Using a coloring page to make a handmade card.
In honor of National Coloring Book Day on August 2nd in the US, I colored a page and used it to decorate the front of a handmade greeting card.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
Coloring a Page
As an adult, I enjoy Coloring to De-Stress. I have several coloring books, including the Creative Haven Home Sweet Home Coloring Book. However, I usually ignore a coloring page after I have completed it.
This time around I decided to use a part of a coloring page to decorate a card front. I originally wanted to make an A2 sized card but decided on a larger size just so I could use part of a coloring page that featured a dog sleeping in front of a fireplace.
I used my friend's dog as inspiration for the sleeping dog on the coloring page. I selected and used a variety of alcohol ink markers available in my collection.
Many brands work well with one another, so you would rarely see me stick with only one brand of alcohol ink markers while coloring.
Making the Card
I used an 11-inches by 8-1/2 inches white cardstock for my card base. I scored it down the center to make a 'hamburger' fold at 5-1/2 inches. If you do not want to score for a sharp crease, you could simply fold the paper in half.
I did not bother to measure anything, so I do not have any other measurements to share with you. In general, I made sure what I used fit on the card front. Because I did not measure anything, I did a lot of cutting and trimming.
I cut the colored image smaller than the card front. I cut blue cardstock larger than the image, but smaller than the card front as an accent color. There did not seem to be enough contrast between the colored image and blue cardstock, so I also cut white cardstock just slightly larger than the image to create a border outline.
Unfortunately, the blade of my paper cutter was not sharp. It left the paper edges frayed. I used sandpaper to lightly smooth the edges to get rid of the frayed pieces. A nail file would have worked as well, but I happened to have sandpaper nearby from another project I set aside.
I adhered the colored image onto the white cardstock. I then adhered the white cardstock onto the blue cardstock. Lastly, I adhered the blue cardstock onto the card front.
While the colored image layered over the colored cardstock looked good, I decided to add a sentiment to the card front. I used a stamp that read "HEARD IT'S BEEN RUFF" from my old Art Impressions Clear Stamp Doggy Kisses Set.
I stamped the sentiment onto white cardstock, layered it over blue cardstock, and adhered it to the card front using foam tape. I opted for foam tape to add a little depth and dimension for added visual appeal.
My Thoughts
If you create handmade greeting cards and enjoy coloring pages of a coloring book, I recommend combining the two. Since coloring pages images are copyrighted material, I do not recommend selling your colored card creations.
Instead, this may be something worth trying for makers who do not draw their own original artwork for cards they make and gift to others. I can see this as a fun activity for kids who want to give their friends or teachers handmade cards.
I love how the front of my card turned out! Why have I not combined coloring pages with handmade cards prior to this? The answer does not matter. This is something I will do again in the future.
Unfortunately, I could not figure out how to decorate the inside of the card. I stamped an image and sentiment separately and played around with the positioning of them inside the card. I eventually settled because I was confused how to make it look good. I am not proud of the interior of this card, so I may not gift this to my friend as I originally intended.
What's Next?
I have been attempting to customize some office supplies for grins. So far, I have been struggling to make anything look decent. If I do not rage quit, I will share the finished product with you!
What do you do with a finished coloring page? Comment below to creative ideas for fully colored pages.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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