| |
By Eleanor Levie
Is there a big event in your life: a brand-new baby, a new spouse, a new house, an adorable new pet, or perhaps a special accomplishment, birthday or anniversary? Share your news in a big way, with a giant photo card you can mail far and wide. Begin with your best picture, cropping close to capture the awwww! effect. Have lots of copies printed, so you can make a big announcement for every admirer-to-be. With just a few personal touches and creative flourishes, your photos will be well worth the extra postage, and destined to find their way into many beautiful frames and scrapbooks. A big idea, bound to magnify and multiply the joy!
What You'll Need, For Each:
- Print your best photos – Send your photos online to a local retailer, or load them onto a CD and bring them to your favorite store. To find a retailer using long-lasting Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper go to www.fujifilm.com/pictures.
- Heavy, card- or cover-stock paper in a color that enhances the photo, 8 1/2" x 11"
- 1/2 yard to 1 yard each of 3 or 4 assorted flat trims, such as 1/8" satin ribbon, lace, flower trim
- Computer and printer or fine permanent-ink marker, for lettering
- Pencil, ruler, and scissors; or ruler, cutting mat, and XACTO knife, for cutting straight edges to size
- Rubber cement, such as Elmer’s No-Wrinkle Rubber Cement
- Tacky glue with a fine applicator tip, such as Sobo Glue
- Optional:
- 4 heart-shaped, sew-through buttons
- 2 fabric flowers or motifs cut from daisy trim, 1” in diameter
- Large envelope for each announcement, with extra decorative papers, protective cardboard, and postage stamps as needed
What To Do, For Each:
- Trim heavy paper to 8"x 10", so the recipients can easily slip your announcement into a standard 8" x 10" frame to display it.
- For titles, captions, or journaling, create text on computer, or hand letter the text with a marker. Print out onto decorative paper, using a printer/photocopier. Trim to small rectangles.
- Compose announcement, arranging photo, and text rectangles on heavy paper. Slip decorative paper underneath to audition mats and borders that will enhance the photo and text.
- When satisfied with arrangement, glue all papers in place, using rubber cement.
- Embellish, frame, and border each element with flat trims, using tacky glue.
- If desired, frame photo with 1/8" ribbon, gluing in place and threading on a sew-through button at each corner; tie ends in a bow. Glue on fabric flowers as accents.
- For a mailer, glue a decorative paper to envelope for a background, and print, then cut other papers for mailing labels and border trim. Adhere papers in place with rubber cement. Insert announcement into decorated envelope, with a sheet of cardboard to keep it flat, and apply the necessary postage, using stamps that match your theme.
Managing Editor: Eleanor Levie. Designer: Kathleen George. Photography: Donna H. Chiarelli
Printer friendly version »
|
|