From your favorite
digital kit to a card in minutes! That is
the goal I have for my cards this year. I
know I have scraps and scraps of papers I
could use, but let’s face it, we all get a
bit tired of those scraps and want something
fresh. I decided to make a template for
myself to bring my favorite digital kits to
life and give me a way to zip through making cards in no time! Here is how I go about getting a card ready to make quick and easy.
First step after picking out your papers is to make your canvas the size of your card. I am using
Adobe PSE 4.0 for my digital program. I chose the paper
and the elements, and placed them the size I want to be printed in the canvas size of my card. This example is 4x5. I added drop shadows to the preview to show but not in printing. Keep your card in layers. This step is just for sizing up, and design.
After you have all the elements you want to
print, open up an 8x10 document with a white background.
Drag and drop your layers into your new
document. Prepare for printing by making sure
they aren’t touching, and add a sentiment if you
want. I added mine straight onto the pink
background which is the inside of the card. You
see the pink in the preview overlapping the
background, but that is for size purposes only.
After printing your
elements, cut out and arrange them on your cardstock.
I cut a piece of cardstock 5x12 so that when I
folded it, I had an edging in white to frame my
papers I just printed. One thing I really enjoy
about printing out the flowers and ribbons is
that you can make them look like a die cut by
leaving the white edge. The ribbon resembles the
adhesive backed fabric ribbon you can buy at
your local scrap store. You can make any ribbon
from any of the papers that come in the kit, but
for this example I am using the one that came
with the kit by Jessica Sprague. If you chose to leave a
drop shadow on your elements for printing, it
does make for a nice marker when cutting them
out. Just cut the small line it prints around
each item.
I slightly inked the edges, and used a bling brad and strip, plus foam dots to raise the flower from the front of the card. This made it easy to pop the embellishments and enhance what I had printed. On the inside, I left everything very flat, so the card wouldn’t be too bulky. Now I have a template that is ready to go for any birthday coming up! Start a file folder to hold all your different templates and card making will be so much easier, especially if you’re running short on time.
Happy Birthday Card by Michelle Boeckermann.
Supplies: Digital kit: “Funky Flower Girl”
by Jessica Sprague, Bling Strip: Heidi Swapp,
Bling Brad: Making Memories, Ink: Versa Mark,
Foam Dots: Miss Elizabeth’s.
Design note: Using a paper that has words
or sentiments allows you to make a card face for
any occasion. The inside is where you can change
it to suit the person to whom you’re giving it.
