Card Making Ideas – Rubber Stamps

If you are new to card making and looking for card making ideas, rubber stamps are a perfect addition to your craft box. Rubber stamps can be used in a variety of ways so they are well worth investing in.

When you begin crafting or card making it is important that you do not rush out and buy everything you see, you will save a huge amount of money if you purchase a few items, some stamps and embossing powders until you discover some card making ideas or find what your special interest is whether it be animal stamps or flowers or what ever interests you.

Never by cheap stamps for your card making ideas, although some stamps are quite expensive they will produce a much better print and have a crisper look if they have been properly made.

Rubber stamps range in price, usually the larger or more detailed the more expensive it will be, I always consider how many times I can use a stamp for my card making ideas before I purchase one. Some of the larger stamps can also be repeatedly stamped and used for decoupage, which will create a completely different type of card.

If you do decide to use a rubber stamp for decoupage never cut into the embossed lines as this may cause the embossing powder to flake off and look unattractive.

I find the stamps that are mounted on a clear block are great for beginners as you can see exactly where you are stamping leaving less room for error.

The biggest tip I can give when using rubber stamps that you will emboss is to lightly brush the area of card you are going to stamp on with talc this will stop the embossing powder sticking to other parts of the card as well as the ink.

Always lay you stamp flat and take the ink pad to it rather than pushing the stamp into the ink pad, this will ensure the entire design on the stamp is evenly covered in the ink.

Remember once you have used the stamp it is important to clean the stamp and remove the entire ink residue. Depending on the type of in you have used for your card making ideas it may not be necessary to use expensive ink removers, I find an acid free baby wipe works just as well as some of the chemical solutions you can buy from craft shops.

Always store your ink pads level and upside down this will prevent uneven ink distribution and keep the ink on the top of the pad ready for its next use.

Rubber-stamping can be used for all your card making ideas and also for scrap booking, however it is important that you use ink that is acid free and fade resistant to keep your project looking bright and effective.

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Card making ideas – let’s add some inspiration

Here are some card making ideas, which may add a new look to your greeting cards.

Add a Wired Touch

Add movement to a card using wire to attach the element. Try wrapping one element with wire and attach another one, so it would bounce.H

Make a Quick Card

Use a fancy font on your computer to create an inexpensive card. For a special touch add personalized metal rim tags by printing the icon on plain paper then adhere to the tag.

Sew It

Personalize a thank-you card by hand-stitching ribbon in the shape of a flower. Complete the look with machine-stitched lines.

Use Botanical Prints

Create an elegant look by punching botanical stems in the center of a mod card. Use warm colors to emphasize this botanical look.

Stitch It

Use the pattern of the paper as a guide to create a beautiful hand-stitched look.

Cut the Details

Use precise hand-cutting techniques to create the card. Ink the edges to add definition to the design.

Make a Simple Design

Use stamps to create bold flowers. Punch holes on the bottom half the card to allow the negative space to show through.

Use Fabric

Use fabric to add texture to your card design. Try covering a card with fabric pieces then embellish by machine-stitching other fabric pieces onto the card. For an extra special touch, create a flower out of sewn together pouches.

Use Other Objects

Fashion a cute flower shape out of safety pins. Add beads to the pins for an extra touch. To hide the glue holding the pins together, adhere a button to the center of the design.

Take Advantage of Leftovers

Create layers from your leftover scraps paired with solid card stock. Use a bunch to cut unique shapes, then play on top of coordinating patterned paper. Actually, leftovers even deserve a separate post!

Mimic a Pattern

Find inspiration from bold patterns. Mimic the pattern on a card by cutting a shape of card stock. Then tape some ribbons onto a card. Use different widths and patterns to create a unique look.

Leave Your Mark

Use see-though pocket embellishments to leave your personal touch on a card. Cut a plastic slide holder into pieces attach the strips to the card. Then fill the pockets with special items such as punched hearts and stickers.

Stick It

Create an encouraging card with phrase stickers placed in a grid. Top it off with a simple flower detail.

Use Real Flowers

Add a touch of realism to a card with pressed flowers. Make sure your flowers have lost all their moisture before using them in a project or they may turn brown. To attach the flowers use dry adhesive dots.

These are only few of great card making ideas and tips there could be.  You are welcome to share yours!

Card making ideas – basic terms

I decided to start from this list because as every craft, card making has it’s own terms which are essential to succeed in greeting card making and some of the terms may give you card making ideas by itself!

Acetate – Acetate is a plastic film that has many applications. You can stamp onto it using rubber stamps, use it for making shaker cards, and use it to make an image or embellishment appear to hang independently. You can also paint Acetate with glass paints and glitter glues.

Acid Free – Anything that is acid free is perfect for card making and scrap booking as it will not deteriorate or discolor. Acid free is simply a product that is manufactured free of acid.

Adhesive – Adhesive is something that is used to stick one material to another. Common craft adhesives include glue dots, glue sticks, double sided tape and photo stickers.

Bone Folder – A bone folder is used for scoring and folding paper and card. It is a flat piece of plastic or bone which is pointed at one end and round at the other.

Brads – Brads are available in a wide range of designs, shapes and colours. Brads have two prongs at the back which are pushed through the paper or card and then flattened to hold in place in much the same way as a split pin..

Brayer – A brayer is usually used to create backgrounds or to roll over two pieces of paper to help glue them together. A brayer is a roller that is soft and made of rubber.

Cardstock – Cardstock is a sturdy thick scrapbook paper which is available in many different thicknesses, weights and colors.

Cello Bags – Cello Bags are used to protect your cards and often used when making cards to sell. They are made from thin plastic which is transparent.

Clear Rubber Stamps – Clear rubber stamps are usually used with an acrylic block, clear stamps can be positioned how you like, and can be mixed and matched with other stamps that you add to the acrylic block.

Corner Punch – A corner punch is used for cutting corner shapes, usually to round off the corners of cards.

Craft Knife – A craft knife is an essential item for card making and scrap booking. It is a very sharp pointed knife that has replaceable blades.

Cutting Mat – A cutting mat is used with the craft knife. It is a mat that protects the surface you are working on.

Decoupage – Decoupage is a technique used to decorate cards. It is a technique where you build up a 3D picture using several pictures as layers.

Die Cut – Is a term that means ‘cut out shape’. The shape is usually cut from a metal template called a ‘die’.

Distressing – Distressing is a method used to give your project an old and worn look.. This can be achieved in many ways including, stamping, crumpling, inking and tearing.

Double Sided Tape – Double sided tape is sticky on both sides and can either be flat or 3D.

Embellishment – An embellishment is used to decorate a handmade card or scrapbook page layout.

Embossing – A technique used when stamping to create a raised image.

Embossing Powder – Embossing Powder is a fine powder that is available in a variety of colors. Embossing powder is sprinkled over a stamped image and heated to create a raised impression.

Eyelets – Eyelets are metal fasteners with holes in the middle. They are attached to cards and scrapbook pages. Once attached ribbon and fibres can be passed through the holes.

Gel Pens – Gel pens come in many different colors and can be used to color small areas in a precise color.

Glitter Glue – Glitter glue is glue that is pre mixed with very fine glitter. Glitter glue is usually white and dries clear.

Glue Dots – Glue dots are used to attach embellishments such as buttons or other heavy materials. They are extremely sticky and should not be removed once applied.

Heat Gun – A heat gun is used to heat embossing powder

Iris Folding – A technique where strips of paper are folded and overlapped to create a background in an aperture card.

Light box – A back lit box used with an embossing stencil. The light in the box transmits through the image so that it can be seen through card and paper.

Matting – Matting is also known as mat and layering. It is a technique where a layer of paper is built up to produce a frame around an image or embellishment.

Pigment ink – pigment ink is normally used for embossing because it is like a water based ink that dries slowly enabling the embossing powders to stick to it.

Rub Ons – Rub ons are transfers that are applied by rubbing with a lolly stick. Once applied, they are permanent. They are commonly used on scrapbook page layouts and for card making ideas.

Scoring – A way of creating a line that can be used to fold a card.

Now, armed with this knowledge, we can start looking for card making ideas to start making our own wonderful greeting cards!

Card making ideas – why card making

It seems that all my friends and relatives have their birthdays in a row with November as a busiest month. Nevermind the Christmas! With Easter rapidly advancing and my money running low, this is when card making ideas started to come to my mind. I thought that self made greeting card is a great way to express your creativity and thoughts for family and friends.

As I started to create greeting cards, I discovered that card making can be very fun, satisfying and even addictive! Once you start to make them, you will tend to create more and more. You’ll naturally start to look for card making ideas and techniques.

I’m a technical person, so I always wondered where people take all these creative ideas from. And as a technical person I had to organize all information, advises, ideas and guides I had.

And then I thought, why not share this with other people who may be also interested in making greeting cards for friends, relatives, or maybe even for profit.

Keep an eye on further updates and you are more than welcome to share your own card making ideas or showcase an example of your work to inspire others.