Best of Card Creations

Best of Card Creations – Easy keepsake designs for hand made cards that show how much you care.
Published at Leisure Arts

About the book

A handmade card can express personal sentiments like nothing else, and card makers will find this 288-page collection invaluable for its wide variety of inspiration and ideas. It offers more than 500 card projects from recent special issues of Card Creations, published by the editors of Paper Crafts® magazine. Topics include the all-important birthday card plus anniversary, baby, congratulations, encouragement, Father's Day, friendship, get well, graduation, hello, miss you, Mother's Day, season's greetings, sympathy, thank you, travel, valentines, wedding, and more. This irresistible card-making resource will help all through the year, including major holidays, traditional family milestones for all ages, and special occasions. There are cards full of impressive techniques, and quick and easy varieties for last-minute designs. Paper crafters can create to their heart's content!

My Thoughts

I love making cards when I can find a few minutes.   It helps me to recharge my batteries and just spend some time alone in my office.   Though I must admit that as much as I like making cards, sometimes I lack the creativity that goes with the activity.

So when I had the opportunity to review a book offering ideas on making cards for various events in life, I didn’t hesitate and jumped on it.  More than five hundreds ideas can be found in these pages.  Ideas that will cover any special event in the life of someone you love – anniversary, baby, Valentine, birthday, congratulations, Easter, encouragement, Father’s Day, friendship, get well, gift cards, graduation, Halloween, hello, miss you, Mother’s Day, season’s greetings, sympathy, thank you, Thanksgiving, wedding and much more.  You will definitively find something for the event for which you want to make a card.  

You could do the same card as shown in the book or simply take one idea and create your own personalized card.   My mom’s birthday is next Monday and as usual I wanted to make a special card for her.    So as I flipped through the pages of this book, I stumbled on an idea that I could easily adapt with the items I had at home (Rainbow Stripes at page 16 of the book).   I took a patterned paper which I cut slightly smaller than the card.  Then I used another cardstock I made a rectangle on which I stamped two-steps stamps to make a flower.   On top of the flower I stamped a French stamp with the words “Une Pensée Pour Toi”.   I decided to include a ribbon and glued everything in place.   Inside the card it said “Joyeux Anniversaire” in it.   I wrote a little personalized word and signed with my husband. Our kids had made homemade cards as well and we mailed them to her along with fresh homemade donuts and a jar of homemade chutney.  

She was delighted to get the loving notes from everyone and received the homemade products.

I am looking forward to dig more into this book and make more original creations for family and friends.   It has numerous ideas that I am interested in and I look forward for more time by myself to create.  I would recommend this book for anyone who loves to make their own cards.

Best of Card Creations is available for purchase at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Sew Magical for KIDS

Sew Magical for Kids
By Laura Lee Burch
Published at Leisure Arts

About the book

Witnessing a resurgence of interest in hand-fashioned gifts at her creative sewing business, Laura Lee Burch has developed 25 toys and gifts that families can create with love and hand down from one generation to the next. Classic designs that invoke a sense of wonder and spur the imagination, these creations will equip kids to enter a magical world of make-believe. A pirate boat has little pirate dolls and accessories, along with a pirate hat and flag. To go with a doorway puppet theater, there are needle-felted puppets for a princess and knight. Simple costumes include a knight helmet, a stick horse, and an Excalibur sword, plus a fairy flower hat, a cape and mask, and embellished T-shirts. Other projects are a giant octopus pillow, a mermaid rag doll, a tool belt with tools, a ballet bag, a soft baby doll with clothing and a carrier, a tooth fairy pillow, and other items.

My Thoughts

This fun book will guide you to create fun toys for your kids without spending a ton of money.   A tread and a needle is all you will need to put together some original toys in the hands of your children or the kids in your life.

In the introduction section, you will get some guidance on how to stitch and how to proceed with certain techniques necessary in order to make some of the items in the book.   The book contains numerous projects for you whether you have a boy or a girl.   Here’s an idea of the projects included in this book:  Little Ballerina Ballet Bag, a big octopus, a superhero cape and mask, a pirate hat, a pirate flag, a sword, a noble knight’s hood, a royal crown, a broomstick stallion, a baby doll, some baby clothes, a pop star microphone, a mermaid, a handy dandy tool belt and tools, a pirate ship and its crew.  The book also contains the patterns to create all the projects.

I am definitively inspired with this book and as soon as I am confident that I can manage taking such a project, I will do.  Right now, I need to learn how to use my new sewing machine.  

If you are blessed with the gift of sewing and have children in your life who would love cool toys I would like to suggest you that you check out Sew Magical for KIDS.   I’m sure you will find a project or two that will be interesting. 

Sew Magical for Kids is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Card Sketches for Paper Crafters

Card Sketches for Paper Crafters – Template Designs for Quick and Easy Cards, Tags, and More
Published at Leisure Arts

About the book

Card sketches can be your secret weapon! Not only are they time-saving and handy for using scraps, but they are also perfect for breaking up a creative roadblock when you don't know where to begin. Whether you're new to sketches or just looking for a new batch, this must-have book from the editors of Paper Crafts magazine is full of inspiration--gathering over 145 sketches and more than 500 projects. You'll see how versatile sketches are, too, because each sketch is used in at least three designs. Sometimes the sketch is used as it appears and other times it's rotated, flipped, inverted, or cropped. The possibilities are endless. From fun birthday cards to holiday gift card holders, this book will become your go-to resource for paper crafting.

My Thoughts

I have discovered the hard of making cards a few years ago and even though it takes time to make some I find these more interesting for birthdays or special moments for people that I know.   So when I discovered the book Card Sketches for Paper Crafters I was intrigued and wanted to review you it to see what ideas I could get from it.

This book is literally packed with fun ideas to make cards.  With over more than 500 projects which are using 145 sketches it is not difficult to find something to highlight a celebration in the life of someone your love.  Here are some ideas that you will find in the book.

As I was pondering how I could review this book, I decided to make a card for the upcoming wedding anniversary for my in-laws which happens to be on Sept 16th.   While flipping the pages of the book to find a sketch that would attract my eyes, I stumble on this one that spoke to me.

I digged in my cardstock and found a cute paper with fall colors in it.   All I had to do was to find a ribbon and a cardstock in an color that would match as well as decorative item.    Here’s the result of the card I have made for the anniversary of my in-laws.

Later today, we are all going apple picking with my husband’s family.   We will also celebrate their wedding anniversary with them as cupcakes will be brought as part of our picnic.   My kids also made cards for them to give them.   I think they will be surprised… 

Oh and in case you are wondering, I believe this is their 45th wedding anniversary.  

I pray and hope that we go that far my husband and I.    They are a wonderful example of love and devotion for their family.

The book Card Sketches for Paper Crafters is a wonderful item to have on your bookshelf if you like doing cards like I do.   Now I have plenty of ideas and no reason whatsoever to have fun during my craft time – apart of finding time to do it that is… *grin*

Card Sketches for Paper Crafters can be found at your favorite bookstore, even amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Joy of Card Making Collector’s Edition

Joy of Car Making Collector’s Edition
From PaperCraft Magazine
Published at Leisure Arts

About the book

You might not think card making has anything in common with cooking, but you will after you see this creative book from the editors of Paper Crafts magazine. In it, you'll find more than 90 of their favorite tried-and-true recipes, each illustrating a well-balanced layout that takes the guesswork out of card designing. You get to see several variations of each design, and you're encouraged to spice them up with your own embellishments for greeting cards that are uniquely yours. Also included are ideas to use the recipes for tags, envelopes, gift bags, and other fun projects. With this library of card-making possibilities, you'll be able to whip up an impressive batch of cards and other paper crafts to suit your style and anyone's taste.

My Thoughts

The Joy of Card Making Collector’s Edition is a book that will inspire you to make cards for your family and friends.   Packed with over 360 projects, you can definitively find something for any events in anyone’s life.  This book is similar to a cookbook as you will find recipes for cards designs and examples that will stir up the creative juice in yourself.

Five chapters can be found in this book;

• Card Classics presents you ideas for card designs based on the classic size of 4 1/4” x 5 1/2”. 
• Hearty Helpings will expand your creative buds to try out cards of 4” x 9” as well as 3 3/8” x 6”.   A new way to discover how to make fun and versatile cards.
• Savory Squares presents a variety of creative cards based on a square format.
• Made in Minutes highlights simple cards of 3” x 3 1/2” which are perfect to attach to gifts.
• Sweet Sample bring to you unite cards with special folds, pull-outs and fancy shapes.

Each recipe is unique and present a model inspiration as well as various cards based on that model.    There are literally a tons of ideas in this book.  

The past five months, I was part of a weekly event which deals with relational healing of various sorts.    It was a great time with my leaders and the other women participating to the meetings.   Through the months we learn how we can trust God guide us on a journey of healing.  Personally, I am more aware of my wounds from the past and learned how I can proceed in healing these.

Our journey has come to an end and last week, we learned we could give an encouraging note to each participants and our leaders.   It didn’t have to be fancy or anything but I knew I wanted to make cards for the ladies in my group.

So Saturday morning, I pulled out the book and flipped through the pages to see which “recipe” I would use to make the cards that I needed to have for the next Tuesday night.    I found an inspiration based on recipe #75.  The first step for this card is to make a card from cardstock.   Then you will have to cut two strip of patterned paper and adhere them on the card.   Once this is done, you will have to adhere rickrack or ribbon along the seams. Finally, you have to include an accent in the middle of the card.  This would be anything you want.  I choose a stamp that had the verse “Be still and know that I am God.”  and I used pastels to include touches of color on my accent.   I also include two flowers to jazz it up a little bit more.

Inside the card, I also included a stamp of a saying from Joni Eareckson Tada – “Each one of us is God’s special work of art.”

Each individual will have a note written by me as well as a poem from Helen Steiner Rice.

As a final touch, I also personalize their envelops with their names made with fancy letter stickers and a stamp of a flower colored with pastels at the back of the envelop.

Here’s the front side of the card. But due to confidentiality, I won’t show you what the envelops look like but I think they are very special.

I’m quite pleased with the result and I hope that the women with whom I spend the last five months with will appreciate it.

I am quite impressed with this book and plan to make more cards in the weeks/months to come.   I have already selected the ones I would like to do first by adding some sticky notes on their pages.  This book is a great addition for my craft library and I suspect that I will use it quite often as a reference.   I would like to recommend the book Joy of Card Making Collector’s Edition for anyone who are looking for inspirations in their card making adventure.  

The Joy of Card Making Collector’s Edition is available at your favorite bookstore, even amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book for review purposes from Thomas Allen. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.