This is a great way to make a rubber stamped card that is suitable for a man. This card is highly adaptable and can be used for a variety of occasions, however the tie theme is great for Father's Day, to mark the birthday of a special man or to mark many other celebrations. The ties are folded using a simple origami design and this gives an unusual and effective three dimensional finish to the card. If, however, all that folding doesn't appeal, why not just cut a tie shape out of paper to decorate!
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: A couple of hours
Here's How:
- Use an origami design such as this one at Activity Village to create a sample tie. The tie is folded from a square of paper and it is folded diagonally. The finished length from top to bottom of the tie are similar to the measurements of the original square (for instance a 4 inch square of paper, creates a finished folded tie of about 4 inches from top to bottom)
Use the sample tie to work out the stamping design. The ties in the picture were stamped and embossed using a dark brown embossing powder and then colored with chalks. - Prepare the ties for the card as required. It is easier to fold the ties before stamping and then unfold them carefully so the fold marks can be clearly seen as this helps with the placement of the stamped images. Stamp, emboss and color the ties as required. Refold the ties adding a dab of glue if required.
- Use the finished stamped ties to decorate the front of cards. The ties in the photograph were assembled on a piece of backing paper that was decorated using the chalk shaving technique. The color of the backing paper was chosen to complement the color of the ties and the edges were torn to give a rough and organic feel to the card. The paper could also be cut with fancy edge scissors or left with a simple straight cut edge.
Techniques Used:
Tips:
- Rub the edges of the torn paper with chalks or inks of a co-ordinating color to give added emphasis.
- Use tiny brads or stick on jewels to make 'tie pins'.
- A more three dimensional effect can be achieved by using a thick double sided tape or glue dots to fasten the ties to the backing paper.
- For origami projects you may find that thinner papers are easier to fold than thicker papers.
- Cut a simple tie shape from cardstock or paper if creating origami ties does not appeal!
What You Need:
- Card blanks
- Paper for creating the ties
- Rubber stamps, inks, embossing powders as required
- Background paper
