Creative gift cards : 55 step-by-step projects : beautiful greetings cards to make for every occasion, with practical techniques shown in over 575 colour photographs / Cheryl Owen.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

As well as being traditionally associated with special occasions, festivals and celebrations, greetings cards are also small-scale and inexpensive but highly valued tokens to help us to stay in touch with family and friends and let the recipient know that we're thinking about them. Making greetings cards is an immensely satisfying and enjoyable pastime and the results are sure to be treasured by the people you send them to. This comprehensive book shows how to get started, describes every technique needed to make professional standard greetings cards and provides dozens and dozens of inspirational ideas and designs that you will want to create right away. The introduction details all the materials and equipment needed, from basic pens and rulers to decorative embellishments. It explains how to cut, score and fold a blank greetings card, cut a window, add an insert, and make different types of envelope to hold unusually shaped cards. Step-by-step instructions and photographs show how to transfer a design on to the card blank. Every decorative craft technique is illustrated from papercraft to stamping, stencilling, embossing, pressing flowers, modelling air-drying clay, even gilding and creating simple embroidered motifs. There are even creative ideas for using everyday items such as buttons, beads, wire, feathers and foam. The second half of the book contains more than 55 inspirational greetings cards to make. There are designs and ideas for every occasion from Christmas to anniversaries, and Chinese New year to weddings. Every design is illustrated with detailed instructions, a full colour photograph and templates where appropriate so that the design can be followed exactly or personalised to suit the recipient. A wide range of design styles is presented too from retro to floral and from feminine to contemporary. Whatever the occasion there is sure to be a design idea to suit.