[The Missing Manual for Card Making] Stretch A Sketch
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June 16, 2014
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
- 1. Occassion: Other
- 100% Love Stamp Set
- 2. Type: Gift Wrap
- A Bunch Stamp Set
- A Homemade Christmas
- Anything Paper but a Card
- Awesome Word Die
- Back to Basics
- Be My Guest Stamp Set
- Birthday Fishes Stamp Set
- Blog Hop
- Bowtiful Additions Stamp Set
- Bowtiful Die Set
- Celebrate Word Die
- Challenge
- Chirp Chirp Dye Ink
- Claire Stamp Set
- Congrats Word Die
- Cool Tools
- Daydreaming Dye Ink
- Design Team
- Doily Circle Die
- Doily Square Die
- Doily Square Stamp Set
- Downloads
- Faye Stamp Set
- Five for Friday
- Flower Circles
- Flower Circles Die
- Flower Circles Inverted Die
- Flutter Stamp Set
- Fun Finds
- Gemstone Stamp Set
- Gift Bag Die
- Give Thanks
- Give Thanks Die
- Giveaway
- Guest Design
- Handmade Embellishments
- Happy Go Lucky Dye Ink
- Hey Mr Stamp Set
- Holiday Label 1 Die
- Holiday Labels
- Holiday Labels Give Thanks Stamp Set
- Holiday Labels Merry Stamp Set
- Inks
- Jumbo Letter Die
- Jumbo Letter HI
- Lace Tape
- Lacy Flowers Die
- Little Gifts Stamp Set
- Mailable 3D Bow Template Die
- Meet-up
- My Pleasure Dye Ink
- New Fish in Pond Dye Ink
- New Release
- Oh Happy Day Dye Ink
- On My Mark Die
- PaperCut Alpha Die
- Partly Cloudy Die
- Petal Holder Die
- Planner - Stay Focused
- Planner Add-on
- Planted Stamp Set
- Product Love
- Publications
- Purse-nality Die
- Purse-nality Stamp set
- Quick & Easy
- Rain Check Stamp Set
- Riverside Die Set
- Riverside Stamp Set
- Rock My World Die Set
- Rock My World Stamp Set
- Rosette Hearts Die
- Safe Choice Dye Ink
- Sew Fun
- Shellabrate Stamp Set
- Shower Stamp Set
- Silhouette Cameo
- Sketchy Alpha Stamp Set
- Sketchy Letters Stamp Set
- Sketchy Numbers Stamp Set
- Snail Mail Stamp Set
- Spread the Word
- Spring Blend Inkpad
- Stamps & Cards
- Starry Night Stamp Set
- Stocking Die
- Stocking Stamp Set
- Storage
- Succulents Stamp Set
- Summer Blend Inkpad
- Surface Tag Die Santa Add-on
- Surface – Tag
- Surface – Tag Die – Starter Kit
- Technique
- Tiger & Lily Stamp Set
- Tiny Circle Die
- Tiny Heart Die
- Tiny Star Die
- Tiny Twine Bow Die
- Tiny Word Bubble Die
- 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 Stamp Set
- Willy & Friends Die
- Willy & Friends Stamp Set
- You Said What Dye Ink
- zChallenges
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Waffle Flower Challenge June/July 2014
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Forever By Your Side Card
Categories
- 1. Occassion: Other
- 100% Love Stamp Set
- 2. Type: Gift Wrap
- A Bunch Stamp Set
- A Homemade Christmas
- Anything Paper but a Card
- Awesome Word Die
- Back to Basics
- Be My Guest Stamp Set
- Birthday Fishes Stamp Set
- Blog Hop
- Bowtiful Additions Stamp Set
- Bowtiful Die Set
- Celebrate Word Die
- Challenge
- Chirp Chirp Dye Ink
- Claire Stamp Set
- Congrats Word Die
- Cool Tools
- Daydreaming Dye Ink
- Design Team
- Doily Circle Die
- Doily Square Die
- Doily Square Stamp Set
- Downloads
- Faye Stamp Set
- Five for Friday
- Flower Circles
- Flower Circles Die
- Flower Circles Inverted Die
- Flutter Stamp Set
- Fun Finds
- Gemstone Stamp Set
- Gift Bag Die
- Give Thanks
- Give Thanks Die
- Giveaway
- Guest Design
- Handmade Embellishments
- Happy Go Lucky Dye Ink
- Hey Mr Stamp Set
- Holiday Label 1 Die
- Holiday Labels
- Holiday Labels Give Thanks Stamp Set
- Holiday Labels Merry Stamp Set
- Inks
- Jumbo Letter Die
- Jumbo Letter HI
- Lace Tape
- Lacy Flowers Die
- Little Gifts Stamp Set
- Mailable 3D Bow Template Die
- Meet-up
- My Pleasure Dye Ink
- New Fish in Pond Dye Ink
- New Release
- Oh Happy Day Dye Ink
- On My Mark Die
- PaperCut Alpha Die
- Partly Cloudy Die
- Petal Holder Die
- Planner - Stay Focused
- Planner Add-on
- Planted Stamp Set
- Product Love
- Publications
- Purse-nality Die
- Purse-nality Stamp set
- Quick & Easy
- Rain Check Stamp Set
- Riverside Die Set
- Riverside Stamp Set
- Rock My World Die Set
- Rock My World Stamp Set
- Rosette Hearts Die
- Safe Choice Dye Ink
- Sew Fun
- Shellabrate Stamp Set
- Shower Stamp Set
- Silhouette Cameo
- Sketchy Alpha Stamp Set
- Sketchy Letters Stamp Set
- Sketchy Numbers Stamp Set
- Snail Mail Stamp Set
- Spread the Word
- Spring Blend Inkpad
- Stamps & Cards
- Starry Night Stamp Set
- Stocking Die
- Stocking Stamp Set
- Storage
- Succulents Stamp Set
- Summer Blend Inkpad
- Surface Tag Die Santa Add-on
- Surface – Tag
- Surface – Tag Die – Starter Kit
- Technique
- Tiger & Lily Stamp Set
- Tiny Circle Die
- Tiny Heart Die
- Tiny Star Die
- Tiny Twine Bow Die
- Tiny Word Bubble Die
- 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 Stamp Set
- Willy & Friends Die
- Willy & Friends Stamp Set
- You Said What Dye Ink
- zChallenges
Very cool card! And I love the tips! Thanks for sharing! ;)
Shelly K 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
Nina you are so clever! LOVE how you made balloons, so cute
Miriam Prantner on
Great idea, Nina. Thanks for taking the time to put this together.
maria f. on
Also a fellow manual reader here – really like knowing what I am getting myself into and all the little tips and tricks you wouldn’t know about otherwise. Great idea for a blog series and cute card! :)
Sabrina on