Let's Hang Out

Hi folks, it's my day on the EO Blog again, where I'm showing off some fun cards featuring Eyelet Outlet Clothing Brads, including Dress, Wood Hanger and Jeans and Tee Shirt Brads!

One of my favorite ways to think outside the cardmaking box is to use what is called "negative space". By which I mean, instead of using the *shape* you get from using a circle punch, why not try using the hole from where the circle has been punched? So that's what I did on the "Hang Out" card. I strategically punched three one-inch circles on a piece of soft lavender paper, then I used that as my template for where to mount the brads on the blue dotty paper below. Since I wanted to show the clothing ON the Hanger Brads, I set the Hangers first, then carefully positioned the Jeans, Tee Shirt and Dress Brads on top.

My favorite way to do a custom sentiment is by formatting it on the computer and printing it out on clear labels made for ink jet printers, because then I can make it exactly the right size and shape for my design. The clear background of the label paper disappears completely on all but the very darkest plain papers, but if I'm not sure, I test it out by sticking a tiny piece of the sticker paper's border to the edge of my paper or cardstock. When I'm going to cut the sentiment into an interesting shape, as I did for all three cards, I cut the sentiment from the sticker paper with a nice wide border all around, peel and stick it to the paper I want to use on my card, then punch or trim the cloud, banner or flag shape. In this way, the edge of the sticker paper doesn't show!

When it came to making a laundry line card, I couldn't decide whether to use a landscape or portrait style format; and then I couldn't decide whether the line should be black or white. So I did BOTH! In each case I traced a dinner plate, verrrrrrrry lightly, in pencil, to get nice smooth curving lines. Then I took the panels to my sewing machine to add the stitching. In the end, I felt like it was a mixed verdict: I prefer the three tiers of the portrait style card... but the black stitching shows up best. I have filed these facts away for future reference, lol!

Thanks for coming along to "hang out" with me today, I hope you'll be inspired to test some of your own cardmaking ideas which feature Eyelet Outlet brads and embellishments! ♥

Lauren Bergold

actually does not hate doing 

laundry all that much!