I LOVE TEAR BEARS

One of the most challenging things I have learned to do with paper is make a Tear Bear. The name is not really accurate because there is no tearing. The bear, if done correctly, looks like it's made out of fur not paper. Because you are using paper it is very inexpensive to make. Once you master the basics the bears are fun to create and give personality to.

This scrapbook page is an earlier version of my bears. Being patient with yourself as you learn to make these delightful critters is important. I find even my first attempts were cute and fun to put on a page.

Over the next week I will have a tutorial on how to make a Tear Bear. At first challenging to make but they add so much to any card or scrapbook page.

HIGHLIGHTING A BABY SISTER

Once again I am showing a scrapbook page. This one shows 2 sisters in matching outfits. The older sister is much too old for the tutu and the baby is too young to appreciate how fun it is to dance around in her tutu but I loved dressing them up for the picture. (Who said a grandmother doesn't still enjoy playing with dolls?)  A pink/black page with pearls and rhinestones for accents highlight the clothing the sisters are wearing. Small pink and white flowers add a feminine touch. The tabs are for pulling out the hidden tags for writing or adding other pictures.

Don't be afraid to tear, cut and layer paper when making pages. Your scrapbook might be thick but the pages are so much more interesting.

BORROWING AN IDEA

While looking at one of my favorite blogs  kwernerdesign I saw a card that looked easy to make. Instead of using white with an accent color I used blue. I found this stamp some time ago so I decided to use  it instead of buying a new one. I also used chalk instead of an ink pad. I liked the look. What do you think?
The link is now working correctly.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARD

When I was in high school home economics class, our sewing machine experience was with paper. I couldn't wait until we got to the real sewing. I am back sewing on paper because I find it gives a card a finished look. With Peyton's first birthday card it also gave me a little stability. I wanted to put play tabs on the card so it was interactive. By sewing longer pieces of ribbon into the card it made it less likely that she would pull out a tab and choke on the ribbon. The center contain pictures of her favorite people.

I'm not sure how long it will take Peyton to chew the card to the point that it needs to find it's way into Oscars trash can but for the few minutes it gives her of joy it was all worth it.

ALMOST FINISHED

The first part of my card is choosing which elements of the page will go on the card. I chose the elephant since that was Peyton's first and favorite toy. The original toy was blue with pink ears and so my elephant needs to have the same colors. Drawing the elephant and then breaking it down into parts is necessary.

 Finally, I glued and used my black and white pens to give the elephant some personality. With the original elephant I used some chalk for depth but left it off for the card. You never know when a toddler will put something in their mouth.

Choosing the right papers can be tricky when you are making a card. I like to used bright fun color for children but for a first little girl's birthday it might need to be toned down a little. Also, the embellishments might need to be more geared for a toddler.

FOR A BABY

When making card or scrapbook pages for a baby it's fun to use familiar item on the page. This page, for example has my granddaughters favorite toys. Since I made the toys from paper I can also make a first birthday card from the same materials. By using only paper she can then destroy the card without fear of swallowing a piece of plastic or other material that will cause her to choke.  Tomorrow I will post the patterns.

THANK YOU

Today Archiver's has all their stamps at 50% off. This is an excellent way to stock up on much needed stamps for cardmaking. I find that stamps don't inspire me like color does so I usually need to see a finished idea before I want to purchase the stamps. This Hero Arts stamp set creates a beautiful yet simple card.  The original flower stamp was used on the white paper with a rose colored chalk stamp to give a background. I then stamped the flower in black with the red center for the accent strip. One flower was stamped and cut out. I used a pop dot to make it stand out. Black cardstock was used for the card and to outline the white parts. Finally I added the word Thank You. Because the inside is black I decided to place a white insert to write on. 

FINISHED

The card has been finished but no photographer was to be found so I scanned the card. The colors aren't just right and it looks slightly off but the idea is there. I love the inside of the card with the mini horse. I reduced the horse and colored it to match. I then added a liquid plastic.

PROGRESS

I find choosing a color for the card can be the most important part. I sometimes choose the color and then try to find papers to match. This time I chose the papers and then colored the picture. Unfortunately my scanner doesn't have a good color match but when the finished card is photographed it will show the true colors.