How To ...

I love making shaped cards and a couple of weeks ago I posted a mini tutorial to make a shaped card over at the It's A Creative World blog. I thought I would share the tutorial on my own blog too.

Step 1 - Cut out a flower shape from patterned paper, I used my Cricut but it would be very simple to freehand draw a flower shape. Remember to create a flower suitable for the size of the envelopes you have. My square envelopes are about 15 cms so my flower is 14 cms. I used a paint dabber to squidge some whit paint around the edges.

Step 2 - Use a dry glue to adhere your flower onto a folded card blank. Line up the fold of the card blank with a straight edge of the flower leaving a narrow border.

Step 3 - Use a craft knife or sharp scissors to cut around the wjole flower leaving a border the same width as the one on the fold of the card blank. Now you have a flower shaped folded card.

Step 4 - Stitch around the edge using a sewing machine **Make sure you open up your card and only stitch on the front**

Step 5 - I created my own flower embellishment for the centre of my card, but there are oodles of ready manufactured flowers in the stores. Mine is made with a felt flower cut with a sizzix die, I added a Making Memories metal grommet and a large enamelled brad.

Step 6 - Create a tag with a bookplate, handwritten greeting and brads. I made my bookplate with a sizix die and painted it white but you could easily use a metal or acrylic bookplate. If you don't like your own handwriting use a small rubber stamp for the greeting. I attached the bookplate with foam pads on the back because I wanted the brads to be for decoration only and didn't want their fastenings to show through on the inside of my card.

I hope you enjoy making shaped cards, I've found them extremely addictive!!