I have not been too good posting my tips and tricks, I'm sorry! A lot going on and I am already freaking about the Holidays and all preps!! So, if you are a little like me, you want to make sure all your cards are made up and ready to go ASAP... so here are some tricks to make fabulous and yet fast Christmas cards:
- pick a theme and make at least 6 cards that are either the same or identical. If you get bored making more than 1 or 2 identical cards (like I do), stick to the theme and vary the stamp or ribbon - just change little details that do not take you long to figure out.
- once you pick a theme, pick one or two sketches and make sure you have all the embellishments and tools you need to complete that given sketch. If you need punches, brads, ribbons, etc, separate them into a box and check you have enough. SU! orders normally only take a couple of days to arrive, but because it is Christmas, there could be delays.
- pick one or two stamp sets that go with the theme and sketches and make sure you have the ink pads needed to complete the project.
- use DSPs when layering. DSPs always help adding depth to cards and dressing them up.
- if you want to make traditional Christmas cards, stick to the red and green, but remember there are beautiful alternatives as well - bashful blue and whisper white, old olive and kraft, kiwi kiss and Elegant Eggplant, Chocolate Chip and Real Red, etc.
- add glitter. Holidays ask for sparkles... sparkly cards are always a hit.
- make all the cards in a set the same size and shape... and make sure you have envelopes for whatever shape you are planning on going with.
- use punched shapes such as stars to finish the cards and add interest.
- use wide ribbons. SU! has gorgeous wide ribbons available to make any card fabulous.
- if you are going to make special cards - you know, the one-of-a-kinds for those special people in your life - don't try to make them all in one day... make a series of simple ones then switch to a special one and alternate tis way until you are all done. It's easier to keep motivated for the simple ones if you allow for a splurge here and there :o)
- if you decide to emboss, emboss all the images for several cards (or one or two series) first, then assemble them.
- use embellishments - large brads, buttons, shapes, look great as focal points and are a quick solution.
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