Category Archives: 20 minute cards

More Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine Cards and Tags

More Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine Cards and Tags with Really Reasonable Ribbon

Hello, Ribbon Lovers! I’m back today with more Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine Cards and Tags. With the Day of Love just a week away, I know we are all looking for some last minute Valentines that are quick and easy to make. But we also want them to look great, right? So these little cards and tags come together in about 20 minutes each, but look like you spent hours and hours on them. That’s a win/win in my book!

How cute are these Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine cards and tags? Once again, I used the Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine digital download from Polly’s Paper Etsy Shop and paired them up with some fabulous ribbons and flowers from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

Tips and Tricks for Making Quick Cards

There are some simple tricks I use when I need to make a quick card that I thought you might find helpful:

Keep a file full of scrap papers that you’ve cut to measure 4″ x 6″. I have mine organized in a bin by color. That way, I can just reach in and grab papers that go well with my images and quickly cut them to fit my card base. It’s a huge time saver, and a great way to use up your scraps.
Keep an ephemera file for small tickets, tags, and other goodies that you can layer in with your papers. I have a small bin that is full of little bits and pieces I’ve salvaged.
Be prepared! Tie a bunch of neutral bows and store them for future use. This black and white houndstooth plaid is one of my favorite ribbons. It goes with everything and ties beautifully. I always tie an extra single or double loop bow and then toss it in a little container. That way, the work is already done for me when I’m in a hurry!
Don’t worry about matting each layer. Since these cards are more simple, maybe just mat the focal image to make it stand out. This will save loads of time!

Make a Tag!

Another trick that I use when I’m in a hurry is to make a little tag. Instead of packing my scraps away in the scrap drawer (aka “the land Kathy forgot”) I’ll make a quick little tag and pop on a pre-tied bow. This grey plaid ribbon is another favorite of mine. The neutral color goes with so many different palettes..and always looks great with pink.

Don’t have any pre-tied bows? Add flowers for texture!

This sheer white organza is another ribbon that I use quite often. Again, it’s a neutral so it goes with everything. The real bonus here is the texture and shimmer it adds to a project.

So there you have it! A few tips and trick that will have you cranking out super cute cards in a flash! I hope I shared some ideas that you’ll be able to use. I’d love to hear if you have any tips or tricks that you use to make cute cards in a hurry.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

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Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine Cards and Tags

RRR Heart Challenge: Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine Cards and Tags

Hello, Ribbon Lovers! It’s time for a brand new challenge over on the Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Bonnie wants to see projects that feature hearts and trim. I printed out some digital files from Polly’s Paper Studio Etsy Shop and put together some darling Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine Cards and tags. These simple cards and tags can took just minutes to make, but look like you spent hours on them. You have to love that!

I paired each card or tag with some of my favorite ribbons from RRR.

This black and white houndstooth plaid is a perennial favorite ribbon for me. It’s soft and supple and ties the most beautiful bows. it also looks great paired with the striped background of the Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine images. This Graphic 45 Staples Tag is turned upside down for a fun presentation.

It also looks great turned right side up!

For this sweet little 4×6 card, I topped a 1/4″ micro gingham ribbon bow with a pretty red rose. The black buttons and the plaid ribbon help to anchor all the elements on the card.

I love the way this 3/8″ red gingham picks up on the pattern of this cutie pie’s dress.

These lovely little Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine Cards and tags are being tucked into my Kathy by Design ETSY Shop orders this month as a special Valentine treat.

Now it’s your turn to join the party! Create your own project with hearts and ribbon or trim and link it up on the RRR Challenge Blog so we can all enjoy it. Here’s the link with all the information. I can’t wait to see what you make!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

RRR Anything Goes Challenge: Artisan Style Card Trio

Hello Ribbon Lovers! Welcome to the first Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge for 2017! Bonnie is taking it easy on us this time around with a fun “Anything Goes with Ribbon or Trim” theme. I spent some time creating from my scrap drawer for this challenge and ended up with this fabby Artisan Style Card Trio.

Graphic 45 Artisan Style is one of those “oldie but goodie” collections. I love the color palette and the quirky images. I had quite a few scraps, and set myself a challenge to see how many cards I could make without cutting up a fresh piece of designer paper. Turns out, I could make three!

This little top fold card uses a scrap of a mixed media background that I made quite some time ago. It was the piece that actually inspired me to work with the Artisan Style papers. Peacock Alley Seam binding ties the most gorgeous bows and just pops off the background colors.

Many of you have asked me how I tie these bows. I use my Zutter Bow-it-All, of course! The real secret is that I studied all of Bonnie Garby’s YouTube videos and then practiced like crazy. Start with a soft, pliable ribbon like this seam binding, then work your way up to heavier ribbons. After you work at this for a while, you’ll find that you develop your own personal bow-tying style. I know this is not the “magical” solution that many of you were hoping for, but just like learning how to play an instrument, tying bows is all about practice! The more you practice, the more skilled you will become!

Pocket cards make me happy, so I added two to this card. The top one holds one of my favorite tea bags.

The bottom pocket holds a book mark and a journaling tag where you can write a personal note. The stamps are from the Artisan Style collection, and the piece of paper is also a scrap from another mixed media project.

Artisan Style Card from Scraps #2

I’ve used Peacock Alley Seam binding again here. The row of houses is fussy cut and raised up on foam dimensionals.

If you’ve never tried stamping flowers on printed paper….I highly recommend it! So. Much. Fun!

And here is a peeky at the inside.

Artisan Style Card from Scraps #3

This ribbon is also tied with seam binding. Noble Peacock is such a rich color,and a near perfect match for my peacock feathers!

These polka dot flowers were left over from a project I did back in May. I save all my extra stamped flowers in plastic cases. They eventually find their way onto the perfect project.

Here I’ve layered up a bunch of small strips of patterned paper. I love the way these patterns all play together in harmony. It’s a great way to use up little bits and pieces.

Now, it’s YOUR turn! Link up your Anything Goes with Ribbon or Trim project to the Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge Blog. You’ll find all the necessary details HERE. And be sure to visit the rest of the team projects for more inspiration.

I can’t wait to see what you create!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

Place in Time Happy New Year Card

Happy New Year Card with Graphic 45 Place in Time/Really Reasonable Ribbon

Hello Friends! Did you all have a very Merry Christmas? We sure did! We all had a bit of a Christmas cold to deal with, but I still managed to have loads of fun…and eat too many cookies! Yikes! Now we’re counting down to New Year’s Eve. I thought I’d whip up a quick and easy Happy New Year’s Card to share with you today.

Once again, I dug into my Place in Time Scraps to make this sweetly vintage card. Since the pieces were all mostly pre-cut, it only took 20 minutes to make. I love that about working with scraps! A White Glitz Ribbon bow really glammed it up and got it ready to party on New Year’s Eve.

Here’s a closer look. The edges of the ribbon have a lovely iridescent finish that sparkles like bubbles in a champagne glass! I topped the bow cluster off with an Ivory Burlap String Bow, a hydrangea blossom and a little chippie from the collection.

Wishing you all a very safe and happy New Year’s Eve. We’ll stay in and watch my favorite holiday movie: “It’s a Wonderful Life.” And, I might just munch on a cookie or two!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

Merry Christmas My Little Chickadees!

Merry Christmas My Little Chickadees Easel Card with Really Reasonable Ribbon

Hello, Ribbon Lovers? Do you have all your Christmas cards made yet? I’m working at it furiously, but there just never seems to be enough time. I finally decided to just relax, enjoy my time in the studio and get as much done as I can without stressing over it. It’s funny how when you do that, ideas seem to flow. Keeping things simple and stress-free at this time of year is always a good idea, right? This Merry Christmas My Little Chickadees Card is fun and festive. It’s also very easy to make, so I thought I’d share it with you here in case you’re still cranking out your Christmas cards.

This is a 6×6 easel card made with another “oldie but goodie” from my stash. My Mind’s Eye “Joyous” papers work beautifully with this darling digital tag from Polly’s Paper Studio Etsy Shop. When I said this card was quick and easy, I wasn’t kidding. The 6×6 background paper is all one piece. I simply added these darling chickadees, a few embellies, and Petaloo flowers to the mix. Then I tied it all together with shimmering Sheer Iridescent Red Organza from RRR.

A sticker from “Joyous” was mounted onto waste chipboard, creating a stopper for the easel portion of the card. I’m a huge fan of easel cards because they can double as home decor.