Unleash Your Creativity With Cardmaking and Scrapbooking

Crafting gives you the opportunity to get creative and use as many techniques and supplies as you want. There are no rules as to what makes a good scrapbook or card—they can be as simple or as colorful and shiny as you want them to be!

This article is for anyone getting their hands on scrapbooking or cardmaking as a limited-time need (mailing heartful handmade Christmas cards to friends and family abroad), starting a long-time hobby, or even as a small-business idea.

The two crafts are pretty similar when it comes to the creative processes involved, but they also have some differences. Scrapbooking requires longer-term collection of memorabilia, putting everything in orderly fashion, adding dates, quotes, diary entries, etc., while cardmaking is simpler because it can be done in a matter of hours when the occasion is known to the card maker and they already have a concept and style in mind.

A Good Printer Is Important

If you plan on drawing or painting the cards and images by hand, then you can skip this advice. For the rest, a high-quality color printer is the first thing you might want to invest money into, especially if you’ll be using it for business needs.

A digital album in our phones cannot come close to the beauty that is held by a carefully crafted scrapbook with important photographs of high-quality. You’ll be printing a lot pictures in different shapes and sizes, as well as frames, ornaments, flowers, signs, etc., so this investment will pay off in the long run as going from one printing office to another will cost you your time and a small fortune, yet the pictures will not be of the same quality both paper and color-wise.

The Canon PIXMA TR4520 Wireless All-In-One Inkjet Printer model doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, and is placed high on the list of best scrapbooking printers because of its 3 in 1 function (print, scan and fax) and can be connected to any computer or phone with ease.

Your Choice of Paper Matters

A good canvas to work with can make or break your scrapbook or card. Different types of paper are used for different purposes and they can be bought by the sheet or in bulk. Also, there are fully customized scrapbooks in physical stores and online that you can buy and decorate with your own photos and entries.

Repro paper is most commonly used for printing. It’s thin, yet stronger than the average notebook sheet and absorbs color well, so scrapbookers and card makers use this type very often.

Coated paper is shiny and smooth but absorbs color a little harder than regular paper, so it is not recommended for portrait photographs as the colors might smudge. If you plan on using it for ornaments/details, it’s always best to buy sheets in the colors you need and then draw and cut out shapes. However, this is a great (and preferred) paper choice for cards as it gives them a nice, glossy finish, and it’s good to paint on, too!

Fine art paper is the most sought after by perfectionists as it provides better quality to printed photographs. Because this paper isn’t artificially bleached, it has neutral pH and absorbs colors better, giving more depths to the photograph.

Finally, newsprint paper is used by artists and craftsmen mostly for accents i.e., they print and glue this type of paper onto thicker paper or harder surfaces. This type of paper is very affordable, and even old, printed newspapers can be used if that’s the artists’ style.

Organize Your Materials, Supplies and Kits

This is where things get individual for those involved in craftsmanship. Every artist uses a different variety of tools and techniques that are unique to their own style. Some use their own imagination and draw things from scratch with watercolors, sharpies, charcoal, pencil, etc., others prefer to use real-life inspiration and then print, cut and glue.

While there is no wrong way to express your creativity, you have to be careful with your budget and organize your necessities neatly so you don’t overspend money or find yourself in a situation where you’ll be lacking supplies that you urgently need.

Beginners can always buy pre-made kits which will supply them with the most necessary items and give them further ideas about their craftsmanship style. Kit organizers and storage carts will be of great use to those of you who buy in bulks and work with different types of paper, coloring materials, and use stamps, glitter, bows, stickers, etc. to decorate.

Tips for Unique and Quality Cards and Scrapbooks

Get a snow marker or liquid stardust. It will add a dose of realness to any card or scrapbook, and they’re not used only for adding snow to your cards but can make for great beach-wave bubbles or add touchiness to any frame or outline drawing.

Cut or burn your paper edges. Distressed paper edges give off a more personal, nostalgic vibe. You can use scissors, scalpel and/or a regular lighter, and then darken the distressed edges with ink, charcoal, or watercolor.

Reuse leftover paper. Never let good paper go to waste. There are a ton of ways to cut and reuse leftover paper to add depth to your card/scrapbook. For example, cut simple shapes, stack them up forming an interesting pattern or cut them in lines and use them as frames.

We know your loves ones will be so excited to receive your card or scrapbook in the mail. Trust PackageHopper to get it there safely and quickly.

 

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