Table of Contents Conversation with Lora, Part 2 M is for Mom Reader Letters Summer Vacation Conversation with Lora, Part 2 In the last newsletter, I introduced you to Lora Brinker, the woman who volunteers her time to manage the card swaps on the CardMaker forums. Here's a little bit more of our recent conversation. Sue: Tell us a little of your crafting history. Lora: I was blessed to have several very talented women in my life as a child. My mom and both grandmas did some sort of craft. I have been involved with crafts from the time I can remember. My mom loves to tell the story of me helping her make gum-paste flowers when I was three years old. As a small child, my grandma would take me with her to pick out material for her quilts. I would sit by her as she worked the treadle sewing machine and hand her the next pieces she needed for the quilt. I also remember my other grandma counting softly as she crocheted, telling us to hush when my cousins and I would purposely try to make her lose count. Every Christmas it was a guarantee that you would receive something crocheted from her -- a doll, sweater, etc. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Want it delivered to your in-box every three weeks? Sign up here All of those memories are very dear to me, but I'm also creating new memories with my step-daughter, and these are just as treasured. It was very special for me to help her use the sewing machine for the first time in order to make a pillowcase for her bed. She also loves to hang out in the craft room with me and make cards for her friends and family or pages for her scrapbook albums. Crafting isn't just a creative expression for me; it's part of my heritage that I want to pass on. Sue: Do you enjoy other forms of creative expression? Lora: Absolutely! My first paper-crafting love is scrapbooking and preserving memories for my family. When I'm not making cards, scrapbooking is where I spend a majority of my creative outlet time. I also enjoy sewing, cake decorating, piecing quilts, embroidery, counted cross-stitch and crochet. Back to top. Free Project Here's a project for all of you procrastinators out there -- there is still time to make this card and rush to the nearest post office in the hopes that it will be delivered to Mom before the big day! I love the machine-stitching on this lovely card by Susan Stringfellow, and the detachable charm adds lots of style without much effort on your part. M is for Mom By Susan Stringfellow Materials Card stock: green, pink Beautifully paper collection (includes paisley printed card stock and pink distressed printed cutout) Scrap piece chipboard White flower rub-on transfers "M" chipboard letter Lazer Lace™ silver-plated heart drop charm 2 paper and/or silk flowers 2 lavender rhinestones 4 small glass beads 1 1/4 inches silver craft wire 2 silver jump rings Cell-phone strap Black brad Sandpaper Silver eyelet with eyelet-setting tool Punches: 1 1/4-inch circle, 1/8-inch hole Round-nose pliers Wire nippers Sewing machine with black thread Clear dimensional adhesive Paper adhesive Form a 5 1/2 x 4 1/4-inch top-folded card from green card stock. Adhere a 5 1/4 x 2 1/2-inch piece of paisley printed card stock to card as shown; machine-stitch along top and bottom edges of card stock. Use "M" as a template to cut a piece of pink card stock; adhere card stock to "M." Adhere "M" to card as shown. Apply four flower rub-on transfers to upper left corner of card; apply a single flower rub-on to lower right corner. Punch a 1 1/4-inch circle from each of the following: chipboard, paisley printed card stock and pink distressed cutout. Adhere paisley and pink circles to front and back of chipboard circle; sand edges. Punch a 1/8-inch hole through center top; set eyelet. Adhere rhinestones to heart charm with dimensional adhesive; let dry. Use round-nose pliers to form a loop at one end of wire; string beads onto wire; form a loop above last bead. Trim excess wire. Attach a jump ring onto beaded wire and heart; attach jump rings to cell-phone strap. Place cell-phone strap and flowers on card as shown; punch a 1/8-inch hole through flowers, "M" and card front; insert a brad. Sources: Beautifully collection and blue flower from My Mind's Eye; heart charm from Fire Mountain Gems & Beads; cell-phone strap from Sulyn Industries Inc.; chipboard letter from Zsiage; rhinestones from Pure Allure; rub-on transfers from BasicGrey; clear dimensional adhesive from JudiKins Inc. Copyright © April 2007 CardMaker magazine. All rights reserved. Back to top. Click here for printer-friendly page. Back to top.

Reader Letters

I always love reading mail from other card makers. It's so nice to know that no matter where we are from or how old we are or what embellishment we like most, we all have card making in common. I think that's pretty cool! Here are a few recent letters from readers like you.

Barbara writes:

"My favorite embellishment for cards doesn't even show, but I love it just the same. Dimensional bits of foam adhesive make whatever you want to emphasize on the card 'POP!' My favorite cards are usually quite simple but popping one element makes them more special."

Theresa writes:

"I keep reading about the digital Cardmaker magazine, but I already subscribe to the print Cardmaker magazine. Is the digital magazine the same as the one I get by mail or is it different patterns, etc.? Does getting the print copy allow me to access the digital copy and -- if not -- what is the cost for adding the digital magazine? By the way -- I wouldn't be without my paper copy of the magazine because I take it wherever I go on trips and my computer isn't always accessible. I love Cardmaker!"

Theresa, the digital subscription can be purchased in addition to or instead of a printed subscription. Click here for more information. I have to say, having the digital version available any time, day or night, has really come in handy for me lately. I really love how I can enlarge the text to a comfortable reading size and print full-size patterns without ripping up my magazine or messing around with tracing paper.

Rosemary writes:

"A couple of years ago, I was looking for cheap envelopes for my cards and came across someone who was selling off large quantities of new Christmas cards with envelopes -- cheaper than I could buy envelopes alone. I bought them (about 375 cards and envelopes) with the intention of throwing away the cards. When I got them, I couldn't part with them as it seemed too wasteful. So now I use the cards as my base and just layer on top of the front. Then the greeting is already printed inside, and I know that the envelopes will fit the cards."

Gloria writes:

"I'm fairly new to card making, since joining a monthly card class at my local senior center. I am slowly but surely acquiring supplies, books and magazines to help me between classes. Since I have a number of friends and family members, both near and far, for whom I'd like to make cards, and I don't want to accidentally send the same one to any of them. So, before I send out a card, I photocopy it inside and outside, with a notation of who it was sent to and for what occasion. Then I place the photocopy in a "Recent Projects" file.

"That way, I have the decorated card AND the saying inside for future ideas, and I am less likely to send it to someone who might have seen the first one, and, Heaven forbid, I won't send the same card to the same person! And, since I also date the photocopy, it's a good way to see the development of new skills, as well as the overall progress I'm making."

CC writes:

"Since we live way out in the country, there is no place within 30 miles where I can buy stamps, so I have to be very creative with ideas that I find in magazines. I have found that I can modify graphics that I have on my computer and print them out to use on my cards. They may not look exactly like the ones in the magazine but the main idea is there! There are lots of sites on the Internet that have free graphics for personal use."

Jean writes:

"As I was reading the newsletter this month, I came to the conclusion that I have been doing a lot of the same things as many of the other readers. I have been using previously received cards to make tags for gifts for all occasions for many years now. I like the fact that there is a lot of room on the back to write the perfect sentiment. Store-bought gift tags are always too small to write what I like on them, so the cards work perfectly. I use ribbon, string or even pieces of wool to attach them to the gifts. There is always a positive comment about the tag along with the 'wows' that come from the gifts themselves."

Do you have something you want to share with other card makers? Use my feedback form below, and I'll share as many as I can in a future newsletter!

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Summer Vacation

What are you doing on your summer vacation? Will you take card-making supplies with you if you travel? Perhaps you'll be traveling less and staying home more, so you'll have more time to make cards! Use my feedback form to outline your summer plans, and I'll share some of them in an upcoming newsletter.

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Happy card making!

Sue Reeves
Editor, CardMaker newsletter

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Don't forget to use my feedback form to send your most effective ways to break through a creative block!