Tidbit Tuesday--Star cards on a budget!

Hello Everybody!

As I was working on my Fourth of July cards, I thought, what if someone wanted to make these cards but didn't have the scrapbook stuff.  That's OK!  Here's an alternative to get you started...because your own creativity may come up with a different solution!

You can use construction paper and fold a card.  Then take another piece of construction paper and measure and cut the paper to match the front of your card.  Then you can free hand stars (if you are doing a 4th of July theme) or use cookie cutters to trace your shapes (thanks mom-in-law for the idea!).  Then you can cut out the shapes. 

Cutting shapes from the middle of paper can be awkward, so what I usually do is take a whole punch (if it will reach) and punch a whole on the part I want to cut out.  From there I use my scissors to get to the outline of the shape.

You could use more construction paper to fold and fill in your shapes or you could use magazines.  I have stacks of magazines that I don't know what to do with so they come in handy for projects.  Plus, you are reusing something you already have!  Also, you could paint newspaper and make strips and fold them for your shapes. 

Red line tape is the best to adhere this design to the base card, but if you use construction paper good ol' glue may work and not warp your paper.  If you do use red line tape, remember that it isn't very forgiving.  You can use whatever adhesive you feel comfortable with.  I would try an "experiment" card first.  This is a great project for kids too!  They can help fold the papers!  They should have adult supervision though!

I almost forgot!  The sentiment can be handwritten or printed from a computer.  If you have decorative scissors, you can use those to cut them out. 

Until next time have a great day!  :)

My first post

Hello and Welcome!  This is my first post on my new blog.  See how nice and shiny my new blog is!  This is very exciting!  I remember having a homepage way back in the day.  "They" don't call 'em homepages anymore and no, I don't want to talk to the 90's about their vernacular!

I make 14 cards for every major holiday and some not so major except for Christmas.  I moved and some of my friends moved, so I make cards for them so they won' forget about me ;)  Haha!  But really I do make cards for them and enjoy doing it.  Sometimes the cards are all exactly alike, and sometimes they are all completely different, and sometimes there is something in between.

Right now I am working on Fourth of July cards.  I use white pre-made cards from Michaels (love these cards) and then I decorate them.  So I cut my base paper 4 inches by 5.5 inches (and just a little over that to ensure that I will cover the front of my premade card.)  Then with my Making Memories Slice, I made stars of various sizes on the paper. 

So from here I take strips of paper, fold them in half and tape them to the back.  This is a great project for scraps!

I keep adding strips that cover the star until the star is covered up.  The thicker the scrap paper-the thicker the star will be.  I put more tape on the back and try to smoosh it down some.  Once all of the scraps have been applied, I then take it and put it on the blank card using adhesive.  If you have wide red line tape, I find this to work best, but it isn't forgiving.  So I put the photo splits on the back to line it up and then I add the red line tape in an area where I will pull the base up. 

This is the completed card.  Very important! Place all of the folds in the same direction.  It makes the design look nice and neat.  Then I stamped a sentiment and placed it.  I didn't do anything on the inside.  I have lots of stamps but not many for the Fourth of July.  This one I think came from the $1 section of one of the big box craft stores by G studio.  These stamps are awesome.  I always look through them.  I can't tell you how many I have for Saint Patrick's Day and Halloween!!

Here are some variations as far as star sizes and placements go.  Also, I changed the backgrounds.  The patterned paper is nice because it has a pattern but not so much that it conflicts with the stars, or so I think.

If this seems quite familiar to Irish Folding, you are right.  The difference is that there isn't a pattern, you put one on after another, which I think is great.  I am going to try to do an Irish Folding pattern because I feel more comfortable.  Who knew it was this easy?

I knew about Irish Folding but I learned how to do this at the Scrapbook Expo held in Orlando.  A lady named Suzanne was teaching it.  Totally Awesome!  Thank you Suzanne! 

This is a new journey for me, and I'm glad y'all are along for the ride!  My goal is to put a new project on here once a week.  Check back by!