Focal Point

Card Making Basics Tip #3

A card is more visually pleasing if there is a specific focal point.

The concept of having a focal point can relate to color, placement, size, and shape of the elements that you use in a card. For example, for Independence Day I made a card (I admit that it isn't my best card, but it is a good illustration of this point) using muted colors. I wanted it to be simple so I chose to place a big blue star in the center of the card; after I assembled everything, the card was totally boring. It just didn't look good.

I put the card aside for a day and when I came back to it, I realized that it lacked a focal point. The size of the star wasn't enough to make the card look "finished." When I added white lettering and brads, the card looked a lot better:

Matting

Card Making Basics Tip #2

When I started working on my very first scrapbook, my mom worked with me on a couple of pages. She showed me that you can give your page a "finished" look by matting photos, boxes for journaling, and other features of the page. The matting usually contrasts with colors in the background - a dark matting over a light background or a light matting over a dark background. This week's Mojo Monday card is a great example of how matting can make a card look really nice:

The borders, or matting, make the different elements of the card "pop" and creates a nice, clean look. Over time, I have noticed that there is another popular scrapbooking style in which people don't use matting quite as much. Often, cards that don't have matting around every single element look a little bit more sporadic but they are fun and can take a little bit less time to make. This is a Father's Day card that I made for my father-in-law who loves road trips and does a lot of driving for his job:

Whenever I make a card, one of the first things I think about is whether or not I will do matting. Sometimes, I do more than one layer of matting (white and blue, in this case):

Consciously choosing when and when not to do matting will help you design a card that is the perfect style for the occasion, for the paper you are using, and for the recipient.

Rule of Thirds

Card Making Basics Tip #1

I discovered this rule when I was doing an online search for photography tips. I realized that it applies to nearly any type of art, including card making.

Begin by dividing a picture (or card) into thirds horizontally and vertically. According to the rule of thirds, the most powerful positions within any visual image are at the intersection of the lines.

By positioning the most important elements of your card at these points, or on the upper or lower, far right or far left third of the page, rather than in the middle, you create an image that is more interesting to look at. I put a really simple card together to show you the difference:

The card on the right is more aesthetically pleasing because the flower and patterned paper are in a more powerful place on the card.

Card Making Basics

While I was working on my very first scrapbook, I decided to sign up for a scrabooking basics class at my local craft store. I didn't know what to expect, but I was hoping to get a few good tips on how to put attractive pages together. Instead, the teacher spent practically the entire time showing us different adhesives, tools, and other products that we could use. Even though knowing about the scrapbooking tools was helpful, it didn't fulfill my expectations at all.

I ended up buying a scrapbooking basics idea book and using the layouts as inspiration for my book. Along the way, I started to pick up on some basic habits and rules that a lot of people seemed to follow. Even though most people say that they just do "whatever looks good," there actually seem to be certain styles, patterns, and techniques that they use. 

Since I finished that scrapbook, I have spent a lot of my crafting time working on cards. I feel a lot more comfortable talking about card making basics than about scrapbooking basics. Rather than just talk about the different card shapes and sizes, and tools that you might want to buy, I am devoting this series to the basic techniques and the rules of good visual composition that go into some of the best cards that I have seen and made.

Everyone has their own card making style, which may or may not be in line with all of the current fads or trends. Whether you have a lot of experience making cards, or have never made one in your life, I think it is beneficial to recognize that there are certain "rules" of card making - just like there are rules for photography, painting, writing, and other arts. By understanding the card making basics and the rules of composition, you can decide which rules and techniques will work for you, and which to throw out the window!