The first class of a trimester is always a bit hectic and confused. There are twenty-four students registered for the class (18 attended this first class). That’s a pretty big class, but manageable with two helpers.
For this week I provided 3 1/2″ by 2 1/4″ templates to cut the rectangles used to make the card. There were also templates for making curved and v-shaped second cuts. (See prior post for how-to make the card.) The templates make the class run more smoothly since less assistance is needed.
Templates
The templates are available for your use in a PDF file. Print the templates to cardstock and cut-out. To make things easier, always place the 3 1/2″ by 2 1/4″ templates in a corner or along an edge of your decorative paper. Trace the template on the reverse side of the paper or with very faint pencils lines that can be easily erased. Trace and cut-out two 3 1/2″ by 2 1/4″ rectangles.
Instructor note: Since it’s not unusual for people to place a template in the middle of a piece of paper, I usually provide smaller sheets of paper to reduce the waste caused by this tendency.
For the second cut trace the straight, v-shaped or curved line on the back of one of the 3 1/2″ by 2 1/4″ rectangles. Stack the two rectangles together and cut on the traced line. This ensures that the cuts are identical.
3-D Effect
Some of the students cut shapes from the decorative papers to add an embellishment to their cards. In the past we used double-side foam tape to give the embellishments a 3-D effect, but we found that a small piece of corrugated cardboard glued to the back of the embellishment worked just as well.
Corner punch
I have a couple of corner punches that can be used quite effectively with 4-patch cards. The ladies loved using the flower corner punch on one or more of the patches.
Center messages
I’m always delighted to see the creative twists that the students put on the card projects. In this class one student decided to glue the patches in the corners of the card and to write messages in the open spaces. Another student saw this variation and stamped images in the open spaces. Here’s my take on their new idea:
Now it’s your turn
Have you made a four-patch card or something similar? Your questions, comments and suggestions are welcome. You may also upload images of cards and post them to the Flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cardclass/ You’ll need a Flickr account, but that is free!
Next Week
The next class features clip-art cards.
Filed under: Card How-to's, Four-patch cards, Week 1, Winter 2009 | Tagged: 4-patch cards, card making, crafts, DIY, four-patch cards, Greeting card, handmade, handmade cards, papercrafts
I love this idea! I’m confused about how to “register”, though… Can anyone just join in and post pictures on Flickr?
happypartyof6: To upload a picture on Flickr you must have an account. There is no charge for a basic Flickr account, just register and start uploading. To post a card picture for the Greeting Card Class, you must first join the cardclass group on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/cardclass/
I look forward to seeing your pictures.
[...] Select and cut a mat using a heavy paper or cardstock of any color except black or white. You might select a favorite color or just the use the paper that is most convenient. Cut the mat to about 3 3/4″ by 5″ for a 4 1/4″ by 5 1/2″ card or cut a mat 1/2″ smaller than the card blank you are using. For a 5″ by 7″ card that would be a mat 4 1/2″ by 6 1/2″. (See Week One for how to make your own card blank.) [...]