Something fun to do is scan wallpaper. With the different
coordinating backgrounds and borders, they make perfect web page graphics!
The background of this page is scanned wallpaper.
Also great for coordinating printed graphics with envelopes.
Here are a few zipped files of some sets I have scanned. More to come later!
I have more templates!!! The family thinks I'm nuts, as I have been
going through the house looking for unusual boxes and envelopes to use for templates.
This set has some different ones. They are all in .jpg format, and small to keep
the file size down. Just enlarge them to the desired size, print it out on cardstock,
laminate if desired, cut and trace onto the wallpaper.
Most of these are boxes that would be better if the wallpaper was fused to some tagboard
or cardstock before tracing and cutting. Included in this set is a house-shaped box.
This is from McDonalds. It is the box to collect the pop-top tabs for the Ronald
McDonald Houses. There is a small version of a Chinese Take-out box; a flower seed packet;
an offering envelope that could be used for a small gift card; a tall cube-shaped box;
a flat box from some hotel soap; and a tray-type box like is used for tacos or fries.
These may need a little adjustment, but I have tried each one and they go together quite well.
Get two coordinating but contrasting pieces, and cut a piece about 4 inches square
from each. Since you won't need too large of a piece, you can save the rest
of the page for a matching envelope. Cut each swuare into strips.
I prefer about 1/2 inch wide. Then weave them together. Fold the edges back and
tape or glue to secure them. Layer this on the front of a card. Then cut out
a larger graphic from a coordinating border, and layer that on top of the weave with some
foam dots or tape. Here's a sample to get the idea.
Quilting is fun with wallpaper. Get at least 3 different scraps that will go together, and cut into
equal squares. Keep one pattern in squares, but cut the others into four triangles.
Glue these pieces onto cardstock in a quilt block pattern. Then take some thin strips
and glue around each "block" as a border. Here is a sample to get the idea. As you
get more experienced with this, try different shapes and authentic quilt block designs.
Another way to use the scraps left over from making envelopes is to cut out
individual pictures from the scraps and layer them on to the card. In this example,
I used a basic frame stencil to dry emboss a frame, then glued flowers cut from
the scraps.
Have some really small scraps? For this card, I dry embossed some flowers and
butterflies on the front, then used a large butterfly punch and punched out
some shapes to glue on the front.
This is a template I designed for Draw6. It is a 6-sided cards and envy set. For this sample,
I fused 2 wallpapers together to line the envy. The front of the card is dry embossed. The flaps of
the envy are folded over, in order, with the last flap tucked under the first.
Here's something I call Wallpaper Intarsia. Choose a simple graphic, print it out to size in
outline/colorbook format. Cut it apart at the appropriate places, and use each piece
as a pattern to cut out from wallpaper,using different designs or colors for each piece.
Then glue it together on you card. Add detail with embossing powder, markers, paint, or whatever you have.
Use wiggle eyes, yarn for whiskers, add silk leaves, or whatever will bring your creation to life.
Here are some samples of this.
