If you’ve never made cards before then you don’t know what you’re missing!  Making your own greeting cards is a wonderful hobby that you can enjoy either on your own or with family and friends.

I find that card making is becoming more and more popular as time goes by.  Once a novelty, hand made greeting cards are becoming more and more mainstream.

Why pay $5 or more for a card (and that’s considered cheap now-a-days) when you can make a card for less than $0.50?

Besides, cost-savings aside, in this era of instant messaging, emails and text, people really appreciate the fact that someone took the time to make them a card. It’s more personal, it’s more individualized and it really shows someone you care.  And guess what?  It’s also incredibly easy to make your own cards.

You don’t have to be creative and you don’t have to have a lot of time.  You also don’t need a whole lot of supplies.  You can start making cards with a few basic things, then add to your supplies as time goes on.

So, now that you know all the reasons why you should start making your own cards, what next?  How do you actually get started card making?

That’s where this series of tutorials comes in! I’ve designed these card making tutorials to help beginner or “wannabe” card makers get started.

During my workshops, I find that first time rubber stampers and card makers often feel overwhelmed at the thought of making their own cards.  Common questions are “Do my card kits come pre-cut for me?”, “How do I cut my cardstock?”,  “How do I decide what size to cut my mats?”, “Where do you get your ideas for your cards?”, etc. etc.

One of the things that I discovered as I’ve been surfing the web is that although there are a ton of phenomenal tutorials out there on blogs and websites that showcase awesome techniques and 3D projects, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot on how you actually get started making cards, and basic stamping techniques.

So it is my intention to attempt to fill that need.  My tutorials will  provide step-by-step directions with pictures, and video tutorials and will cover all aspects of card making using rubber stamps.

It’s my plan to add segments weekly or bi-monthly if time permits.  All products used in the tutorials and on the projects are from Stampin’ Up!.

While there are many awesome products on the market, as a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, these are the products that I represent and hence specialize in.  Besides, regardless of the fact that I am a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, I find that Stampin’ Up!’s products are extremely high quality, and I’m always pleased with how my projects turn out.

If you’ve found these tutorials helpful, be sure to check out the rest of my blog and my Facebook Page (www.kristycoromandel.com/facebook) for more project ideas and for the latest information on Stampin’ Up! customer classes & specials.

EPISODE 1

GATHERING YOUR SUPPLIES

One of the most overwhelming tasks faced with when beginning card making is figuring out which supplies you need in order to get started on your new and exciting card maker’s journey.