Technique Tuesday

Happy Tuesday friends and followers!  We hope you are having a great week so far.  Our technique for this week is making different shaped cards.  The standard card is a regular rectangle folded in half to make a smaller rectangle.  While that is just great and very simple to make, it's also a lot of fun to make different shapes.  This can sometimes be time consuming if you haven't made a card that shape before, but after a little trial and error it's not as hard as it might seem.  Believe us!  Ha ha!  

Card 1: Yes it is a rectangle, but it's an extra long rectangle.  You can only make 2 cards out of the cardstock it takes for the backing, but this is one pretty cool card.  I actually made this shape for my Christmas cards last year.  I forgot how time consuming it is because of all the different patterns you need, but it just pops with color.  :)  This rectangle card is a tri-fold, so it fits into a regular sized envelope, but it opens out into one big card.  It's great for birthdays, Christmas, or even a baby shower.  

Card 2:  An oval.  I made this card for Easter.  I wanted to make something a little different and figured that since eggs are the typical shape for Easter I should use it for a card.  You can do so much with this shape.  You can put letters on it with your occasion, but I had that fun rick-rack ribbon and thought it'd be fun to make it look like an old fashioned decorated egg.  Super cute! 

Card 3: Yes it's a rectangle again, but the way it opens is very different.  The back in a rectangle, but there are 2 flaps that fold over to cover the inside.  Not only are there flaps, but they are two different sizes to give a little dimension.  Add in a brad holding the flaps closed and you have a super fun birthday card.  

Card 4: A Square.  I love square cards.  They do cost a little bit extra to send, but can really make a statement depending on your occasion.  This is a wine part invitation.  Squares are great for birthday cards and invitations, baby showers and pretty much anything you could want.  

Card 5: Marquee!  I couldn't find a picture of any other cards in this shape, so I had to use the baby shower invitation Lisa made for me.  She used a marquee to make the head of the owl.  Love it!  She has also made anniversary and birthday cards in that shape.  You can have it horizontal like this one or make it a vertical card just as easily.  Either way looks adorable.  All you need is some materials to decorate and you are finished.  

There are so many other shapes you can use and I know I will kick myself in about 10 minutes when I remember another one, but oh well.  I think 5 is enough for you to ponder right now.  :)  

Happy Crafting! Lisa and Jess

Wedding Wednesday!

It's that time of the week again.  Yep, it's Wedding Wednesday!  :)  Last week I posted about bridal showers and shared some of the fun invitations we've created for those special parties.  Check it out here.  While the bridal shower is very special and something a bride looks forward to a few months before her wedding, the bachelorette party is the night a bride waits for.  It's a night of friends, pampering, and celebrating her awesome-ness!  Ha ha!  Well, it's true.  Every bride needs her closest friends to tell her how beautiful and wonderful she is before her big day.  I do suggest you don't celebrate the bachelorette party within the same weekend as the wedding.  Can you say ouch?  

We have created bachelorette party invitations for 3 very different women, which calls for 3 unique invitations.  Each party was very different.  The first party was an evening out on the town.  Dinner, drinks, and friends.  We created a fun card that would show the guests what the night would be about.  

Front of card:
The fold doesn't cover the entire front, but meets at the hallway point
and only covers the invitation on the inside.  

Inside of card

 The second bachelorette party invitation was for a lake weekend celebration.  This bride wanted to make a weekend out of it.  All the guests would be staying in a house at the lake and enjoy time in the sun.  We found this idea online (unfortunately I can't find the original website) and make it to look like a bathing suit.  I've seen it as lingerie before too.

Front/Bra side of invitation

Back of invitation

Invitation wording!

This invitation was for a bride who loves wine!  You can do so many things with a wine theme.  We decided to make the invitation look like a bottle of wine.  This was a bit difficult because we had to draw it and cut it out by hand.  We like to use the Cricut because it's faster, but since there weren't many invitations to make we did it by hand this time. We made a label that stated who the party was for.  The bottle immediately told the guests what the theme was.  

We knew that the invitation would not hold as well if this card opened, so we just made it one piece.  It worked out well.  The invitation itself glued right to the back of the "bottle."  Such a fun way to share the news if you ask us.  :)

Bachelorette parties are so much fun!  We look forward to the other designs and invitations we will make in the future! :)  

Happy Crafting! Lisa and Jess

Technique Tuesday: 6 Ways to Use Ribbon

Happy Technique Tuesday crafty friends!  This topic is quick and easy with just 6 tips on how to use ribbon on your homemade cards.  Feel free to add your own tips for ribbon in the comments section.  :)  

Here we go: 

1.    Thread ribbon through a button to make it pop and adds extra color to your card.  

1.  Adhere a piece of ribbon across a card to show division between two different papers.  

 3.  Thread through hole in paper and make into a knot to make easy and colorful pull for a gift card holder. 

4.  String through squares, circles, or pennants to create a banner for any party.  

5.  Glue horizontal or vertical strips to paper for an extra pop of color.  It draws the eye toward something specific on the card.  

6.  Punch holes through a flap in the card stock and tie into a bow.  It does double duty by holding the flap down and makes the front of the flap look extra pretty.  :)  

Check out of other Technique Tuesdays:

Ways to Make Things Pop

Accents

Happy Crafting! Lisa and Jess

Wedding Wednesday!

The wedding day itself is the most important day for the couple, but there are other days that make a wedding special.  Bridal showers are an extremely important day for the bride.  From experience my husband didn't give the bridal shower a second thought.  At least not until he had to help pack all the gifts up to bring back to North Carolina.  BUT, to the bride it is a very special event.  It's a day when female friends and family come to celebrate her.  Yes it's about the groom too, but let's be real here.  It's really about the bride.  I have not attended a bridal shower yet that the groom attended too.  I have thrown my share of bridal showers and it's a lot of fun.  Since Lisa and I have started our business I think my favorite part of the planning is creating the shower invitations.  People attending showers hosted by us know that the invites will be homemade.  It's become an expectation now.  Ha ha!  

Here are just a few we have created.

This invitation is from Lisa's shower.  You can read more on this invitation and her wedding here.  

Invitation inside the pocket.

Invitation outside the pocket.

This invitation was for our friend Jen.  We always use the colors the bride has chosen for her wedding as the basis for the invitations.  Jen used navy and green as her wedding colors, so we made an invitation to accent them.  Jen wanted a cooking themed shower, so we made an invitation that folded up like an envelope.  Inside there is a pocket to hold a recipe card for guests to complete.  We used the Cricut to cut out a little medallion with Jen's initial.  We glued it to the top flap and used a glue dot attach it to the bottom, so the guests can still open it.  

Invitation closed with a good look at the medallion

Inside picture of invitation and pocket holding recipe card

A few years ago we made bridal shower invitations for a friend of mine from home.  Her colors were coral/orange and gray.  We designed a really fun card.  It fit inside a 4x6 size envelope.  We used a piece of white card stock that we curved at the edges.  Then, we layered it with a glittery coral card stock.  We bought small coin envelopes a glued them in the center of the card stock with a scalloped accent on the front.  Inside we created a trifold with all the shower information.  A brad and orange ribbon were attached to the trifold for color and a way for guests to easily pull the invitation(trifold) from the coin envelope.  We received a lot of compliments on this invitation because it was so different from anything anyone had seen.  

Invitation outside of enveloped

Trifold invitation unfolded

We have tons of ideas for bridal shower invitations.  It's always fun to take the brides colors and personality and design the invitation that fits her perfectly!  

Happy Crafting! Lisa and Jess

Technique Tuesday: Accents

It's our second Technique Tuesday!  Wahoo!  

The technique we are sharing with you today is: Using accents!  

1.  Sewing -  We have seen so many cards on Etsy or Pinterest that the designer has sewn somewhere on the card.  It looks so neat and adds such a great dimension to the card.  I have wanted to use that technique so many times, but I don't have a sewing machine.  It really does add something fun to a card, so I fake it.  Yes, fake it.  I use a fine point pen and I create stitching with the ink.  It still adds that look to the card without the actual thread.  

"Stitching" around the petals of the flower

2. Rhinestones - We use rhinestones a lot when we make cards.  They are great for any open space that you feel just needs a little something.  Rhinestones are also great for balancing the card.  If you put words or a stamp in one corner a grouping of rhinestones is the opposite diagonal corner will make the card seem complete.  

Grouping of 3 black rhinestones to offset the Happy Birthday

3. Ribbon - Ribbon can do so many things to your card.  You can use ribbon to: create a fun border along the edge of the card, cover a divide between two pieces of paper, anchor designs to the top of your paper, or just add texture.  

4. Buttons - Collecting different colors and shapes can become a hobby by itself!  Buttons are such a fun accent to add to a card.  You can use them to represent something on a card like the O in LOVE below or to make a flower or balloon.  You can use them as a border around the edges or to create words.  You can put coordinating ribbon through to pull other colors from the patterned paper to make the card look finished.  Buttons are such an easy way to add a little pizzazz.  

5.  Paper Flowers -  These are similar to rhinestones.  They add color and balance to any card.  You can group them or use just one.  Either way they look cute.  A large grouping looks like a garden which is very pretty on a card.  See card below Brads.  

6. Brads - We use brads as the centers for paper flowers or to make something moveable on a card.  Lisa used them to make the wings on my owl baby shower wings move.  We've also used them as corner accents which also held the paper together.  

7.  Baker's Twine -  I am obsessed with Baker's Twine.  It's just so much fun to use.  I like to criss cross it across cards, thread it through buttons and knot it for a messy look, or thread it through a button and make a bow.  No matter how you use it will look adorable.  I've also used it as the string on button balloons.  

Hopefully you found these tips helpful and will use them yourself on your cards.  

You can check out last week's Technique Tuesday here.

Happy Crafting! Lisa and Jess

Weekend Crafting and Birthdays!

Happy Sunday friends and followers!  We hope your weekend has been great!  We had a pretty successful weekend here at Simply Be Inspired.  We've made a lot of decisions business-wise.  We also had our first Mommy Craft Night since our sweet babies were born.  Lisa had the brilliant idea to put the babies to bed and stay up late completing some crafts we had started for ourselves.  It was so much fun and exactly what we both needed.  I created some birthday cards, so hopefully I won't have to make one on the fly anymore.  Here are a few samples.  

This is one of my favorites.  I chose a plain color for the actual folded card.  Then, I cut a piece of birthday paper for the front of the card.  I stamped a birthday message a one layer and put a piece of polka dotted green over top.  I don't have a sewing machine, so I make the "stitching" with a pen.  I think it looks cute.  Then, I added a coordinating button and ribbon with 30 because it's for a 30th birthday.  LOVE this card!  

"Cupcakes" card

I used a bunch of scraps for this card.  It was very easy to make.  I cut the strips, so all 6 would fit evenly on the card.  I used a fun punch to create the design.  Then, I used Baker's Twine to match each strip inside a white button.  Add a celebrate stamp and the card is completed.  

"Colors and Buttons"

For this card I used an eggplant purple cardstock.  Scraps are one of my favorite items to use for cards and I did it here.  I used some lime green and blue that I had left over from another card to make these "ribbons."  Then, I stamped Happy Birthday on white cardstock and colored it with colored pencils.  A little bit of Baker's Twine wrapping the message popped the words a bit.  Love!

"Birthday Ribbons"

 A little bit goes a long way with this card.  It is so incredibly simple (as most of these cards are), but just that little bit of pattern and color makes the card so special.  For this card I used blue cardstock for the actual card.  Then, white cardstock, so the other colors pop.  I made little pattern "ribbons" for the left corner.  Some white Baker's Twine threaded through a coral button gives another dimension to this card.  Lastly, I stamped "Make a Big Wish" in the right corner to balance the card and it is finished!  

Make a Big Wish

 This fun card is geared toward girls obviously.  The use of different pinks and patterns really draws the eye.  First, Lisa chose 4 different patterns.  The top right was a plain piece of pink paper that Lisa embossed on our Cuddlebug.  Each piece was cute so they fit neatly onto the ivory card stock.  Then, Lisa added a fushia flower and pink button to add a bit more dimension.  

Pink Fusion

Lisa made such a fun card with this one.  First, she chose orange as the card.  Then, a fun striped pattern for the background.  Next, she used coordinating paper and cut them in squares.  She added ribbon to make the squares look like gifts.  Lastly, she used a cursive stamp at the bottom to balance the card.  A male or female would love to receive this card for their birthday!  

Patterned Gifts

This is just a glimpse at what we worked on this weekend.  We are looking forward to sharing our techniques and wedding posts this week!  Have a great week friends!

Happy Crafting! Lisa and Jess

Wedding Wednesday!

Another post...Holy Moly!  I'm so proud of myself.  :)  Lisa and I wanted to start another weekly post you can always count on. This one is called Wedding Wednesday.  Each Wednesday, we will share different items or invitations we've created for friends and customers.  

I thought we would start with my favorite wedding we've ever done...Lisa's!!!  She got married two years ago and it was a beautiful day.  She purchased or ordered all of her paper materials from Michaels.  We did not have a Hobby Lobby close at that time.  We use both stores for materials now.  

As you can see by the picture below we made all of her signs, favors, invitations, programs, and other items to match.  I love the colors Lisa chose.  They complimented each other so well.  

I hosted Lisa's bridal shower, so instead of buying the invitations I had to design and create them myself.  I wanted it to be fun and pleasing to the eye.  This pocket invitation was easy to make and I enjoyed the fact that it help the invite and any additional papers neatly.  

Invitation inside pocket

Invitation outside pocket

 Banners are an easy way to add color and pizazz to any event of party.  I also find them really fun to make.  I created this pennant banner to hang across our kitchen.  

Lisa found this fun design while searching around online.  She took the image of the invitation and changed it around to make it her own.  She changed the sizing, obviously the patterns, and the inserts.  Her entire invitations were made by hand by us.  Whew!!  

The outside of her invitation

The invitation when you opened it up

The invitation with the inserts out

She came up with a really fun programs.  They could hang on the chairs or a hook as guests walked into the ceremony.  Each program had inserts with bridal party information and the ceremony events.  

Insert removed (sorry about the blurry picture)

 I was in charge of making the signs for the wedding.  We used the Cricut for these.  Signs always add a little something to the decor and help guide your guests.  

This sign was attached to a bucket of flip flops.

This sign was attached to a red wagon that Lisa's niece
 and flower girl road in for the ceremony.  

Weddings are so much fun to create invitations and accessories for.  I would have to say that it's one of my favorite things to work on and design for a special couple.  

Happy Crafting! Lisa and Jess