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What is the best and easiest way to show someone how to make cards? My daughters BF mom sees the cards I make and now wants to make her own Christmas cards this year! Yikes!!
I started over at StampTV and Gina really is fantastic about explaining things, so she could start out there. Gina has tons of videos and are really easy to follow. The cardstock is fantastic! And she doesn't do a hard push on buying her products which makes me want to support her all the more.
I'd say first off find out exactly what it is that interests her. Stamping/ decoupage/ lots of die cuts etc. Then email her a bunch of links to You Tube vids she can watch at leisure. Then, if you have the stuff, and knowledge for what interests her, invite her over for a couple of hours.
Invite her over and walk her through making a couple cards. If she decides she still wants to do it make a list of supplies she needs to get. Depending on how many she wants to make you could sell her the supplies needed from your stash. Once she makes a couple cards and cost involved she may decide this is not for her or she will be hooked and 'want it all..LOL
One of my stepdaughters asked " how do you do this..how do you do that. I just took some scrap paper and showed her how that "step" was done, like dry and wet embossing. I walked her through two cards she wanted to make and they turned out really nice but I don't think she will be taking up the craft.
Another friend wanted to learn and I've walked her through making a few cards She enjoys doing it but hasn't started gathering supplies yet. I personally doubt she ever will but who know she may surprise me.
Invite her over for an afternoon and have some fun!
I think both the Youtube and links ideas are good. But in addition to sending them to her, I'd invite her to your house to watch them with her, answer her questions, and then make one of the simpler examples she likes best with her. Seeing, asking questions in person, and doing a card together will be most effective. You probably need to meet with her a few times to get her started. Doing Christmas cards could be okay, if she's making only one design.
I would invite her over to show her how you make a card step-by-step, using an example card to guide you. This will also help you stay on track. When I first discovered this hobby, going to a class and following an example was helpful - I could ask questions about how a certain technique was done or where to buy a particular supply. At a class usually the paper is pre-cut, too, which helps take out some of the guesswork and extra steps. Maybe starting with a basic cardmaking kit or going to a class together would be helpful. Perhaps for the Christmas card, you could help her come up with the design and help her mass-produce them, so it's not as much work for a newbie.
Lol I had this happen with my mom. She loved one specific card that I had made, so she asked me to make 25 of them. I spent a whole weekend doing that. Then she called and asked me for 15 more. I had been looking forward to making my OWN cards, and said "only if you help me". She agreed, but was surprised to find that each card took me about 20 to 30 minutes, instead of just three minutes! I packed all my stuff and went over to her house. I had her make one alongside myself (I would stamp an image, then have her stamp it, etc.). I walked her through the whole process, so she could see how it could take SO LONG just to make one card. My goal was to get her to say "oh, I had no idea it was so much work - how about just five more?" But instead she LOVED it, and wanted to borrow all the stuff to make her own cards! Fortunately I had a spare ink pad, a spare block, and I cut all the cardstock for her. I loaned her the stamp set and my least-favourite Copic markers.
So... that's how I unintentionally started my mom out - with one specific card that she loved and wanted multiples of.
I have some friends that love the cards I make, but that don't want to take up the hobby themselves. Fortunately, I also have a couple of girlfriends that I can craft with. However we are sometimes better at craft shopping than actual crafting.
I teach classes and most require you have some basic stamping knowledge. Every now and then I get a newbie and what I've learned is:
Keep it simple - ink and paper so as not to overwhelm her
As you work, talk about how different papers work with different inks and different stamps
Caution her about going on buying sprees - she should do a little research if she sees something she wants to make to ensure she buys the right products
Be honest in that handmade cards are not inexpensive. You can't use construction paper and get a quality looking card.
and most of all, let her know it takes practice to master some of the techniques
Does she want you to teach her, or does she want to learn on her own by watching videos or reading tutorials? If she wants you to teach her, a word to the wise: Be careful of what you might be getting yourself into. I think she should start out with a simple greeting and a simple image that doesn't require much coloring, if any.
I agree. I think some of the cutest and easiest cards to learn are the simplest. I made 3 really cute cards at the scrap book expo. If she is wanting you to teach her maybe lend a few supplies give her 3 basic cards to work on and see how she may take off on them on her own. No one ever showed me how to make a card. I saw them on youtube and on craft shows years ago.
I agree too I would direct her to youtube to see if this is something that she really might want to do.
cardmaking 101
