I’ve made cards for a few years now and I do have my favorite sizes to play with. I also have some papers that I bought because the patterns were just so different, or pretty, or unusual, or … Well, you get the idea.

While I do tend to stick with white, black or neutral cardstocks, I actually like playing with different colors. I also love to mix and match patterns and colors. Sometimes putting all of these together can be a challenge.

A few months back, Crafty Al over on YouTube posted a video of her sheetload making mini slimline cards and I had and ‘Ah Ha!’ moment.

You see, I’d purchased some rather bold background papers and wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it. I also happened to have some cardstock on hand that matched the papers. When I saw the sheetload, I thought that I finally had an option to create cards that would make the papers the focus without getting too busy or fussy.

I like the simplicity of these cards. You can really use your imagination to decide how you want to customize the design for your own cards.

Here are my cards:

I will tell you this was my first attempt at using one of Crafty Al’s designs and I can see where I would make changes if I did this again. On the other hand, the cards turned out rather well.

One thing is certain, that paper I wasn’t sure what to do with now has been used, even if only a bit.

Sometimes it is worth dipping your toe in the water of the Unknown to see if a design will work for you. If you don’t like it, that’s okay. It is only paper, right?

Happy Crafting!

I admit that I fretted over my 2021 Christmas cards more than I have ever fretted over any card before. It took months for me to decide upon a design and then, when time was running out, I discovered I did not have ANY Christmas themed card stock or designer series paper on hand. None. Nada. Additionally, I didn’t have enough of the real red card stock I wanted for my bases.

Yikes!

So, what did I do? I got creative.

My Inspiration Design

I’ve been following Call Me Crafty Al over on YouTube for a while now and her monthly Sheetload of Cards series has been fantastic!

Each month on the first, Al posts her newest sheetload card design video and the first set of cards she designed from that sheetload. She also tells you how and where to get all the information for free. On the second of the month, she posts her video showing how she made the cards. Later in the month, she shares cards she received in the mail and the cards her collaborators made from that sheetload.

Lots of great information and inspiration.

Here is the video of the design I chose for my 2021 Christmas cards:

Everything you need is included in the free printable. All you need to do is provide the materials. You can shop for them or pull from your stash. Or both. The beauty of Al’s design is that you have the freedom to adjust it to what you want the end result to look like.

Speaking of End Results

Before I share my cards with you, I want to tell you how I came up with them. As I mentioned, I didn’t have any holiday paper on hand but I did have an old 6×6 paper pack that was Valentine’s Day themed.

The colors were right and the back side of the papers were stripes, polka dots or what I interpreted to be snowballs. <shrug> Depends upon how you looked at it. I also had some gold foiled paper on hand along with some ephemera that I could use to decorate the inside and the outside of the cards.

I had planned to do some heat embossing on the sentiment, but frankly, I forgot. 😉

The moral of the story is to check your stash to see what you can use. I have to admit, I’ve been looking at that paper pack for quite a long time but it wasn’t until I turned the papers over that I found a use for them. I might actually make a Valentine’s card out of them one day, but for now I’m just pleased I could use them and not spend money on more paper.

What do you think?

Last year my focus in the craft room was to find tools that I wanted to use to create cards. I found several sets of edge dies that checked that box.

As you can see, I started with the card stock base, folded into an easel, and added the edge die to allow for a border at the bottom. I then took my leaf punches to add interest. The matching leaf stamps were added inside the punches and then along the bottom edge of the card.

The great thing about edge dies is that you have complete control over where to place them. This particular one was used on a set of 6 cards and each card came out with a different amount of space at the bottom. I used the same papers, inks, punches, and stamps on all of the cards and envelopes.

I do have to say that the recipients of the cards were very impressed with the results. Something that made me smile.

If you are looking to try new things, I suggest you go back to your stash and see what you have in hand. Can you use them to make something different? What have you tucked back into a corner or a drawer and haven’t played with yet?

I’ll be doing more playing in the craft room this year so keep an eye out to see what I come up with.

Happy Crafting!