It seems that commercial birthday cards tend to fall into one of three categories: too feminine, too goofy, or too somber. Sure, buying pre-made birthday cards saves time. However, if you make one yourself, you can control the “feel” of the card and work on your art and lettering skills! In today’s tutorial, I’ll show you how to make a festive hot air balloon-themed birthday card and a corresponding envelope.
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Every Monday, I’ve been sending out a brief newsletter to TPK subscribers. It’s something I have really enjoyed because a newsletter isn’t nearly as formal as a blog post; instead, it feels more like a conversation. In the last newsletter, I asked for blog post topic feedback — in short, what do readers want more of (or less of)? A theme appeared throughout several of the feedback emails: more watercolor tutorials! So, today, I want to show you how to make this simple twig watercolor thank you card. It features a blending/salting technique that I promise you can do, and I’ll teach you how in a video toward the end of the post!
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A decade ago, I never would have thought to offer printables on a blog. I was in college at the time, and I was just noticing printables popping up on websites that I followed. I always wondered who on earth actually used printable stationery, invitation, and artwork downloads! To me, things that were printed off at home looked cheap (I suspect that a large part of the problem was my hand-me-down printer and generic ink).
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This printable Father’s Day card fills a void that I noticed when I was browsing Father’s Day card designs in search of inspiration. What I found was that almost all Father’s Day cards fall into one of two categories: hyper-masculine or goofy. Tasteful, artistic cards are few and far between — which is why I created today’s printable.
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For the past three months, I’ve taken a day or two to indulge in a few hours of pen and ink illustration. I love using the Nikko G nib and sumi ink to make elegant, detailed pieces! In March, I made a lace butterfly, and April brought a rosy Arc de Triomphe. Today, I’m introducing May’s artwork: an elegant henna-inspired bluebird illustration.
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One of the facts of life is this: the older you get, the more mothers you know. Slowly, Mother’s Day becomes a day that’s not only acknowledging your own mother: it’s also about your friend, your sister, your daughter, and many other women in your life. It’s wonderful that we all know so many fantastic moms, but it’s difficult to find the time to make a thoughtful DIY Mother’s Day card for all of them! That’s why this year I focused on making a quick card card concept that can be customized and streamlined if you want to make more than one. You can read the steps below to learn how to create it!
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Today’s “Let’s Go to Paris” greeting card tutorial offers the perfect springtime hello. It’s artistic and creative, and plays to two (arguable) truths: first of all, springtime brings out the travel bug in a lot of us. Second, Paris is absolutely stunning this time of year! To make this card, you’ll just need a printer, paper, scissors, and some glue.
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If you’re new to watercolor, this vivid thank you card is the perfect project to teach you about blending! To make it, you’ll start by drawing a series of simple shapes in pencil, fill them in with watercolor, and end with some calligraphy on the bottom. Keep reading for more detailed instructions!
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This lace butterfly card exemplifies elegance and creativity! In today’s tutorial, we’ll depart from the traditional greeting card format to produce an interactive, lovely piece that your recipient will want to put on display. I’ll also suggest a few alternative and artistic ways to use the butterfly printable that I created for this card!
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This thank you card tutorial, based on a Mexican Talavera tile design, is one of my favorites on the TPK blog because of its vibrant color scheme. The card only uses two colors — brown and turquoise — but the different values of those colors add a lot of visual interest. If you feel intimidated by blending watercolors, set that fear aside for this post! I will teach you exactly how to blend the two tones, and I promise that you can do it. Here are the steps for making this card:
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