Since I'm out of paper, I spent a lot of last evening doing some materials research for cardmaking. After a few hours of searching and referencing and comparing, I discovered one thing: materials are expensive. No matter how you slice it, a pack of 80 lb cardstock, envelopes and sleeves cost some serious dough. And not only that, but the shipping is just crazy. I was thinking standard shipping rates range anywhere from $5-$8, right? Nope, try $15-20. Apparently a seven pound pack of cardstock ain't cheap.
That's an investment, right there, so I was trying to cut my losses and order all from one place, but that didn't seem to help much, either. Even when I ordered multiple things, the shipping kept inching up in price.
The other issue I encountered was that I wanted to order materials that were 100% recycled or biodegradable. I'm keenly interested in having an earth-friendly shop (a little ironic for someone who makes paper goods...) so this took top-priority for me. It required a little more research, but I did manage to order a good batch of eco-friendly supplies that will hopefully last me a while. Now I just have to wait for them to arrive, and I can start creating in earnest!
In the meantime, I'm going to show everyone how to make fun envelope liners for cards.
Why make cute cards if you don't have something cute to put them in?
As noted above, I didn't want to spend more money or waste more paper by making these liners, so I upcycled some old magazines and used the photos I liked to create new envelopes. Here's the tutorial for you!
{diy: homemade envelope liners}
First, choose a photo with a good print and trace the envelope onto the magazine page:
Next, cut off about 3/4" from the bottom of your traced design. (This will ensure that the liner sits lower than the sticky top of the envelope flap):
Trim the sides of the template, as well, so that it slides into the envelope easier. Position the liner where you would like it, close to the sticky envelope flap, but not overlapping:
Fold down the envelope flap with the liner inside to make a crease. Apply glue to the top flap to adhere to the envelope:
Ta-da! You have a fun, new, colorful envelope. Test out different magazine photos (or old maps, book pages, or scrap paper) for different looks. I've been using old Outdoor and Backpacker magazines, so my photos are all mountains and kayakers! Love it. :)
P.S. - for my next batch I'm going to use darker envelopes. Because the magazine pages are so thin, the back of them shows through. Having a darker envelope will help give it a cleaner look!
