam adhesive to add dimension. I stopped here for a clean look but you can continue to add special touches here and there to make your card you!
Thank you for stopping by! I hope that you are inspired to create something with a sketch! Happy Crafting!
We can follow a sketch closely or give it a little twist to make our card standout. Stretch a sketch is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
1. Rotate the sketch
This should be the first thing we try whenever we get a new sketch. Rotate the sketch, see the options and discover the possibilities. In my case today, I rotated the sketch 90 degrees clockwise.
2. Give it Meaning
I've found the most effective way to make a card standout in a sketch challenge is to give it meaning. Remember all the elements in a sketch can be replaced with other shapes, images or embellishments? When I saw these circles, I wanted to make them into balloons! So I pulled out my Flower Circles Stamp Set and picked a couple of circles to stamp on a scrap piece of white cardstock. I used both sides of the circle stamps. I then used a pencil to draw a little triangle tail for each balloon.
Cut them out as shown and I had my "meaningful" elements for the card.
3. Add a Special Touch
As I was playing with the layout elements, I decided to create a birthday scene for my card.
At this point, we were getting close to make a card that makes people wow. But it still needed something special. For example, the white piece of cardstock looked plain. So I replaced it with a cloud patterned paper (I think we need cloud stamps, anyone?). Balloons don't just float in the air, right? No brainer, let's add the strings!
The sentiment form our Surface – Tag Stamp Set is just perfect for this card! I popped the pieces on with some foam adhesive to add dimension. I stopped here for a clean look but you can continue to add special touches here and there to make your card you!
- Add glitter to the balloons?
- Use a white pen to add highlights?
- Stamp some cloud with Versamark ink on the card base to create a subtle background?
- Add Enamel dots? Sequins? Buttons?
- Ink the edges? Round the corners?
Thank you for stopping by! I hope that you are inspired to create something with a sketch! Happy Crafting!
10 comments
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Product Ideas
- #TBT
- 100% Love Stamp Set
- A Bunch
- A Bunch Stamp Set
- A Homemade Christmas
- Amazing Word Die
- Anything Paper but a Card
- Awesome Word Die
- Back to Basics
- Balloon Messages
- Be My Guest
- Be My Guest Stamp Set
- Birthday Fishes
- Birthday Fishes Stamp Set
- Blog Hop
- Bowtiful
- Bowtiful Additions
- Bowtiful Additions Stamp Set
- Bowtiful Die Set
- Calendar
- Calendar Numbers
- Celebrate Word Die
- Challenge
- Chirp Chirp Dye Ink
- Christmas
- Claire
- Claire Stamp Set
- ColorStory Inks
- Congrats
- Congrats Word Die
- Cool Tools
- Cutaway Alpha
- Daydreaming Dye Ink
- Design Team
- Dimensional Frames Die
- Doily Circle
- Doily Circle Die
- Doily Square
- Doily Square Die
- Doily Square Stamp Set
- Downloads
- DT Mix
- Egg Hunt
- Egg Hunt Die
- Fall Blend Inkpad
- Faye
- Faye Stamp Set
- Feather More
- First Step
- Five for Friday
- Flower Circles
- Flower Circles Die
- Flower Circles Inverted Die
- Flutter
- Flutter Stamp Set
- Fun Finds
- Gemstone
- Gemstone Stamp Set
- Gift Bag Die
- Give Thanks
- Give Thanks Die
- Giveaway
- Good Stuff
- Good Stuff Die
- Guest Design
- Handmade Embellishments
- Happy Go Lucky Dye Ink
- Hey Mr
- Hey Mr Stamp Set
- Hibiscus
- Holiday Label 1 Die
- Holiday Labels
- Holiday Labels Give Thanks
- Holiday Labels Give Thanks Stamp Set
- Holiday Labels Merry
- Holiday Labels Merry Stamp Set
- In Every Way
- Inks
- Inspiration
- InstaLove Die
- Jumbo Letter Die
- Jumbo Letter HI
- Lace Tape
- Lacy Flower
- Lacy Flower Mats Die
- Lacy Flowers Die
- Lacy Layers 2 Die
- Lacy Layers Die
- Leafy
- Life Anchor
- Little Gifts 3D Die
- Little Gifts Stamp Set
- Little Mermaids
- Lotus
- Loved
- Magical
- Magical Die
- Magical Word Die
- Mailable 3D Bow Template Die
- Meet-up
- Mini Trifold Notes Die
- Monochrome
- My Pleasure Dye Ink
- New Fish in Pond Dye Ink
- New Release
- Notions
- Oh Happy Day Dye Ink
- On My Mark
- On My Mark Die
- PaperCut Alpha Die
- Partly Cloudy Die
- Pattern Play
- Peace On Earth
- Perfect Word Die
- Petal Holder Die
- Pinking Layers Die
- Planner - Stay Focused
- Planner Add-on
- Planted
- Planted Stamp Set
- Pots Die
- Potted
- Product Love
- Publications
- Purse-nality Die
- Purse-nality Stamp set
- Quick & Easy
- Rain Check
- Rain Check Stamp Set
- Recharge
- Riverside
- Riverside Die Set
- Riverside Stamp Set
- Rock My World
- Rock My World Die Set
- Rock My World Stamp Set
- Rosette Hearts Die
- Safe Choice Dye Ink
- Sew Fun
- Shellabrate
- Shellabrate Stamp Set
- Shower
- Shower Stamp Set
- Silhouette Cameo
- Sketchy Alpha Stamp Set
- Sketchy Letters Stamp Set
- Sketchy Numbers Stamp Set
- Snail Mail
- Snail Mail Stamp Set
- Spread the Word
- Spring Blend Inkpad
- Stamps & Cards
- Starry Night
- Starry Night Stamp Set
- Stay Focused Die
- Stocking
- Stocking Die
- Stocking Stamp Set
- Storage
- Succulents Stamp Set
- Summer Blend Inkpad
- Surface Tag
- Surface Tag Die Santa Add-on
- Surface – Tag
- Surface – Tag Die – Scallop Add-on
- Surface – Tag Die – Starter Kit
- Technique
- Tiger & Lily
- Tiger & Lily Stamp Set
- Tiny Circle Die
- Tiny Die Trio
- Tiny Heart Die
- Tiny Love Bubble Die
- Tiny Pumpkin Face Die
- Tiny Star Die
- Tiny Twine Bow Die
- Tiny Wings Die
- Tiny Word Bubble Die
- Tribal Bear
- Tribal Pattern Die
- Tribal Thank You
- Tribal Thank You Stamp Set
- Trick or Treat Die
- Trick or Treat Stamp Set
- Tutorials
- Uncategorized
- Video
- Waffle Flower Crafts
- Warm Wishes Stamp Set
- Watch It Wednesday (Videos)
- Welcome Spring
- Welcome Spring Stamp Set
- Wild & Free
- Willy
- Willy & Friends
- Willy & Friends Die
- Willy & Friends Stamp Set
- Winter Blend Inkpad
- With Love Word Die
- Yippee Word Die
- You Said What Dye Ink
- zChallenges
Great idea, Nina. Thanks for taking the time to put this together.
maria f. on
Nina you are so clever! LOVE how you made balloons, so cute
Miriam Prantner on
Yayyyy for the ‘manual’! I ‘need’ sketches to create cards, and find myself often ‘forgetting’ to look at them from different perspectives. Your ideas here: perfect! Your card: awesome! Looking forward to playing and especially to Manual Part 2!
~c
c on
Very cool card! And I love the tips! Thanks for sharing! ;)
Shelly K on
[…] The balloons are made from the circles in Flower Circles Stamp Set. Find out how in this post. […]
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