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My Favourite Card Making Books
I always recommend trying to borrow
origami and paper art books from friends or the library before purchasing.
See which ones are most suited to you first.
'Origami'
by Hideaki Sakata
This is the best beginners' origami book that I have come across. Very
easy to follow. Lovely designs quite suitable for card making.
'Origami Made Easy'
by Kunihiko Kasahara
I wouldn't recommend this as a starter book; save it for when you have a
little bit of folding experience. The designs are quite clever and the
opening chapter, Fundamentals is the best conceptual introduction to paper
folding that I have read. It will easily help you to begin designing your
own models.
'Greeting Cards'
by Annette Claxton.
The book begins with a general discussion
about cardmaking supplies, types of ready cut card forms, paper types and
origami envelopes. The remainder of the book displays a large variety of
card designs with easy 'how to' steps.
MORE BOOKS...
'Cards and Collages'
by Penny Black
An extraordinary collection of cards using dried flowers. Very useful for
people with large English variety gardens!
'Fun with Paper'
by
Heather Amery
A bright colourful array of paper projects - cards, friezes, paper
animals, birds and people, party hats and favours. A lot of fun!
'Festive Folding'
by Paul Jackson
I enjoy this book very much for its lovely ghost and witch patterns which
I make every Hallowe'en!
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The
following Tips can be viewed by scrolling down:
Tip #1:
Choosing a Glue
Tip #2: Envelope Planning
Tip #3: Coverstock and Art Paper
Tip #4: Scissors
Tip #5: Starting a Decorative Paper Collection
Tip #6: Gluing tiny pieces
Tip #7: Keep the design simple!
Tip #8: Gluing cleanly
Tip #9: Cutting knives - size and safety tips
Tip #11: Materials for making templates
Click here for directions to make the
ORIGAMI ENVELOPE
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Card Making Tips ...
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buying Supplies
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What glues to use
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Envelope sizes
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Making your own
envelopes
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Scissors and cutting
tools
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Cutting mats
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Making templates
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So You would like to
sell your cards? Some suggestions...
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Paper Weaving and
Folding
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Tips galore
Price: $12.00
- includes 5 blank cards and envelopes.
SOLD OUT, SORRY!
PLEASE NOTE:
The focus of this book is on technique. It is not
intended as a pattern book of which there are many lovely ones available
at your library. |
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TIP #1:
Choosing
a Glue:
Although you may want
specialized glues for particular jobs, the best overall type is good old
children's white glue. It is non toxic, has a reasonably quick
drying time, dries clear and smooth and it's inexpensive. White glue can
be watered down if you find the glue is too thick or not spreading
smoothly. Just try adding a drop or two at a time though!
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TIP
#2: Envelope
Planning: Unless
you plan to make your envelopes, it is a good idea to decide on the
envelope before making your card. Invitation envelopes which commonly
come in sizes called, 'A2', 'A6' or 'A7', are readily available for
purchase at office supply stores and paper shops. Plan to fit your card to
one of these envelope sizes so that your beautiful card will have an
attractive envelope match!
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TIP
3:
Coverstock
and Art Paper:
Coverstock
is a light cardboard weight paper, usually described as about 65lb.
weight. It can be purchased in copy stores, like Kinkos, usually by the
sheet or a package of 250 sheets for the really ambitious card maker.
Large sheets of art paper are available at art supply stores. I
particularly like to use Canson mi tentes, Fabriano, or Strathmore
papers. All three brands are resistant to sunlight damage and come in
a wide variety of pastel and primary colours. Tips about cutting these
sheets down to card size will be coming soon! |
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TIP #4:
Scissors:
Try using long dress
shears instead of small scissors for cutting out your paper designs.
This allows you to make a long, smooth continuous cut rather than several
short choppy ones giving your work a more professional looking finish!
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TIP
#5:
Starting
a
Decorative Paper Collection:
Begin
saving empty kleenex boxes in which to store your collected bits of paper
and decorations for your cards. Whenever you find pieces of paper,
cardboard, ribbon or other materials that you like, add them to your box.
You will be surprised how quickly each box fills. If you are a really
ardent collector. Begin a box for each colour of the rainbow - with
e.g., a 'blue' box for paper and buttons and flowers etc. This makes your
searching easier when you get down to the business of creating cards!
Tell your friends about your project. They will enjoy keeping an eye
out for special bits and pieces for you! |
TIP
#6:
Gluing
Tiny Pieces Picking
up and gluing the tiny pieces necessary for detail can be a challenge and
take an incredible amount of time and patience. To make the job much
easier use the tip of an utility knife to pick the pieces up from
your work surface. Just a tiny jab! You won't want the blade to pierce
your paper all the way through but just enough for the blade to 'stick' to
the tiny piece. Placing a tiny dot of glue on the card where the
piece is to be placed rather than gluing the piece itself will speed your
work along. |
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 CARD MAKING KIT
20 pieces of
quality cardstock
20 envelopes
20 origami squares
for folding, and,
printed directions for
the origami envelope PLUS a folded sample.
The Card Starter Kit-
Price: $20.00
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TIP
#7: Keeping
the Design Simple:
Learning how to 'suggest' details rather than actually
drawing or pasting them on is one of the real arts of card-making! Try to
imagine the outline of the main object you want to place on your
card. Try a tree or an automobile or a dog. Now draw only the outline of
that object. Keep it as simple as possible.
Once you have drawn the outline, transfer the
shape to the coloured paper you wish to use and then trace and cut it out.
Once you place the pieces on your blank card, think to yourself, what
details would help bring this outline alive or help people to
recognize what it is. If you are cutting a tree limb, then perhaps add a
couple of cut out leaves or use a fine black pen to suggest wood grains
along the limb.
Remember, keep it simple. Too much detail
confuses the eye and makes the image appear complicated and heavy.
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TIP
#8:
Gluing Cleanly: A
'cleanly' made card without tell tale shiny spots of misplaced glue will
give your card a finished polish and you will be pleased and surprised at
how many people will comment that they can't see the glue on your card!
Here are several tips here. For small pieces (and that is just about ever
piece in card-making!) hold the piece with the thumb and first finger of
your left hand (if you are left handed, reverse the position). Using your
thumbnail hold the piece at the extreme edge, wrong side facing you, and
using a round wooden toothpick dipped in white glue cover the piece
evenly using as little glue as possible. Continuing to hold the piece by a
corner or edge apply it where you would like it to be on your card.
If the
piece you are gluing is more than 1
square inch, glue only around its edges not over the entire surface.
Too much glue on a larger piece will make it buckle once it has dried. DO
NOT OVER GLUE! Use the least amount possible. Glue doesn't need much
encouragement to do its job! If you are gluing tiny circles made with a
whole punch for instance, you can put a dot of glue (smaller than the
piece you are applying) on the card and then place the circle over the
glue. If you use more than a hint of glue you will find that it oozes out
from underneath and spoils your beautiful work! Try practicing with some
scrap paper before using your good card stock.
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TIP
#9: Cutting knives - size
and safety tips:
Utility knives that come with strips of thin blades which you break
off one at a time to keep your edge sharp work well when you need to cut
pieces with straight edges: strips or squares, for instance. Using a metal
or see-through ruler (You may prefer the latter so that you can see the
paper underneath and exactly where you are cutting) and holding the edge
of the blade next to it, draw the knife along the edge of the ruler using
it as a guide. Use small utility knives only. The blades of the larger
ones are too thick to cut paper accurately. SAFETY:
Always cut with the knife coming
towards you, never away from you. This
gives you
better control of where the blade
is going. Never ever ever!
take your eyes off the knife while you are cutting.
It only takes a moment of distraction for the blade to skip off your ruler
and cause an accident! Always apply a slow steady pressure when you
are guiding your knife. With these three simple rules you will avoid a
nasty accident. Children must always be closely supervised and
judgement is necessary when deciding if the child has the necessary
dexterity and control to use any cutting devices. |
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Tip #10:
Design Inspiration:
Don't think you can draw the
design you want?? (I bet you really can, you just need to try!) But
okay, maybe you just don't have the time this weekend to develop your
hidden Van Gogh gifts...then, visit the Children's library in your
neighbourhood. The brightest, most cheerful, most simple designs can
be found in children's literature. (Please don't copy the artists'
work though! Let it suggest how you can draw your own design!) |
Tip #11:
Materials for making templates:
If you
can't find any cardboard around the house for making templates, try cereal
boxes or use the lids from margarine of yoghurt containers. Making
templates saves you a lot of time when you are cutting out several copies
of the same pattern! |
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Please help feed and house
poor artists!
Support their work
and remember create
your OWN designs
don't 'lift' another's work.
Thank You!
Published by Gillian Cards 2005 - All rights
reserved
No part
of this website may be copied in any form without the express permission
of it's owner.
Web Design by Gillian Cards 2005
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