Potentially controversial comment about Card-Making.....

[Gameboy]

OK, I appreciate that I may get shot down in flames for this, but honestly, this is a GENUINE question about card-making, based on something I've observed since the whole 'home made card' thing took off a few years back -

What is the real satisfaction in making cards from those 'ready cut'/ ready stick 'embellishments' that everywhere seems to sell these days??

Now, I TOTALLY get the whole 'home-made card' thing, but only in the sense of a truly 'one-off' self-designed piece of artwork, where someone ahs used their artistic skills/ paint/ self cut shapes, whatever to create something truly unique.

But what I see these days is just crass 'ready cut' combinations of the same bits and pieces thrown together in mostly similar ways?

That's not a 'handmade card' in the artistic sense surely?

And those peel off/ stick on italic phrases like 'Happy Birthday'/ Good Luck' etc --- Yeurch!

AS I said, I really don't mean to upset people, but I just don't really see the point. I mean it's not 'art' is it? Or is it?

Oh - Father's day, or Male Birthday or something??

Hi5's tie, I am sure, she made herself and I know the other male cards which feature ties where made by my own fair hand. I certainly did not buy them and just stick them onto a card.

I agree with you that so many cards are presented as being handcrafted, when in fact the only skill involved has been gluing and sticking.There is a very lucrative company, local to myself, who do this and sell 100's of cards per day....personally I feel they are breaking the trades description act by stating their cards are "handcrafted"...all of their cards are mass produced....but there is a market out here and they are reaping the benefits.

I know that many of the cardmakers here offer "one off" cards...no two handcrafted cards will ever be the same. Ive made several cards for mumsnetters here and as far as I know all have been happy...well they must be as many have placed follow up orders. I know that this is also the case for some of the other crafters to.

Maybe some of the members of the crafting gallery are new to cardmaking and some might buy some of the ready made embellishments to decorate their cards....but it doesnt take long before they begin to feel confident enough to start having a go themselves at being more creative.

Why not take a peep at the challenge albums....all of the cards there are true "one offs" and have been created without the aid of pre-made embellishments.

I hope you enjoy looking at the gallery.....you never know you might find yourself placing and order....or worse still being tempted to have a go yourself.

Message withdrawn

Good points jayzmummy.

Have to say, some of this thread is funny but I feel my confidence in card making has been knocked a bit. I use ready-made embellishments although I try to think about how I use them and work with other materials/techniques on a card. And as JM has said, once you have had a bit of practice with ready made stuff you tend to progress onto making your own, for example now I make my own handbags to add to cards.

It's still addictive no matter what you use!

i started off using some shop bought stuff but do try & make most things myself. I do admit to buying some bits from lakeland which are pre cut shapes (only cos i don't have a sizzix !) but I am planning to mix & match with my own stuff. I enjoy making the cards, if I sell one it's a bonus and I too have had plenty of happy customers. It's a hobby & I enjoy it. Using bits & bobs (whether made yourself or bought) to achieve a nice card that someone wants to buy -is in my opinion, art.

Pootle.....don't let anything posted here knock your self confidence.....your cards are lovely...carry on craftingand developing your talent.

This thread is just so funny.....maybe when AQ gets back from sunning herself we should hold The Ultimate Challenge and then we could have a really good giggle

I just want to post here, I am new to card making and scrapbooking and I've started out getting bits off ebay.

I kind of understand when you say that the embellishments are ready made, so it's not completely unique, but sadly I am not artistic enough. For example, I don't really like the 'Merry Christmas' style peeloffs, but my handwriting is atrocious. I made my own wedding invites and stationary, and I hand wrote the fronts, and it was the only bit I didn't like. As of yet, I don't know many alternatives.

Granted, I've bought a pack of tiny 'baby clothes' on tiny 'hangers' to decorate with, but if I made them, I wouldn't be 'card making' I'd be sewing...

lunavix.....try playing around with your printer. You can print the wording directly onto the cards or onto other pieces of card and then use 3d foam squares to position it onto the card.
HTH

Pootlepod - please don't let your confidence be dented... honestly I didn't intend that - I guess I just genuinely was interested to know a bit more about what people felt.

This whole thread goes to show 'each to their own' and all that. As someone else said, 'let the market judge' - if someone wants to buy a particular sort of handmade cards, then why shouldn't someone else make money from that?

I was really just expressing my own view about what I considered a 'legitimate' hand-crafted card, and it seems some people feel the same way, and others don't, so I guess that's my answer for me!

Hey, and we had a laugh along the way (with you, may I add, not AT you...)

Keep smiling....

(And sticking....)

jm - I don't have a printer And I wouldn't know where to start, as I don't have decent fonts either!

Using dh's work printer I printed out the inserts onto paper that matched my invites and stuck them in using double sided tape.

But the words on the front 'Evening Invitation' and such, I wanted on card - and the printer wouldn't take the matching card and the paper didn't look right. So I had to write it, scruffy as it looked, because I didn't like the look of peeloffs.

Now I'm going to start making christmas cards I'm not going through all that again, if I can't print on the card I may consider peeloffs if they look right.

How far exactly does Gameboy want us to take this? Are die cuts okay? Or do we have to have a sizzix machine ourselves?

Or do I need to sit down, draw my bitty people out, and their clothes and cut them out myself ???

pootlepod -- dont let a few negative comments dent your confidence. As JM says, your

lunavix -- dont forget you have to make the paper from scratch first, and dye it with your handmade vegetable dye that you made from your home grown veggies

Have you thought of using a stamp for your wording? You could also heat emboss it too.
Or you could use rub ons they look like you've printed writting on.

pootlepod -- ooops, dont know what happened there, meant to say as JM says your cards are lovely. It doesn't matter what materials you use or dont use, it's your choice.

I've had cards from jayzmummy and I can tell you that they are the most beautiful, original and well made cards I've ever had. Not are freakin care bear in sight. Give me a MN card over a bloody hall mark any day of the week. My son was thrilled with his hand made train with clouds over wishing him happy birthday. Nothing unoriginal about that.

Thanks bosscat

Having just looked at the Mumsnet gallery I have to agree - JayzMummy's cards are FAB ! (I Love the skater one...).
But these DO look like individual ones from someone with real talent and artistic flair... definitely the sort of stuff I was referring to earlier!

Why thankyou Gameboy!

I understand your initial question and as I stated in a previous post, personally I feel that ready made embellishments placed on a card does not equate to a hand crafted design BUT everyone has to start somewhere.

Sometimes people need some inspiration and ready made embellishments can give new card makers the push they need to take the next step on the rung of the ladder.

Confidence to try out new ideas doesnt come easy for some, but by experimenting with all the various crafting items available in todays market, enables them to improve and develop their own style and develop a flair which then becomes their trademark.

I appreciate the time and care that is involved and evident in every single card that is on display in the gallery and since I joined this happy little group of crafters I have improved so much......my very first card was a stick on embellishment with gold itallic peel off wording and I was so very proud of it.

Each to their own eh!! I had to start somewhere too!!!

How do you heat emboss a stamp? I've seen them do it on QVC! It sounds expensive

You need to buy some embossing ink, obviously the stamp, some embossing powder and a heat gun.

First you stamp your image using the embossing ink....then sprinkle on some embossing powder(its like very fine glitter)...remove excess... then heat with a heat gun (some people have been sucessful with holding the stamped image over a toaster to emboss the image but when I tried I burnt my fingers....OUCH!)

HTH.
JM