This week I've been making a few cards to replace the ones I sold and it's amazing how a little detail can go such a long way in completely changing the look of a card making it truly special and unique.

Today's post is about some of the little details you can add to your cards so they stand out.

Butterflies and dragonflies

When adding butterflies or dragonflies to your cards try drawing lines or little dots to give the impression of movement. You can also glue only the body of the butterfly/dragonfly onto the card and then lift the wings a little, this will give the impression of flapping wings making your butterfly/dragonfly more realistic.

Retirement card-commissionedGardening cardAutumn card

The last card in this series is one of my new ones and you'll see that the butterfly on the bottom corner is made up of 2 punched butterfly shapes glued together in the middle. Again, this helps give the impression that the butterfly is flapping its wings.

Flowers and leaves

To create layers of flowers or foliage with different heights use foam pads. You can also make your flowers look more "real" by slightly shaping their petals. To do this you can curl or pinch them so they don't lie flat on the card.

Also when making the centres for the flowers try using circles of different sizes. Even if you use the same flower shape throughout your project you can make them look different by using larger or smaller circles.

Card with flowerBirthday card made to order

The flower used on the first card had its petals slightly twisted or pinched. The flowers on the second card are all the same but some look slightly different just by using a smaller circle in the centre.

Mix and match

Just because you're making a card it doesn't mean you have to use only paper and cardstock. Raid your sewing box and experiment with ribbon, fabric, buttons, yarn, etc. These elements will add texture and interest to your project.

Handmade cardHandmade cardHandmade cardHandmade card

All the cards above incorporate items you can find in your sewing box such as leftover bits of ribbon, lace, rikrak, buttons and fabric.

Stitching on paper

I love stitching on cards and use it quite often. Again experiment adding a few stitches to your project to see what a difference this makes. You can use a sewing machine, do the stitching by hand or use false stitching using a fine tip pen to draw the "stitches".

Handmade cardHandmade cardHandmade card

I hope you find these ideas useful.