Mar. 13, 2007
Sweet Monday for March 2007 -- Quick & Creative Cards
This month, we just did a simply menu of foods we would snack on while we worked. Popcorn, knock-off Girl Scout cookies from Dollar General for $1.50, mints, and the candy for the month was Baskins Robbins 31 Flavors hard candy in Mint Chocolate Chip flavor in honor of St. Patricks Day.
For the devotional, I shared with the ladies how a friend always puts a pre-printed little slip of paper in her notes with a quote/scripture that she find interesting or powerful. (She just types them up, prints them off, and has them with her writing supplies.) I encouraged the ladies to start doing that when they write notes (we all agreed we LOVE quotes), as we never know how God will use it to encourage the reciever. I shared with them how that little paper from my friend was something I really clung to and meditated on for many months (see the first part of the blog entry, Why "Whirlwind.")
For the program, I shared many saving paper-craft tips (see below) and we made cards at our dining room table. I explained that since I now have busy kids and a busier life, I tend to come up with a design and then "assembly-line" it and make a lot all at one time. For birthdays, all the kids get the same card design, and the adults ladies another, and then the guys another. That way, I have them all made up for the year and put into my card album by who-to-send-what-to-which-month, and I don't accidently end-up sending a "repeat" card to someone the following year.
I also send them home with a copy of "Money Saving Tips" and card sketches I found at http://www.memorycreators.com/sketches.htm
Creative Paper Craft Money Saving Tips:
(or how to not go broke with a hobby)
The idea behind making your own cards, etc is to create something handmade and being wise with your funds – store-bought cards can be well over $3.00 at least! While getting your stash of supplies to get started could be pricey, learn to be wise and you’ll be able to do it quite reasonably.
Home Improvement Stores, Here We Come!
• Buy a rolling tool chest (about $25 at Wal-Mart) instead of a pricey traveling caddy to store items in.
• Look for fishing tackle kits or hardware-supply storage items to store things in.
• Left-over paint chip samples are a neat way to coordinate colors and get free “cardstock.” The “window” kind can give you great spaces to stamp, put words, stickers, etc.
What’s Around the House?
• Use film canisters, Altoid tins, or other small containers to store eyelets, brads and other small embellishments.
• Shoeboxes and other boxes are great to store pre-folded cards, envelopes, pre-made phrases & quotes, etc.
• Like the look of sewing and embroidery? Here are 2 ideas. Use embroidery floss instead of pricey fibers. Just thread some big needles and start hand-sewing through the paper. Your regular sewing machine is also just itching to be used to create borders, add detail, or even to bind a mini album together. You can also use ribbons and embroider on your paper, just as you would fabric.
• Mail, Magazines & Catalogs: You’d be amazed at some of the hidden treasures that find your way into your mailbox. Look for junk mail ads with pretty backgrounds – use the nice side, cut to the size you need and use as you would decorative paper. Look for interesting stamps. Use layouts of articles and ads to “scraplift.” Glean ideas!
• Use a small, cheap plastic cutting board to protect your work surface when setting eyelets.
• Don’t want to spend a lot of money on pricey eyelet setting tools? You don’t have to.
1) Use an exact-o knife to make a small “x” where you want to put your eyelet.
2) Push your eyelet through, turn over paper to the back.
3) Find a Phillips head screwdriver that just the tip, but not the rest of the screwdriver part, fits in the eyelet hole.
4) Use a regular hammer, or a lightweight hammer (you can smaller light hammers for .99/$1 at dollar places) to hit top of screwdriver to set the eyelet.
5) If only part of the eyelet set, take screwdriver out and reinsert it so the outer edges of the screwdriver bit goes against the sides that have not set yet. Hit it. Take screwdriver out and hit the eyelet itself a few times....works like a charm!
Stores:
• Look for coupons. Buy things on sale (but only what you truly need). Bulk papers are always cheaper than single sheets. They also come coordinated, which make putting your project together a lot easier.
• Dollar Stores are carrying lots of card and scrapbook items now. Browse through their aisles and see what you can incorporate. They have paper, stickers, brads, and more!
• Buy envelopes in bulk. Look in the office supply aisle – you’ll find all sizes and white/assorted colors.
• Use 12x18 construction paper for the base of your cards – you’ll get a lot of cards for your cash.
Your Computer:
• Search for ideas on the internet – there are tons of sites out there with free projects, etc. My favorite is www.papercraftsmag.com. You can also find free graphics, digital downloads, etc.
• Play around with your Word program to create cards for almost free. Type phrases, quotes, etc with different fonts and print them out. Paste in clipart, etc you find from the web and use instead of store-bought stickers. You can even print them out on sticker paper that you can find at office stores or WalMart to save the step of gluing.
March 13, 2007 Quick & Creative Card Making
Join us as we create cards for all occasions!
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I have been the bride to the most gracious, sweetest man in the world for the last 11 years. What I love most about him is that he is always striving to be a better husband, father, and child of God.
