Cardmaking: An Intro

I love making cards. Paper is such a simple but wonderful medium. And I find it quite easy to be creative with paper. And there are so many pretty colors and designs on stock paper these days, you can slap it on a card and it looks as though you put more effort into its making than you actually did. In other words, even a little can go a long way.

You can make your own card stock by cutting paper - a little thickness usually feels like better quality, or you can buy cards already cut and folded with envelopes. There are ones that don't cost too much money and are easy and convenient to decorate. Paper stock with all sorts of designs can be bought in single sheets and in books. Find a pretty pattern, cut to the design or to the card size, and you've made yourself a simple card. Now, this is where the creativity can come in. Layering with more cut out paper, heat embossing, gluing gems, adding paper flowers and buttons, punching brads, the possibilities are endless.

Experimenting can be fun. And keep an eye and mind out for ideas, from things on TV to cards at stores to the ultimate research tool the internet. And I like to keep scrap paper around because you never know when you can use those pretty, little leftover pieces.

Jewelry Making: An Intro

Making jewelry can seem intimidating. After all, you can't still be wearing macaroni necklaces you made in kindergarten. But, as with all crafts there are different levels of difficulty. You just have to work your way up.

Now, jewelry making happens to be one of those crafts where you probably do have to spend on some supplies if you are starting from scratch. Unless you really do want to make a macaroni necklace (although pasta does tend to crumble with some wear and tear). You will probably need things like hooks and wire, beads to decorate, and of course tools like pliers and cutters, which you might have around the house. It can seem daunting especially if you want to jump right into the advanced jewelry making techniques for elaborate pieces, but there's something satisfying about being able to make and wear your own work even if it's simple.

Though the pink and purple earrings shown in the picture on top look like there's a lot of pieces to it, the actual construction was very simple and took only a few minutes.
The gold and bronze earrings on the bottom required some more construction because it deals with long wire pieces, but it too was not too complicated, just required some more time.

If you want to get even more basic, you can buy beads you like (the colors and varities available will make your eyes pop) and string a long necklace. If it's long enough, you don't even have to incorporate a clasp. I've made impromptu necklaces to match an outfit this way.

Sometimes it is just easier to buy cheap jewelry, although some can be obnoxiously expensive for the quality (I refuse to pay $15 for a piece of string with beads on it that I know I can make for less than half that). But then again, you can't show it off and say you made it. And they do make great gifts. But remember when you are gifting, that some people are allergic to certain metals so be careful. You can purchase gold, silver, and gold/silver plated hooks for earrings for example if that's a problem.

So those are some things to think about if you're interested in producing art you can wear. And don't forget the ghetto crafts spirit of improvising and experimenting. Like, try ribbon instead of string or wire if the beads are big enough to thread. Mix different mediums to make unique and funky pieces.