Simple Makes - Kids Thank You Card with Papermill Direct

Hello, this week I'm sharing a simple thank you card that children can make by themselves using simple everyday materials.
This is the resist technique at it’s most basic. I think every child will have access to Wax Crayons and some type of watercolour paints or even water with a little food colouring would work.  

But first I have news of this week's Special Offer from +papermilldirect which is a 300gsm card in a really rich Violet colour, this gorgeous card can be yours in an A4 box for just £5-28 a saving of 40%!!  - Link Here

Back to the thank you card, which children can create by simply writing with a white or pale coloured wax crayon and washing over with watercolours to reveal the sentiment or picture they have drawn. For very young children you could assemble the greeting onto a card base for them. Older children can have fun adding twine and buttons to their design, perhaps adding drawings as well as a sentiment.

To create this simple but bright card I wrote the word ‘Thanks’ onto Papermilldirect Plain White card using a white wax crayon. As I already had some water based Aqua Markers I used those to add strokes of colour across the wording and then washed over with a water-brush. The same effect can be made by using any water based colours and a paintbrush to reveal the sentiment. I then trimmed the design to measure 4” wide x 3 ¾ “and matted this onto PMD Apple Green card to leave a small border using double sided tape. Twine was wrapped around the completed panel and secured on the reverse. 

The card base was created by simple folding and scoring PMD Plain White Card and trimming down to measure 5” x 4 ½ “ which accommodates the design and is a child friendly size. The completed panel was attached to the card base using 3D foam pads to give height and extra interest, it is also easier for your child too, and if a little wonky will only add to the beauty of a card a child has made themselves. A bright pink coloured button threaded with twine and tied in a bow was added to finish the design.

**There is also exciting Design Team news as we welcome Nessa to the team, welcome aboard Nessa!! (you can find her blog link below)**


Materials Used:
Papermilldirect Plain White Card
Papermilldirect Apple Green Card
White Wax Crayon
Letraset Aqua Markers in Rose Carmine, Flame Red, Straw Yellow, & Celery
Water and brush
Natural Button Twine, Bright Pink Button,
Adhesives: Double Sided Tape, 3D Foam Pads



Papermill Design Team:
if you have a moment, please do pop over and check out the other papermill teamies blogs and see what they got up to this week: 

• Barbara 
• Lisa 
• Ruth 
• Sylvia 
• Sandie
• Craig 
• Nessa
• Papermilldirect Inspire Blog 

Playing with Bohemian Bazaar...

So I adore Graphic 45 papers and probably not alone in that.  I also have a problem that I can never seem to bring myself to actually cut into them!!  Probably not alone in that either :D.  Anyway, I decided enough was enough, time to just get the papers out, grab some distress inks and have a really good play and experiment the afternoon away.  I found that once I'd made that first cut, inked those first edges, that it became easier to tear more papers from the pads.  G45 papers are famous for having that 'old' look and they even 'smell' like something so vintage and exclusive. But 'Bohemian Bazaar' is just so vibrant, it manages to encompass all that is G45 and yet be something fresh and new all at the same time, sort of a contradiction. People who know me, will know that I am all for 'contradiction'.

So here is the result of my experimental play time, a card that celebrates 'mums', and using an 'old' yet new sentiment, which i thought was perfect for the papers.


Materials Used:
'Bohemian Bazaar' 12 x 12 pad - Graphic 45                         
Black card - Papermill Direct
White scalloped edged card blank
Tim Holtz distress Ink in 'Broken China'
'Onyx Pearl' - Liquid Pearls
Black & White Bakers Twine
Blue and pink buttons
Dark Card Cand - Craftwork Cards
Turquoise Ribbon
Sentiment
3D Foam Pads
Cosmic Shimmer Clear Glue


Tools Used:
Paper Trimmer
Die Cutter - Big Shot 
Accordion Fold Flowers Die Set - Sizzix
Bigz Tag Die Set - Sizzix

some of the materials used

Tips:
Inking around the edges of the white scalloped card blank and the cut edges of the papers helps to bring the design together. I used  'broken china' distress ink, applied using a small piece of cut & dry foam. 

Matting the 'Bohemian Bazaar' papers onto quality black card leaving a small edge all around, helps to frame and set off the bright colours and busy designs.

I die cut strips to create rosette flowers in matching papers from the same range.  I also used some of the strips as they were to add interest to the tags and paper edges.  Again I inked them with distress ink.

Close up

I cut 3 tag shapes with a tag die, one in black card, one in a matching paper from the range, and another in white that had the sentiment upon it.  Inking the edges to lose some of the bright whiteness and tie it into the whole design of the card.

Layering and adding height with 3D foam pads and embellishments really adds to the look.  here I also threaded bakers twine through buttons and the tags.  I also tied a bright turquoise blue ribbon into a bow for the top of the tags and wrapped a piece of the ribbon around a paper panel.

Adding dots of liquid pearls to sections of the design also helped to bring it all 'together'.

When creating the design, i was playing, experimenting and it just flowed. I wanted to not be confined by the straight edges of the mat panel, I chose to make some elements overlap this area deliberately, hopefully adding extra interest.

Overall I am surprised and happy with the result and I'm sure I'll be playing again with this range, now that I have convinced myself that nothing bad will happen to me if I actually do cut into it.

Mums are like buttons Card