OSW Tutorial Series, Part 1

Are you ready for a fun, new series?  This series is all about OSW cards --- One Sheet Wonder.  In other words... getting the biggest bang for your buck from a 12 X 12" piece of CS (card stock) or DSP (Designer Series Papers).  With Christmas preparations coming right up, I think you'll find this series useful when it comes to making your cards.  We generally make more cards for Christmas than at any other time of the year.

I'd like to make a few points before we go any further:
- There are MANY different ways you can divide up a 12 X 12" sheet.
- Some of them are very complicated.  I chose not to work with those.
- Let's be real?  Wouldn't you prefer quick and easy?  I certainly do.
- Want to take it further?  Get some grid paper and start working your math skills.

Now... let's start with the easiest one of all. 

Divide your paper into 4" strips.
Turn your paper and cut into 5 1/4" pieces.
You'll end up with 6 card fronts and 3 smaller pieces.
The smaller pieces are wide enough to go across the front of the card.
You can use these pieces over 3 card fronts and then use ribbon on the other 3 card fronts, because you can get 6 cards from a sheet of CS or DSP by dividing it up this way.
Remember, your DSP is double-sided with coordinating designs, so it's an easy way to not end up with scraps or have to cut something else to add to your card.
I added a simple butterfly embellishment and called it complete.

Here's a close-up of the card.  I had a scrap of black CS, so I added that across the inside of the card.  The base of this card is black, so you have to put something else inside, so you can stamp or write a message.  I tried using sahara sand instead of white for the inside on this one and I love it.
By keeping it simple, I can now grab this card to use for most any occasion whenever I need a card right away.

Tips:
Why not choose some DSP you really like and make up a group of cards to have ready for special occasions.  This is great not only for Christmas cards, but also for party invitations or thank you notes.
You may even want to start some sort of container with dividers to keep your cards sorted.  OR... You may just want to keep a few out in a cute container where you can grab them quickly when you need them.  This also helps you to keep an eye on how many are left in your 'stash' so you'll know when to get busy on making some more.
What are cards we need the most often?
Birthday
Thank You
Thinking of You
Sympathy
How about 9 cards instead of 6?
Simple!!!  Make 3 just like this card and then take your remaining 3 card fronts and cut them diagonally.  Now you can make 6 more cards instead of 3 more!  I'll share some of these variations in a future post. 

I have several more parts to this series, so keep coming back to see what's next.  Leave me a comment if you have questions or suggestions. 

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- Come back soon and come back often for more creative inspiration.