Blog Archives
Badge: Quilling
Quilling is a paper craft that’s been around for hundreds of years. The tools you need are minimal and the final effect is very cool. You can use quilled items for cards, jewelry, ornaments and more. Let’s start rolling!
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Steps
1. Introduction
Quilling, also known as paper filigree, is a paper craft that involves strips of paper that you roll, shape and glue to create art. It might be as simple as a flower bud or a complicated three-dimensional ornament. This craft can be very easy as you can purchase pre-cut paper strips or it can be very economical by making your own supplies and tools.
2. History.
Many countries claim to be the originator of quilling. Unlike many old crafts, quilling did not vanish over time. Instead, resurgence has kept this craft alive. Read about the history of quilling and its growing popularity today.
3. Explore the Web.
From lessons to patterns to very intricate art, you can find a lot of examples of quilling. Explore the Web and find one or more items that you would like to try yourself.
4. Tools.
You can do quilling with only three items.
- Paper
- Glue
- Needle
Of course, there are many other tools out there that make it easier to quill as well as do more complicated filigree. Look at the tools you might use. Decide if you want to invest in this craft or start with your three main items only and see if you enjoy quilling before making a larger investment.
5. Simple shapes — rolls.
With the Simple Shapes Worksheet, make one sample of each of the thirteen rolls. Glue your samples onto the sheet for reference. If you need more help with the shapes, go to YouTube for video instructions.
6. Simple shapes — scrolls.
With the Simple Shapes Worksheet, make one sample of each of the five scrolls. Glue your samples onto the sheet for reference. If you need more help with the shapes, go to YouTube for video instructions.
7. Simple shapes — spirals.
A spiral may also be called a tendril. Unlike most shapes that tend to hold the same spiral, these are long, twisting pieces of paper. You might think of spiral curls as an example. Create a spiral / tendril and attach it to your Simple Shapes Worksheet.
Slide your completed worksheet into a sheet protector so you continue to use this reference sheet.
8. Making items with simple shapes.
Use your basic quilling knowledge and make simple items such as a flower or balloon. Single shapes can be placed on cards, scrapbook pages or even made into pendants and earrings. For jewelry pieces, make sure to seal the paper first to stiffen it and keep it clean.
9. Advanced shapes — rolls.
With the Advanced Shapes Worksheet, make one sample of each of the two rolls. Glue your samples onto the sheet for reference. If you need more help with what the shapes, go to YouTube for video instructions.
10. Advanced shapes — scrolls.
With the Advanced Shapes Worksheet, make one sample of each of the five scrolls. Glue your samples onto the sheet for reference. If you need more help with the shapes, go to YouTube for video instructions.
11. Advanced shapes — eccentric.
With the Advanced Shapes Worksheet, make one sample of each of the seven eccentrics. Unlike the shapes you’ve created so far, eccentrics follow the same shape guidelines but you control where the center of the roll is placed. This gives your final quilled piece a more “artistic” and less “haphazard” look. Glue your samples onto the sheet for reference. If you need more help with the shapes, go to YouTube for video instructions.
12. Technique — husking.
Husking is the next step after eccentrics. Where you control the center of an eccentric, husking is wrapping the paper around points to create a shape. Husking is popular for leaves to give them a more structured look. Try creating a husking shape. Place it on your sheet or write notes about any tips / tricks you want to remember.
13. Technique — fringing.
Fringing is cutting down into the side of the strip to make a fringe. Fringing can be done by hand, but it is very tedious. Fringe a strip of paper, then roll it and loosen up your fringe. Place this on your Advanced Shapes Worksheet as well.
NOTE: The cost of a fringer may not be worth it for you if you don’t plan to use it frequently. The time savings is enormous if you choose to get one.
14. Making more advanced items.
Follow the simple pattern ideas, but use the advanced shapes you created. Compare the looks and decide which you like more.
15. Changing it up!
Traditionally, paper is used for quilling. However, you can find quilled items where corrugated cardboard and felt is used instead of paper. Try creating one or more of the shapes above with a material other than paper.
16. Share your knowledge.
Show someone else how to quill. If you’re working with a large group, a tinker toy works great to roll paper on as everyone can see it.
17. Share your work.
Share what you’ve created with others. You can send cards you’ve made or even photos of quilled items you’ve completed.
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Supplements Available
SUPP_Quill_AdvancedShapeWorksheet.pdf
Sheet to make sample advanced shapes for reference.
SUPP_Quill_BasicInfo.pdf
Basic tools and tips for quilling.
SUPP_Quill_SimplePatterns.pdf
Flowers, balloons and butterflies to get you started.
SUPP_Quill_SimpleShapeWorksheet.pdf
Sheet to make sample simple shapes for reference.
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Sites to Explore
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quilling
www.mypaperquilling.com/paper_quilling/history_of_quilling.php
craftzine.com/101/quilling
weirdandsurprisinglygood.blogspot.com/2009/09/art-lesson-2-quilling.html
www.whimsiquills.com/servlet/the-template/Quilling%20Refernce%20Materials/Page
quillingwithwhimsiquills.blogspot.com/2007/07/teachinglearning-quilling-part-1.html
www.naqg.org
www.quilling-guild.co.uk/index.htm
ladyrain.hubpages.com/hub/Paper-Quilling-Making-Huskings
Badge: Rubber Stamp Basics (revised)
Rubber stamping is a craft kids of any age can do successfully. You can start without spending a lot of money. The many stamping techniques allows you to continue improving your skills and expanding your knowledge. Specific techniques will be explored in additional AEP badge programs.
Your number concern when crafting is your tools, in this case the stamps themselves. We’ll focus on stamps, supplies and beginning stamping.
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Steps
1. What can you rubber stamp on?
Rubber stampers joke that they will stamp anything that doesn’t move. This isn’t far from the truth. In addition to be fun and addicting, rubber stamping allows you to personalize clothing, cards and more. Here’s a list of things you might want to rubber stamp on.
- Balloons
- Bookmarks
- Business cards
- Coasters
- Candles
- Cards
- Clay pots
- Frames
- Jewelry
- Magnets
- Ornaments
- Ribbons
- Skin
- T-shirts
- Tablecloth / napkins
- Walls
- Wrapping paper
- And much more!
2. Rubber stamps.
All “rubber” stamps are not made of rubber. In addition, some may be attached to a base while others need to be temporarily attached for stamping. Investigate different types of stamps. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
- Mounted, flat
- Mounted, roller
- Unmounted
- Rubber
- Polymer
- Foam
- Digital
3. Anatomy of a rubbber stamp.
When you purchase mounted stamps, there is a mount (usually wood or acrylic block), foam and the rubber. Depending on what you plan to stamp on, you’ll need each of these in varying degrees.
The mount itself is the flat part of the stamp, giving your stamp stability. Your foam gives your rubber the flexibility to make sure the entire rubber surface comes in contact with your stamping surface evenly.
Purchasing unmounted stamps will save you a lot of money, but you need to find a mounting system that works for you. Polymer stamps which attach directly to a solid surface may need a sheet of foam under your stamping surface to work the same as a traditionally mounted stamp.
Examine the types of stamps in Step 2 and see how these three items interact with many stamp materials. Which do you need to eliminate to stamp on non-flat surfaces, if any?
4. Rubber stamp characteristics.
Rubber stamps are not created equal. Some work better for certain applications. Different characteristics of stamps and their limitations are listed below. Look at images of rubber stamps to find examples of these characteristics and explore any additional you find.
- Fine detail — These stamps have fine lines that do not show well on items like fabric.
- Shadow — Large, usually simple shaped stamps that are solid or have gradients – can be used for layering.
- Deep etched — Raised surface of the stamping area is vastly higher than the base. The deeper the etch, the better the impression. You need deep etch for stamping into clay.
- Bold designs — Large solid areas of rubber without a lot of detail, good for using with any material.
5. Rubber stamp designs.
Rubber stamp designs are incredibly varied. You will notice there are “trends” that hit the stamping world. A certain theme will become very popular such as “Asian” or “fairies.” Choose your favorite search engine, visit Flickr, or find another image site and look at rubber stamps. List designs you find that speak to you. How can you use these images in your own creations?
6. Rubber stamp storage.
Before purchasing stamps, you need to seriously think about storage. Wood mounted stamps take up a lot of room. Polymer stamps can be damaged easily if not stored properly. Look at stamp storage systems and decide what will work for you.
Think about indexing your rubber stamps as well to eliminate duplicate purchases. Indexing also makes information available for card swaps, magazine submissions, etc.
7. Rubber stamp maintenance.
Taking care of your rubber stamps will extend their lifecycle. This will also contribute to your storage decision in Step 6. Avoiding sunlight is incredibly important. Research ways to clean and extend the lifecycle of your stamps.
8. Rubber stamp purchases.
What do you need to look for in a quality rubber stamp?
- Deep etching
- Lack of defect
- Quality of foam
- Size (Smaller stamps are easier to use.)
Where can you get rubber stamps? Look at your local craft stores, discount stores and online. Compare rubber stamp characteristics, materials and design.
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Moving beyond rubber
9. Rubber stamp supplies.
These are only the most basic supplies. As you move away from being a beginner, your stamping supplies will grow. Before you purchase any supplies, check your home. Use what you already have first to determine what you like before spending a lot of money.
Materials to stamp on include paper, fabric and clay. Paper is the best to start with as it is inexpensive and readily available. Often, making cards is a great way to start as a final card can be a first success within minutes of starting a project.
“Inks” may be anything from inkpads to bottled acrylic paint. These are applied to the rubber to make your impressions. Inkpads come in dye (fast drying) and pigment (slow drying) varieties. Also, you’ll see some inks, such as “Staz-On”, are specially designed and may need a specific material to clean the ink from your stamp. Make sure you read your directions before applying “inks” to your rubber.
Coloring materials may include markers, colored pencils, watercolors, chalks or anything else you can use to color in the details after making your impressions.
10. Rubber stamp accessories.
Again, most of these items you will already own. Collect them in a box or basket. Try them out before purchasing any more accessories.
- Scissors
- Craft knife
- Self-healing mat
- Ruler
- Bone folder
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Let’s get to it!
11. Getting a good impression.
Here are a few suggestions for getting good impressions. What other ways can you think of?
- Stamp on a stable, flat surface
- Place a few sheets of paper, foam placemat, etc. under your stamping material in case the ink goes through.
- Ink your stamp by patting the inkpad to the stamp or vice versa. Make sure it’s completely covered.
- Stamp on a scrap piece of paper first if you’re using specialty paper
- Apply firm, even pressure – DO NOT ROCK
- Large stamps need more pressure, smaller stamps need less
- Lift the stamp up straight from the paper
- Experiment!
12. Back to kindergarten.
Remember when life was about staying in the lines? Once you have your stamped impression, your job is to color in your image. This is the step where your creativity shows. One rule for this — have fun!
13. A few impressions more.
Once you have stamping down, you may find that stamping a few extra images is a good thing. You can color them as you’re watching television and keep them in a box for those “I need a card now” moments. You can also use them for collage, scrapbooking and a slew of other paper crafts.
14. Selling your stamped items.
As you get better, you may find you want to sell items you stamp. In Step 6, we mentioned indexing your stamps. Each stamp company has their own policy for how you can use their images. When you purchase a stamp, you’re agreeing to use it for your personal use. “Angel companies” allow you to sell items with their images on them. Most do not allow digitizing their images. Read the usage policies for a few companies and compare them. Stampin’ Up! Is a huge stamping company, start your research there.
15. Learning more.
In addition to the links following the badge steps, there are many printed items for you to explore. There are stamping magazines you can peruse to learn more about stamping. These include:
- Vamp Stamp News
- RubberStampMadness
- Stamper’s Sampler
- Card Maker Magazine
- Scrap and Stamp
You can also visit your library for a variety of books on the subject of rubber stamping.
16. What happened to digital?
Digital stamps (digi stamps) are black and white computer images that print out looking like a traditional stamped image. The draw is the lack of physical storage needed and the ability to manipulate an image by resizing, flipping and more. They are limited to printing materials that go through your printer and must be cut out. Look at a few digital stamp companies. Explore the advantages and disadvantages of digital stamping. Is it for you?
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Sites to Explore
www.littlebit.com/rubber1.htm
rubberstamping.about.com/od/gettingstarted/tp/The-Basics-of-Rubber-Stamping.htm
www.creativity-portal.com/howto/artscrafts/rubberstamping.html
crafts.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Rubber_Stamp_Storage
www.associatedcontent.com/article/132897/how_to_start_a_rubber_stamp_collection.html?cat=6
www.stampinup.com/us/enu/5293.asp
www.stampington.com/html/beginningbasics_artstamp.html
www.stampendous.com/Tips+%26+Techniques
www.splitcoaststampers.com
www.papercraftz.com
www.vampstampnews.com
www.rsmadness.com
www.cardmakermagazine.com
www.craftstamper.com/article.aspx?x=startstamping&d=list
Badge: Paper Beads (revised)
Paper beads can incorporate recycled materials and are a low-cost craft project. Experiment with paper beads and make a final project with them.
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Steps
1. Materials.
To make paper beads, you’ll need to have:
- Scissors or craft knife and mat or paper cutter
- Glue
- Knitting needle, sewing needle or other item to wrap paper around
- Ruler
- Pen / pencil
- Toothpicks
- Foam or something to place toothpicks into while beads dry
You probably have these items in your home. Collect them before continuing.
2. Material adjustments for kids.
If kids are planning on making beads, try rolling the beads on pencils and a glue stick to glue the end down. This works better for little fingers.
3. Bead shapes.
Download the four PDFs with bead shapes. Print out the shapes on cardstock for templates. Make at least one of each type to see how they look.
4. Paper for beads.
Paper for beads can be found anywhere, including:
- Magazines
- Catalogs
- Wrapping paper
- Scrapbook paper
- Newspaper
- Wallpaper samples
- Construction paper
- Origami paper
- Sheet music
- Any other type of paper
Try a variety of materials and find the one(s) you prefer to work with.
5. Decorating your beads.
If your paper starts out as rather boring, you can use paint, markers or anything else to decorate your beads. Try decorating a few beads to see if you prefer decorated or non-decorated beads.
Don’t limit yourself to decorating after you’ve rolled the paper. For example, if you use a metallic gold pen on the edges of a triangular black paper before rolling, you’ll have thin gold lines on your final bead.
6. Coating for beads.
After the beads are wound, they need to be sealed to keep the paper in good condition. Some of the ways you can do this include:
- Clear nail polish
- Decoupage medium and paint brush
- Embossing fluid, embossing powder and heat source
- Acrylic sealer spray
7. Making beads from recycled newspaper.
www.astorybooklife.com/how-to/paper-beads
Instead of cutting strips and rolling beads, create beads from recycled newspaper pulp. Try this way of making paper beads.
8. Paper pod beads.
foldingtrees.com/2008/09/pod-bead-tutorial
Paper pod beads are made with paper punched shapes. Explore this way to make paper beads.
9. Covering wooden beads.
Try a different way to make “paper” beads by gluing paper over wooden beads. Make sure the bead is clean. Thinner papers, such as tissue paper, will wrap over the bead easier. Mulberry paper will hold together better as it is stretched over the bead. Glue the paper and coat it with one of the coating methods listed in Step 6 or one of your own.
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Using your beads
10. Beaded curtains.
You can take many paper beads and make curtains or room dividers. Determine how many beads you’d need to make to create a curtain. Time how long it takes you to roll and seal a bead. Is this a possibility?
11. Beaded jewelry.
Paper beads can be incorporated into necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings and more. Create enough beads to make a piece of jewelry to keep or give away.
12. Paper embellishments.
Paper beads can be used to embellish scrapbooks and other paper crafts. They can be strung on ribbons or strings. Brainstorm places you can place paper beads as embellishments.
13. Bead people.
Combine a variety of sizes and shapes to create unique “bead people.” By combining beads, you can use your bead person on a keyring or necklace. You also could use a bead to create a person or face by painting features on a bead.
14. Trading beads.
Swap beads you have made with others. Incorporate your collected beads in one of the above projects, SWAPs or another project.
15. Start a collection.
If you love your beads too much to part with them, start a collection of your favorites to show others.
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Supplements
SUPP_Paper Bead Temp01.pdf
SUPP_Paper Bead Temp02.pdf
SUPP_Paper Bead Temp03.pdf
SUPP_Paper Bead Temp04.pdf
Templates with various shapes to create paper beads.
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Sites to Explore
www.graciousrain.com/2010/08/09/paper-bead-tutorial
www.bellaonline.com/articles/art15826.asp
www.how-to-make-jewelry.com/paper-beads.html
www.thebeadsite.com/chi-hom.html
familycrafts.about.com/od/makingbeads/ss/paperbeads.htm
www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Paper-Beads
www.beadinggem.com/2010/01/how-to-make-paper-bead-and-jewelry.html
gomakesomething.com/ht/recycled/paper-beads
paperbeads.org
www.astorybooklife.com/how-to/paper-beads
foldingtrees.com/2008/09/pod-bead-tutorial
www.paperbeadcrafts.com/howto/index.shtml
www.making-mini-scrapbooks.com/paperbeads.html
thepapergirlblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/make-paper-covered-wooden-beads.html
www.artfarm.com/dollpaperbead.html
Badge: Card Making Basics (revised)
How many times have you looked for the perfect card only to “settle” for what the store had?
Reasons to make your own cards include: express your individuality, use your own words / images, design for your recipient, celebrate non-traditional holidays or events and much more.
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Steps
1. What event would you like to make cards for?
Brainstorm specific holidays, birthdays or even “just because” events that you would like to send a card for so others know you are thinking of them.
2. Explore your purchased card selection.
Start at your favorite card store. Take shots with your phone / camera of cards you like. Include color combinations that you find pleasing. Make notes about styles, sayings and colors. Purchase any that you must have for your personal collection.
3. Explore online card selection.
Search for images of cards you like. Again, you can take notes, make PDFs of the page or do screen captures. If you find a site that you find exceptional, bookmark it. Don’t limit yourself to “printed” cards, e-cards often break outside of the traditional card lines and follow more niche areas.
4. Examine your choices.
Look at the cards, images and notes you have. Why did you choose each item? Did you find the colors and design pleasing? Why or why not? Were the words thoughtful or did they fall flat? Do they just not “sound like you”?
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Let’s play!
5. Sizes and shapes.
Print out the standard US sizes for letters and envelopes if you’re in the United States. If you’re not in the US, what are the standard sizes your Post will accept? Keep your sizes handy for future steps. Feel free to share countries / sizes on the blog to help others.
You can hand out cards instead of mailing them. That means you do not have to follow standard sizes. Also, you can make
“non-standard” cards for mailing, they will need to be hand-stamped and will cost more to mail. Keep this in mind as you design your cards. You may want to break the “rules” for posting cards.
Most cards are rectangular so they can go through automated systems, so we’ll stick with that shape.
6. Coordinating colors.
Look at the colors you found most pleasing. Purchase cards and envelopes in the colors you like. White and ivory tend to be the colors that are sold in bulk if you’re looking at making more than a couple cards. Now, choose paper to coordinate with your cards and envelopes. You can use solid colors or patterns. Compare the pieces to make sure they compliment or contrast to your taste.
7. Basic tools.
The basic tools you will need depends on how much you plan to put into the card. It can be as simple as a sticker or swash of oil paint on the front of the card with a handwritten sentiment on the inside to intricate layers and images you’re created on your computer. Read through the tool suggestions and decide which is right for you. Before you purchase any supplies, check around your house. You probably already own some of them.
- Paper or cards
- Envelopes
- Cutting mat, X-acto® knife and metal ruler; scissors; paper trimmer
- Folding bone or similar item
- Adhesives; tapes
- Ink; inkpads; paint
- Embellishments including stickers, ribbons, brads, eyelets, etc.
- Paper punches
- Rubber stamping supplies
- Computer and printer
- Pencils; markers; crayons; chalks
8. Explore card making tutorials.
You can find free card making tutorials on the Web, in magazines or in books from your local library. Designs and approaches to card making are varied. Using your likes that you’ve already explored, complete a few tutorials. If you know someone crafty or have a craft / scrapbook store nearby, you can take classes to learn the basics as well.
9. Finding templates.
Templates are outlines for creating paper crafts. You can find templates for envelopes, cards, bookmarks, tags, etc. Using your favorite search engine, find templates that you can download or view that deal with cards and envelopes. This is another way to create your cards without purchasing pre-made cards and envelopes.
10. Do it simple — creating layers.
One of the easiest ways to create a card is by layering paper and then putting a focal item on the top layer like a sticker or rubber stamped image. You attach contrasting or coordinating colored paper on the front of the card, but make each layer a bit smaller so you can see the colors underneath. Layers do not have to always be centered or aligned.
11. Do it personal —using your own art.
If you like to use oil paints, mix a couple colors and add a swash to the front of your card. This puts your own personality on it. If you like to sketch, make a photocopy or scan it and print it out to attach. Look through any art journals or doodles you’ve done. You can also create one-of-a-kind art directly on the card and / or envelope.
12. Doing it digital — in whole or in part.
Print a full sheet of paper with a digital photograph as the front of your card. If you’re putting your print into an A2 (4.375 × 5.75) envelope, an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper will fold into an 4.25 x 5.5 card. In addition to making full cards, you can print out parts to include with your card including salutations, individual words or found ephemera (vintage, public domain images).
13. Doing it right — recycle.
Do you save old cards with no reason why? Cut out the images you like from the front and reuse them on your cards. You can also recycle junk mail to make paper, cut stamps off to use for embellishment, etc.
14. Collecting quotes.
Start a document, database or even index card set with quotes and sayings you like. This might just be a sentence for inside the card or a front and back set that you find appealing. In addition to books like “Bartlett’s Quotes”, you can find many other free quote sources online. You can purchase quote books online, especially from scrapbook vendors. Going for the more personal card, use favorite sayings from your recipient as the theme for your card.
15. Creating blank cards.
In addition to creating cards for a specific recipient, you can create blank cards. You put a design on the front of the card, but leave the inside blank. When you need a card, you can personalize your message inside.
16. Storage for your cards.
Creating a spot where you can store your cards will save you a lot of headaches and money. You won’t have to do any more “last minute” shopping for a card. Make sure your storage system keeps the cards clean and organized.
17. Sharing with swap-bot (www.swap-bot.com).
If you don’t have a lot of people that you send cards to, you can always swap them with others. Swap-bot allows you to join (for free) and swap not only completed cards, but random items and more.
18. Upload images to Flickr.
AEP has a special area on Flickr to share completed projects for others to see. Search for “AEP” or “Adult Enrichment Project” for our sites and include cards you make.
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Sites to Explore
www.how-to-make-greeting-cards-rock.com/index.html
www.greetingcardsresource.com
www.making-greeting-cards.com
www.handmade-cards-ideas.com
www.card-making-world.com
www.papercraftsmag.com
www.craftcreations.co.uk
Badge: Artistic Trading Cards (revised)
Artist trading cards (ATCs) are small pieces of art. They can be made with multiple different materials in a variety of art and / or craft techniques. In addition, these can be as simple or complicated as you choose. ATCs are an excellent activity for kids and a great way for you to get rid of scraps and leftovers from other projects.
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Steps
1. Size.
Artist trading cards have only one rule — they must be 2.5″ x 3.5″. This is 64mm x 89mm. The size is the same as a standard trading card. This also allows you to place them into trading card plastic sleeves, the same as baseball cards.
2. ATCs on the Web.
Search for ATC images online to see what crafters and artists have created. Save any images that you find inspirational.
3. Cutting ATCs from a sheet of paper.
You can easily cut out nine cards from a standard sheet of paper (7.5″ wide x 10.5″ high).
- US letter — 8.5″ x 11″ (215.9mm x 279.4mm)
- A4 — 8.27″ x 11.69″ (210mm x 297mm)
To save paper, you can get 10 out, but trimming is a bit more complex. You can find templates on the Web showing you how to cut them. Cut a sheet of each and decide which way you prefer to use.
4. Simple techniques with ATCs.
Simple craft techniques to try with ATCs include:
- Rubber stamping
- Drawing
- Decoupage
- Coloring
- Stickers
Try one or more of these simple craft techniques on a card.
5. More techniques / materials for ATCs.
ATC cards can be made with any art or craft technique. Try making a card with paper, clay, fiber, wood or other material. You can also make embellishments to attach to the card with a non-paper product.
6. Kids make ATCs, even big kids.
Kids love to create ATCs. Collect some or all of the following and place them in the center of the workspace. Each kid will go through 3-5 cards an hour. Have extra cards on-hand in case you have very creative kids. Providing examples will give them a starting point.
- Scrap paper / construction paper
- Stickers
- Stamps and ink or paint
- Paper punches or scissors
- Markers / pencils / pens / crayons
- Yarn, embroidery floss or other fibers
- Scissors
- Glue
- Glitter
- Confetti
- Scraps of ribbon, lace, etc.
7. Sharing with swap-bot (www.swap-bot.com).
If you don’t have people that you send cards to, you can always swap cards. Swap-bot allows you to join (for free) and swap not only completed cards, but random items and more.
8. Card swaps.
Card swaps aren’t limited to swap-bot. Groups on Yahoo! and other sites trade in singles and multiples depending on swap themes hosted by volunteers. Some are very large . . . a US swap covered a card for each of the 50 states. Also, check out your local scrapbooking / paper / rubber stamp store to see if they have a monthly swap you can participate in.
9. Start your own swap.
Start your own ATC swap club. Show others how to make ATCs. Pick a theme, technique for everyone to use, etc. Perhaps you can invite others to share their art or craft skills to add variety to your cards.
10. Upload images to Flickr.
AEP has a special area on Flickr to share completed projects for others to see. Search for “AEP” or “Adult Enrichment Project” for our sites.
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Supplements
SUPP_ATC_9up.pdf
Diagram for cutting 9 cards out of a sheet of paper.
SUPP_ATC_10up.pdf
Diagram for cutting 10 cards out of a sheet of paper.
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