Background-less card tutorial

 

I've had a few people question me about how I make the background-less cards that I showed in a recent post so I decided to make a video on how I did them. The video shows how to make a basic card with added  simple embellishments. t I can't see why you It looks complicated but it is relatively simple to create. I have used the Silhouette Studio software to design this card but I would imagine you could use any program that allows you to add shapes and text and be able to weld the shapes together.
You can create cards for all occasions using this method so  have a go.


I'm a beginner when it comes to creating and posting videos.    So, please bear with me and let me know if you have any difficulty watching the video. If you have any questions  please feel free to ask them in the comments section below. and I'll do my best to answer them.



 Once you've welded your text to the frame your choices, of what you add next, are numerous.  You could add swirls, hearts flowers, cars, tools, kiddie themes or shapes etc. Shapes and swirls can be welded to the frame without necessarily having to add an image on top.  You could then decorate the card with gems,  ribbons etc. The type of card used also contributes to the look of the card, anniversary cards look lovely in glitter card in the colour of specific anniversaries also add to the look of the card e.g red glitter/ mirri card for  ruby weddings  as shown on the anniversary cards in an earlier post.  3D  flowers or embellishments can also be used to enhance your project. The choices are only limited by your imagination!

This card is personalised with a specific name but if you think you can find a use for it  download the camper van card HERE. As usual the free zip file contains .studio and .svg formats and the van image. This is for personal use only.

P.S there was a glitch with the files but the links have now been updated so should now work correctly. Sorry for any inconvenience.  Unfortunately gardening tasks took longer then expected so I I haven't had time to make the card. I will complete it and post a picture soon.

PPS. As promised here are the photos of the finished project. I used plain blue card that was blended with faded jeans distress oxides and spritzed with water I duplicated one camper van and enlarged it. Print and cut all the elements and adhered them to the card. The large camper van was stamped with a greeting and attached by fine thread. Phew finally finished it!

Cards for him

More cards with the hollow theme.
These are more general male cards designed and cut using the Silhouette Studio and my Cameo 3.
The first one is a rugby card. Like the anniversary cards I simply made a rectangle, added an internal inset and made compound path. I added the text and again welded them all once I was happy with their position. I then welded the images.

 As well as welding the rugby players to the card I cut them out separately and adhered them on top of the welded figure to add dimension and a change of colour. I would cut it out in the colours of the team the recipient  supports. 
 I duplicated the page and  flipped horizontally and then welded to the other piece to create the card back.




I also made another card using the same technique but this time adding a Ferrari type car front. Again I cut out separate pieces to adhere to the card after cutting out. I didn't add an extra piece to the back of the card as I felt it didn't need it.

You can download these files HERE. The zip files are in .svg and .studio format and are for personal use only.


If you attempt to make your own bear in mind the cards feel more special if you can add the recipients name to the text section.

Whisper I love you to a Butterfly

Again I've been playing with my Cameo software. I saw something similar in Pinterest so decided to have a go at making my own.

This is a simple design that can either be print and cut and adhered to some card or MDF etc or cut out of vinyl and adhered to some wooden pieces to create a lovely wall hanging.
I simply made 5 rectangles and lined them  above each other. I filled with a wood effect colour and added a shadow to give dimension.

You'll  find the shadow tools on this icon on the right hand side of the work space. The menu allows to you choose the position and colour of the shadow.


Next I added some text. I used the free Lavanderia font to type out the words. You can click on the font name to find the free download site. I then welded the font and placed the words on top of each section and grouped it all together.

I finally added some Marianne butterfly dies to decorate the wall hanging. I cut a butterfly from black card and  Marianne dies with my Bigshot, I then scanned it into my computer and traced it in the software so that I could adjust the size of the butterflies. I coloured them using the fill tool in the software.
Yu can download the cutting file HERE. The zip file contains .studio and .svg formats

anniversary card

This evening I've just been playing with the Silhouette Software that comes with Silhouette cutting machines ( My Cameo 3).
Someone on Facebook was asking for ideas for an anniversary card so I decided to make a general type using a style I've used before and pleased the recipients by personalising them with the couple's names.  They like the fact that the design is not run of the mill making them special. They have been described, by friends, as lovely keepsakes which I found very touching. The red ones, below,  are samples of personalised ones I've made.
 I no longer have the originals to show you but the picture of the design gives you an idea of what they look like.  impresses people is the fact that you can see right through the card except for the lettering. The white parts of the cards in the picture are open spaces. The back of the card is the reverse of the front so when folded just shows the words and patterns as you can see in the orange photo below. I cut them out using red mirri or glitter card and add gems depending on the anniversary e.g red for 40th gold for golden etc. The very 1st one I made was for a diamond wedding so used white glitter card and clear gems.

This orange one is the general one I designed tonight and done in the same way as the personalised ones. I would cut it out using gold coloured card - mirri or glitter.
They look quite complicated but are simply text welded to a frame and also a welded heart or swirl
How do you add a sentiment I hear you ask?
 I cut out a blank heart and  layer with the same pattern included in the design and tie it to the card so it dangles from the card and is large enough to write a short sentence and signature.  I have also used just the front section and adhered it to a card base. This also looks lovely but, in my opinion, is not as dramatic as the see through ones.
This design is also great for birthdays or any occasion.
You are welcome to download the general card HERE. The files are in .studio and .svg formats and are for personal use only.

craft o clock

The clock in my craft room does not work so rather buy a new one I decided to make one.   I based my  design and used some of the files from the "silhouette school" website where Mellisa  offered a free cutting file for the cover. I made a couple of changes to the original design e.g change to the orientation of the wording. Mellisa painted a clock face and created the rest with vinyl.  I chose to take the easy road and used print and cut to cut out the design using my Cameo 3.  I realised, after I'd printed the clock face out, it would have looked better if I had selected to print the lines to give a cleaner image. My printer ink is low so I didn't want to print out the clock face again. The clock will only be  in my craft room and I can live with it as it is.


Initially I tried to make the clock using cardboard/chipboard but found the card warped. So instead I bought two  25 cm MDF circles with holes cut out of the centre so the base would be a lot more solid. I bought two in case so I had a spare. I  ran  a black Promarker around the edge of the paper clock to get rid of the white paper. I also coloured the edge of the MDF board with the Promarker.  The marker ran out half way around so I finished it off with an old black Archival ink pad.

Once the ink was dry I simply coated the MDF with Matte Medium and adhered the clock face to the board.  Having learned from my attempt using cardboard I used only a thin layer of glue  to ensure the paper didn't bubble or crease. I also coated the top of the paper with a thin layer of matte medium to make the face more durable. Once dry it gave a lovely matte finish. If I'd wanted a more shiny effect I would have  added more coats of medium or used something like Mod Podge.
Once it was all dry it was time to assemble the clock to the mechanism. i bought the mechanism from Amazon. Unfortunately when it arrived I realised the hands were a bit small but decided to go with them as they didn't obscure the pictures on the clock face. I pushed the mechanism base through the hole in the centre of the clock and secured it with the accompanying nut. I then pressed the hour, minute and finally second hands on to the spindle.

 I added the battery and it worked! I was so pleased with it I made another clock for the other end of my craft room using my own design with more general craft tools. Excuse the whining noise on the video, my printer decided to reset itself have way through recording ..........

You can download my own file HERE. The files are in .studio and .svg format.

Art Journal Hummingbirds

Its been over a year since I've done any art journaling so it was lovely to get stuck into my paints and inks again.

I took inspiration from one of the cards I made a couple of weeks ago  using Lavinia stamps. I coated the pages with Gesso and used blush and green acrylic paint to create the background colour. I used coloured Stazon inks (green and orange) and plant stamps to create the bottom half of the pages. I used a Paper artsy dots stamps and script stamp from my stash to add texture to the top half of the pages. I downloaded and printed off the humming birds from Dreamtime Images and cut them out. cut out a heart and stamped it to create a pattern. I adhered the images to the pages. I added some cotton to attach the heart to the hummingbird's beak. I then used my Faber Castell pens to add shadow and colour the quotes. The quotes are Stamps by Chloe. I've had them several years so I'm not sure if they are still available. I stamped the saying on copy paper stuck the on with matte medium. Finally I edged the pages with orange pen.
 It's a simple page to get me started again. 

Brusho v Infusions

I recently went to a stamping workshop where we used paint crystals called "Brusho'  by Colourcraft for the first time. As I used it I had a vague suspicion I'd used them before. I liked them very much so, when I got home, I ordered a set. I was gluing my perpetual calendar on my painting table when I noticed a box under a shelf, as soon as I got it out I realised why Brusho seemed familiar. They were a similar product I 'd forgotten I already had, these were called 'Infusions"by Paper Artsy.
I thought it'd be a good opportunity to compare the products.

I looked for colours that were very close to each other to make it easy to compare. The picrue shows the comparison.

Both sprinkled onto wet paper easily and distributed well across the paper. I found that both makes spread nicely when spritzed with water. The Infusions needed more water than Brusho to spread colour. The  Infusions took longer to dissolve with a few crystals not dissolving at al maintaining the speckled effect where the Brusho spread to cover the area.  The Brusho colours tended to be much brighter than the Infusions. Infusions tended to be more earthy in their theme of colours with speckles of brown and black in most colours where as the Brusho tended to add more oranges and yellows to their lighter colours. Their darker colours like black were a mixture of blues, reds and black where the Infusions was a true black.
Which one do I prefer ... I think for a more speckled earthy effect I would use the Infusions but for a brighter and more coverage I would use the Brusho.

This is my first attempt at using Brusho with a stamp. The image is from a Crafters Companion Echinacea negative stamp. I stamped it with Versemark and heat embossed with WOW white embossing powder. I then spritzed with water and sprinkled black Brusho. I wiped the excess off the embossed area with some wet wipes.

Blippi Card

Its my youngest grandson's  3rd birthday next month so I thought I'd get a head start and make his card. He's a keen fan of Blippi who is a YouTube character who shows children around play areas in the USA. He also shows them different vehicles like bulldozers, police cars, etc. Every time my grandson comes to visit me we have to watch him on Youtube.

Its a very simple and easy card to make. It's made up to look like Blippi's shirt, bowtie, glasses and braces. I made a gatefold base from blue card then cut out the elements using my Cameo 3and adhered them to the front.
Inside the card I adhered a cartoon image of Blippi with a speech bubble  saying Happy Birthday. I used the Print and Cut option on my Cameo to cut out the figure. I've ordered a Blippi related present which I'm sure he'll love.
I feel there is something missing from the card front but I'm not sure what to put there. If you have any ideas, feel free to offer your suggestions ........... please :-)
EDIT:
I finally finished the card by adding a large number 3 on the left hand corner.