Simple, Handmade Christmas Cards

For those with busy schedules, simplicity is the name of the game. This Christmas is no different for this full-time working Mom of two rambunctious boys!

Evan wanted to help me make some Christmas cards. Thanks to some gorgeous card stock paper courtesy of DCWV The Linen Closet stack & some "retro"-Christmas stickers by K&Company we were able to make the cute (and simple) cards you see pictured here.

Almost Halloween!!!

Cute Halloween Treat Boxes!!!

The count down to Halloween begins.

Check out these cute Halloween Treat boxes from The PaperCrafter's Nook!

Calligraphy

Ok...So, I didn't get to work on the Halloween treat boxes. Yet. I'll get to them.
Instead, I worked on my calligraphy skills.

Calligraphy is such a detailed art form. I absolutely love it.

Calligraphy makes you pay attention to the beauty in writing. Printing on printers does not give you that same hand-made effect.

There's something special about receiving an invitation that was handwritten in calligraphy. Or a gift on special parchment paper in calligraphy.

I would love to explore the many different techniques of calligraphy...like gilted or gold-plating letters, guache, creating my own calligraphy rubbers stamps for projects...The ideas are only limited by your imagination!

Happy Crafting!

~ Rachael

Halloween Paper Crafts

What are you doing to get ready for Halloween?

Do you have any paper crafts on tap?

My plans include making felt-lined Halloween treat boxes with Halloween charm attachments. The treat boxes will be made of 12x12 specialty DCWV Fall cardstock. I plan to incorporate some raffia for extra "autumn" effect. Once complete I'll post the spooktacular results!

Happy Crafting,

~ Rachael

Ning Community

The PaperCrafter's Nook has started a new Ning Community for paper crafters!

If you're interested in joining to discuss paper crafting (card making, scrapbooking, etc...), please click here.

Happy Crafting!

~ Rachael

Anticipation...

I'm wringing my hands in anticipation...

My wedding collections paper samples should be showing up at my house any day now (hopefully tomorrow)!!!

I'm so psyched to create some handmade wedding invitations, thank-you cards, response cards, table cards & favor boxes with this gorgeous collection. Brides-to-be will be able to view them in their splendor at the Wedding Clickers Bridal Show featuring David Tutera of "My Fair Wedding" fame on Sunday, September 19th at the Monroeville Convention Center.

Once I do...you'll be the first to see photos!

Happy Crafting,

~ Rachael

Wedding Clickers Bridal Show w/ David Tutera!!!: September 19th

Inside of baby shower card

For those people who were anxiously awaiting...Drum roll, please!

Here are the pics from the INSIDE & BACK of the baby shower card I made for my co-worker, Emily.

Back of baby shower card

The PaperCrafter's Nook will be participating as a vendor in the Wedding Clicker's Bridal Show featuring David Tutera (My Fair Weddings) on September 19th at the Monroeville Convention Center!

The PaperCrafter's Nook Website is Up!

Check out the new PaperCrafter's Nook website! Let me know your thoughts...

Feel free to drop me a line at the Guestbook.

Start a discussion in the Forum.

If you have any special occasions coming up (and who DOESN'T?!), feel free to contact me at rachaelcaskey@papercraftersnook.com or simply fill out your information on the Contact Us page!

Any occasion is a special occasion with the PaperCrafter's Nook.

Contact me if you need handmade invitations and/or favor boxes made for weddings, baby showers, bridal showers, etc.

I can make handmade cards for just about any occasion - birth announcements, sympathy cards, holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, etc.), wedding, anniversaries...

I look forward to hearing from you!

Happy Crafting,

~ Rachael Caskey @ The PaperCrafter's Nook

How did YOU do it?

Those of you who own your own crafts business (online or brick-and-mortar).

How did you start it?

Did you get financing? Or did you bootstrap your way there?

Precious Butterflies Baby Card

Here's a photo of me (on the left) with my co-worker, Emily, holding her baby shower card I made for her.

She has a brown & pink butterflies theme for her baby room. So, I incorporated those elements into this "Precious Butterflies Baby Card" (as I call it). With this card I went wild with embellishments...ribbon, butterflies and foam-raised elements. I hand-stamped the "Congratulations" at the bottom. Inside the card I also used more butterflies and put a butterfly on the back. I handwrote a personalized note inside using brown and pink, acid-free ink so as to preserve the archival quality of the card. And, to add a finishing touch I included her soon-to-be born daughter's name inside the card, Gabriella Rose. So cute!

Emily said that she loves the card so much that she wants to frame it! I love when I hear that from happy recipients of my cards. And, I have heard that from numerous people. These cards are so precious to them and special that they consider them like little works of art! I feel privileged to bring that type of happiness to people's lives through my crafts! :)

Onto the next project...

Happy Crafting!

~ Rachael

Craft Fairs

Not much time to post tonight, but I just wanted to share this link for those of you looking for craft fairs:

http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2010/07/this_week_in_craft_fairs_44.html

Happy Crafting!

~ Rachael

Paper crafting for Babies 101...

My next handcrafted card project is a baby shower card (for a girl) for a co-worker's baby shower (yes...another one...LOL).

What kind of elements do you like to see on Baby Shower handcrafted cards?

Buttons? Ribbon?

Do you like to use specific papers for these type of cards? If so, what kinds?

For those of you making baby scrapbooks, share your thoughts on creating the perfect "baby page" layout!

Needs some ideas for baby shower cards/gifts? Check out these printable baby paper craft products for your next baby shower gift!

Happy Crafting!

~ Rachael

Buying handmade?

Do you like to purchase handcrafted paper crafts? If so, what do you like to buy and why?

Please share your thoughts on this blog or the Papercrafter's Nook Facebook fan page!

Happy crafting!

~ Rachael

Create Patriotic Scrapbook Page/Card & win $25 in FREE product!!!

Hi Papercrafter's Nook fans!

I'm sorry I didn't get this to you sooner, but I wanted to share this with you now since you have up through the end of this month: July 31st, specifically, to enter & WIN!!!

I like to use DCWV paper for my paper crafts, namely my handmade greeting cards.

Well, check this out...

They are having a July Challenge to celebrate Independence Day! The winner of this July Challenge wins $25 in FREE product and a "shout out" (can we say "props"?) in their blog during the month of August.

What paper crafter could NOT use more product...and *FREE* to boot?! And, a little recognition couldn't hurt, either...

So, get those creative juices flowing...

Check out the link here for rules & details.

Happy Paper Crafting!

~ Rachael :)

Happy Independence Day!

I hope everyone has a Happy 4th of July today! This wreath was made by my mother-in-law. She used to work in a floral shop for years. If you're interested in purchasing a wreath for any of the holidays, just drop me a line and let me know for which holiday/occasion you would like the wreath made.

SCORE Meeting

I met with a SCORE rep today to go over business goals.

I'm revved up to get 'em done!

A Happy Recipient of the Princess Buttons card by Papercrafter's Nook!!!

Here is the happy recipient of that Princess Buttons card I made for one of the Papercrafter's Nook customers!

Doesn't this just put a smile on your face?

I know it makes me happy to bring joy to other people's lives through my paper crafting!

There's more to come....

Happy crafting & Happy Weekend everyone!!

Princess Buttons birthday card

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. My family and I recently had a car accident. So, I've been dealing with those issues. But, now I'm back to my creativity! One accident isn't going to keep me away from my paper crafting!!! :)

I made this new "Princess Buttons" birthday card for one of our members' daughter's birthday coming up this Saturday.

I do have to say that it's so darn cute I want to make and keep one just for myself, too!

Handmade, Embossed First Holy Communion Moneyholder Card - Revisited!

Here's my latest card creation. It's another First Holy Communion Moneyholder card for that same co-worker who commissioned me to make one for her last time. (She must be booked up through the summer...LOL!)

For this project, I used my Ultimate Crafter's Companion to create a No. 10-sized card and matching sized envelope as pictured.

I embossed the Stampendous Calligraphy Cross stamp using the Ranger Inkssentials EmbossIt *acid free* clear embossing ink pad and the purple embossing powder from the Hampton Art a la mode Embossing Powder Set collection.

The envelope is made from Nana's Nursery cardstock pack of patterned paper.

For the final touch, I embellished this card using Offray ribbon.

Current projects...

I've been commissioned to make 2 personalized greeting cards recently. I'm making another First Communion card for a co-worker. This time it's for a girl. So, I plan to embellish this one more than the last.

Another is for one of our Papercrafter's Nook Facebook fans. She wanted a birthday card for her daughter like the "Princess Buttons" card I made for my niece.

I'm so excited to get started on these.

Of course, Father's Day cards are coming up. What plans does everyone have for Father's Day? Will you be making any handmade crafts or gifts for Dad?

Happy crafting!

Graduation paper crafts?

What are you papercrafters out there doing for your grads? Are any of you making a scrapbook? What about a personalized handcrafted card?

Post some of your projects to the Papercrafter's Nook Facebook fan page!

Thanks and Happy Crafting!

Mother's Day card

Here's a Mother's Day card I made for this past Mother's Day. I used K&Company designer papers as well as K&Company Citronella Layered Accents (the flower in the middle of the card). For a finishing touch, I embellished the card with Island Blue Offray Ribbon.

"Princess Buttons" Birthday Card

This Papercrafter's Nook card creation is called "Princess Buttons". My niece just turned 4-years-old. Naturally she had a princess-themed birthday party. I decided to use a lot of pinks in my handcrafted card for her. Cute little buttons added a nice touch. When she opened the card the first thing she said was "Buttons!" The "Celebrate You" stamp is embossed.

Fabulous Floral Personalized Birthday Card & Coordinated Envelope

This is one of my latest birthday card creations. I'm particularly proud of how this one turned out. When I gave it to my sister-in-law, Lauren, she was absolutely impressed with the quality. More than one person who saw this card said it looked like a professional one they would purchase at Target or some high-scale card shop!

For you papercrafters who would like to replicate this sophisticated floral birthday card, just follow the directions below and add your own personal touches.

1.) Start by using a single sheet of 8.5 x 11 cardstock for the main piece of the card. I used beige for this card.

2.) Cut this cardstock sheet in half horizontally. You should have two equal-sized pieces. Fold one of the pieces in the middle. (Save the other piece to make another card another day! How's that for being eco-friendly - not to mention wallet-friendly?!) You should now have an A2 card size (4 3/8" x 5 3/4"). I used the ruler and cutting blade from my Ultimate Crafter's Companion tool to measure and cut down my cardstock.

3.) Pick a color-coordinated patterned sheet of paper to layer on the front of the card. I chose a floral patterned sheet of paper from my K& Company's "Best of K& Company Too" designer pack of 360 12 x 12 papers recently purchased from JoAnn's. I cut down the 12 x 12 floral patterned sheet of paper slightly smaller than the front of this card to reveal some of the beige cardstock beneath.

4.) Add ribbon. I cut down a piece of Brown Offray Ribbon and adhered it to the card on the horizontal edge between the patterned paper piece and the beige cardstock showing at the bottom of the card front. Double-sided tape works fine for this because it keeps the ribbon flat. I've learned not to use hot glue for adhering ribbon because the glue tends to make bumps show through the ribbon.

5.) Select two color-coordinated, textured cardstock sheets. Use these for the layered rectangular pieces on the card. I cut down pieces of hunter green and brown textured cardstock sheets from my Diecuts With a View textured cardstock pack for the rectangular layered pieces. The top layered beige cardstock rectangle piece is from the same cardstock used for the main card piece.

6.) Stamp and emboss the card. All of the stamps used on this card have been embossed using the Ranger Inkssentials EmbossIt clear *acid free* embossing ink with turquoise embossing powder from the Hampton Art embossing powder set. I heat the embossing ink and powder using the Darice Heat Tool.

7.) Embellish the card! I made a bow with the Brown Offray Ribbon using the Ultimate Crafter's Companion bow making tool. Makes perfect bows every time! The flower button came from my Autumn Leaves Foof-A-La Bag-O-Buttons Savannah Collection.

8.) Make a color-coordinated envelope. Trim a 12 x 12 piece of cardstock to 8 1/4" square to fit your A2-sized card. Find an envelope template online for folding instructions. I used my Ultimate Crafter's Companion envelope-making tool to create my envelope out of a 12 x 12 sheet of Nana's Nursery patterned cardstock.

9.) Take a picture of your final creation for your portfolio! Then, send your "new baby" along her way. (Every card creation feels like a "new baby" to me...)

Let me know what you think of this card. Leave your comments on the Papercrafter's Nook Facebook fan page or here on my blog!

Feel free to share your recent creations with the Papercrafter's Nook. Are you a crafter? You don't even have to be a "papercrafter" to be welcome here! All crafters are welcome!

Thanks & Happy Crafting!

Personalized First Holy Communion Moneyholder Card!

One of my co-workers commissioned me to make her a First Holy Communion moneyholder card for her friend's son - Colin McCartney. For this project, I used my Ultimate Crafter's Companion to create a No. 10-sized card and matching sized envelope as pictured.

I embossed the Stampendous Calligraphy Cross stamp using the Ranger Inkssentials EmbossIt *acid free* clear embossing ink pad and the silver embossing powder from the Hampton Art a la mode Embossing Powder Set collection.

The envelope is made from Nana's Nursery cardstock pack of patterned paper.

Spotlight on Papercrafting Tools: The Ultimate Crafter's Companion

Not too long ago I purchased The Ultimate Crafter's Companion. So far, I've used it to make envelopes, boxes, greeting cards and enveloboxes. I know I haven't even scratched the surface in my use of this tool. There is a corresponding DVD that comes with this multi-use papercrafts tool. I plan to pop in the DVD soon and try out the more advanced techniques. I'll share those techniques with you in later posts. Stay tuned!

Have any of you used this tool? If so, what are your thoughts? What kinds of crafts have you made with it? If you have any pics of your creations using the Ultimate Crafter's Companion, please share them with us on the Papercrafter's Nook Facebook fan page!

Thanks and Happy Crafting!

Baby Shower card

I made this baby shower card for a co-worker. I also made the coordinating envelope.

Thursday, January 14th

Valentine's Day - one month away to the day. Our mission: Create some lovely cards for the loving holiday.

My good friend, Melanie, and I get together once a month to make crafts (usually cards, but sometimes we stray into other territory...like boxes).

In the picture, Melanie made the two cards above and the blue background one below and to the left. I made the bottom right card (sometimes I get caught up "over-thinking" my designs). I still have some time before Valentine's Day to come up with more cards. I plan to make at least a couple more different designs. So, stay tuned!

Valentine's Day crafts

My crafting buddy and I are getting together for our monthly craft night session this Thursday. We're trying to come up with good Valentine's Day cards. Does anyone have any ideas? Please post your comments to this blog. If we decide to make your suggested craft, I'll post the results! Thanks in advance!

Inspiration...

Well, I'm looking for a little creative inspiration. So, I'm currently reading Blogging for Bliss: Crafting Your Own Online Journal (A Guide for Crafters, Artists & Creatives of All Kinds) by Tara Frey. I'm LOVING the visuals. That's my next focus for my blogs. Get more visual! So, pictured above are some of my elegant card stock gift boxes. These particular gift boxes are 4" square. Each has been meticulously folded by me using an origami folding technique. These boxes are perfect for holding your little treasures, gifts or treats! If you're interested in purchasing some, please feel free to comment or contact me directly at momsramblings@gmail.com. I can make custom orders of these boxes in whatever card stock you choose! The sky's the limit!

Selling Crafts Online - 5 Free and Inexpensive Ways to Sell Crafts Online

Selling Crafts Online - 5 Free and Inexpensive Ways to Sell Crafts Online
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Lisa_McGrimmon]Lisa McGrimmon

If you are thinking about selling crafts online, you must have a plan for getting traffic to your site.

The biggest mistake people make when planning to sell crafts online lies in failing to develop a realistic plan to market their craft business website. Too often, people invest huge amounts of time and money in creating a gorgeous site, but fail to determine exactly how they will get customers to visit their site. It really doesn't matter how creative, artistic and impressive-looking your craft business website is if no one is visiting your site.

Like any facet of business, selling crafts online will require some promotional efforts in order to build success. Luckily, there are several easy and free or inexpensive ways to promote your online craft business.

You can promote your online craft business by:

1. Getting related but non-competing sites to link to your site.
While you may get some direct traffic from these links (commonly called backlinks), the main value of these links lies in their impact on search engines. Getting good rankings at the major search engines are the key to plenty of free traffic on your craft business site. Search engines see backlinks as a "vote" for the quality of your site, so these links help your site to rank higher with the search engines.

2. Submit articles to popular sites
This strategy is just one way to get backlinks to your site. Website owners are always looking for good content, and many sites accept articles from guest authors. Some sites specialize in providing these types of articles for other website owners to use. Normally the "payment" you receive for allowing another website owner to publish your article is a link back to your site. These links can be very valuable both for the direct traffic they generate and for their ability to help your craft business site to rank higher with search engines.

3. Writing plenty of great content
The more great content you write and post on your site, the more search engines will see your site as an authority on your topic. That results in good rankings with the major search engines.

In order to rank well with search engines, they must not view the articles on your site as duplicate content (i.e. it must not exist on some other website. For that reason, ensure that the content you write on your own site is different from the content you allow others to post in exchange for backlinks.

4. Try social networking
Social networking sites such as Flickr, Squidoo and Twitter can provide good opportunities for you to keep in touch with your customers, for new customers to find you and to obtain backlinks to your main site.

5. Use good keywords

Include in your meta tags and in the information you include on your site, plenty of keywords that people would normally use if they were searching for a site like yours on one of the major search engines. You don't have to guess at these keywords; there are actually several good tools, Wordtracker is one, that allow you to find out what keywords people are using in your particular niche.

With the right tools in place, selling crafts online can be a very cost effective strategy for building and promoting your home craft business. With the right tools, it is absolutely possible to build and market a craft business site that gets plenty of free traffic on a daily basis.

Lisa McGrimmon publishes inspiri-art-and-craft.com, an in-depth guide for building your [http://www.inspiri-art-and-craft.com]craft business Please visit Inspiri for more tips on how to [http://www.inspiri-art-and-craft.com/sell-crafts-online.html]sell crafts online

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Selling-Crafts-Online---5-Free-and-Inexpensive-Ways-to-Sell-Crafts-Online&id=1208286] Selling Crafts Online - 5 Free and Inexpensive Ways to Sell Crafts Online

Hand-crafted Origami cardstock boxes

I made some hand-crafted Origami cardstock boxes. Check them out at my Etsy shop: Paperkrafty.etsy.com Let me know your thoughts!