Rubber Stamps: 10 Great Tips For Making Multiple
Cards
You know the feeling. The kids have tons of demands,
vacation is just around the corner, that big project at
work is eating all of your free time. How will you ever
make those handmade cards for the big party, or mail the
invitations for the guests at the big wedding? What
started out as a great idea for some very special cards
has turned into a stressful project. These ten simple
steps will maximize your time and free up your
creativity when making multiple cards for any size
project.
1. Determine and plan your cardmaking schedule. Do you
want to set aside a few hours or just 30 minutes at a
time? Pick a design suitable for the available time.
Make a simple "assembly line" schedule to maximize the
time you have to spend on the project.
2. Work on individual elements, individually. It may
sound silly, but working on one element of the cards
will retain the "look" of the cards while creating a
"unity" among them. Start by stamping all of the
impressions, then work on cutting out all of the
backgrounds, folding all of the paper, tearing all of
the sheets simultaneously. You don't want to spend too
much time on any one card.
3. Have a party! Kids and relatives love to involved.
Make the work fun and don't be overly concerned about
the smaller details of the project. You will ultimately
put all of the individual components together, giving
you plenty of time to add any special touches. Working
together with other people will also add a new level of
uniqueness to your cards.
4. Stop writing. One of the most frustrating tasks of
mass producing cards is hand writing messages. Find
"handwriting fonts" available online, at your nearest
craft supply store, or your local computer store. Sign
the finished card or pen in any details or RSVP
information as you would with a store purchased card.
5. Use a paper trimmer. If you need a fast way to make
background frames or trim down embellishments, scissors
just won't cut it! Stacking paper in 5-10 sheet groups
and trimming all at once will provide perfect multiple
shapes. Often, your scraps can be stacked in such a way
to trim them into usable pieces with a trimmer. Rotary
trimmers will also allow you to add perfect "scalloped"
edges to the base of the card(s).
6. Punch It. Remember your time is valuable. Whether
it's a heart, circle, flower, even a fork and spoon,
your local craft store will have a perfect punch for the
card. Cutting out shapes by hand is tedious and rarely
looks well. Circles can be particularly difficult.
7. Stamp, Stamp, Stamp. When placing stamped images on a
card, use one stamp at a time and make as many
impressions as needed. Don't clean stamps or switch
colors until all of the cards have been stamped. This
keeps your ink pads from becoming "mixed" and makes the
impressions uniform.
8. Avoid difficult embellishments. I am sure that rows
of bows, lines of brads, or glued dots would look
wonderful on each card. Finding a simpler alternative
will save you hours. Paper tears, taped bows, even
stylish stickers can be just as attractive without the
hours of difficult handy work.
9. Customize backgrounds. If you absolutely must have a
"look" provided by a stamped background, make a "master"
copy on white paper EXACTLY how it should look. Scan the
paper design into a computer at 300 dpi. (If you're
already confused, spend a minute with the scanner
manual.) Print onto colored cardstock or paper. When
done properly, no one will even notice!
10. Have fun…with a budget. These are the two biggest
factors when mass producing cards. You don't want to get
partway through the project only to realize you have far
overspent your intended budget. That special patterned
paper and those cute hologram stickers can max out the
cost of the cards. Alternatively, when the project
simply becomes a duty, it is unlikely you will ever
finish. Remember to always plan lots of time. After all,
this is by far the greatest hobby in the world!
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