Spend Less Get More

Hello friends, I have been stamping my little fingers to the bone these last few days. I want to get far enough a head so I can post more cards, I'll see how that goes. I went to Michaels the other day looking for some new supply's mostly paper for my Christmas cards. There was not a lot to chose from but I all most fell over when I saw the prices one single sheet of 12x12 paper was .79 cents I thought that was high. I don't want to have $5.00 in one card. So I came home on a mission to learn how to get the most from what I have. Explicitly all these dies, I feel my cards are getting kind of same old same old thing. Stamp, mat, layer. 

I think I may need to explain something,  I'm not cheep if I see something I want to craft with I have always  bought it or gotten it as a gift. But last fall my dad had a heart attack he is 93 and living with us. I quit my job to take care of him. This has been a whole new experiences taking card of a elderly parent.

Back to the crafting thing for my card today I used cheep Georgia Pacific white paper and a really ugly green.

 I start with a sheet of 8.5 x 11 G.P. white card stock cut in half  scored and folded at 4.25. Then I used the Largest die in the Matting Basic A, I kept the fold inside the cutting edge and ran it though the machine then I used the embossing mats this made a very nice edge on the card. Then using a smaller die from the B set I cut a white mat and embossed that one to. This extra step really makes a world of differences. I used another die to cut the green mat. Back to the white mat I took it out of the die and rubbed Perfect medium a round the edge that will be showing then added some Perfect Pearls in Perfect pearl. I have had this stuff a long time and just quit using because it fell out of style. For the green layer I rubbed the Perfect Medium over the recessed side of a embossing folder closed it up and ran it through the machine. Then I added a little Gold Perfect Pearls this really made a difference to the ugly green paper. For the buckle across the front I used the GP paper and the three smalls dies from the Floral Ovals. I rubbed the Perfect Medium  over the frames and added a little Perfect Pearls. It gives them the look of a pearl paper.  The strip across the center is half inch wide I gold embossed the DRS designs Happy Birthday and wove through  the ovals. The bows are made from seam Binding. I think this is the best investment I have ever made from a consumable craft supply. There is 100 yards on this roll and the price sticker is 14.99 I have had this for several years and still have a lot left on the roll. You can die it any color. I have used my Copic reinkers, markers, stamp pads and they all work great.

      

Well that is my cheep card. I hope I have given you some ideals on how to save a little but still get pretty cards.

Have a wonderful day,

Janett