You know your scrapbook customers are making cards. In fact, according to a consumer survey conducted by Hot Off The Press, 46% of scrapbookers "always" make their own cards, while 48% "sometimes" do. Add that up and you find that almost 100% of scrappers are doing some kind of card making—a figure we think is pretty compelling.

And HOTP's customers aren't the only scrappers making cards. In a poll of Creating Keepsakes' readers, 53% of scrappers listed card making as their "other" craft.

So it's true: Scrapbookers are also card makers. In fact, in the UK and Australia, more crafters make cards than do scrapbooking. As our market grows into a truly global one, retailers will see more manufacturers maximizing the opportunity and creating product that does double-duty for card making and scrapbooking.

Let's take a new look at card making with two designs created by Susan Cobb.

XOXO Brad Buddies™ Card

Supplies

• Cardmaker's™ Classic Creative Pack: Red paper and black glimmer paper
• Romance Brad Buddies™
• Cardmaker's™ Classic Ribbons
• black pen, pencil
• computer printer (optional)
• X-acto® knife, cutting mat
• black ink pad
• Cardmaker's™ Blank Cards & Envelopes

Instructions

1. Cut a 4 1/2"x6" piece of red faux-texture paper and mat it on black glimmer, leaving a very thin edge. Glue to the card front.
2. Place the card on your work surface with the covered side up. Use a black pen to draw a 1 1/2"x2 1/2" window on the card front, about 2" from the top of the card. (Tip: Draw the window first with a pencil, then trace it with black pen.)
3. Open the card and place it on your cutting surface. Use the X-acto® knife and ruler to cut out the window, leaving the black pen edges showing.
4. Close the card, then position the XOXO Brad Buddy� inside the window. Use a pencil to mark the position of the heart brads. Remove the Brad Buddy�, then use the tip of your X-acto® knife to make the holes. Attach the XOXO with heart brads.
5. Handwrite or computer journal "Be Mine" on white paper. Mat on black glimmer paper and glue to the bottom right of the window.
6. Glue black grosgrain ribbon horizontally across the bottom of the card, about 2" from the bottom. Trim the edges even with the sides of the card. Tie a bow in another piece of black grosgrain ribbon and use a Zot™ to attach to the card, placing it slightly to the left of the "Be Mine" accent.
7. Ink the outside edges of the card as a finishing touch.

Citrus Thank You Card

Supplies:

• Cardmaker's™ Citrus Creative Pack: Papers and "thank you" focal
• Yellow Mini brads
• black pen
• Cardmaker's™ Blank Cards & Envelopes

Instructions:

1. Cut the card to a 5" square. Place the card with the fold on the left.
2. Cover the card front with orange circles paper. Cut two 1"x5" strips of orange squares paper, then mat each one onto yellow, leaving 1/8" border. Glue them intersecting on the card front center as shown.
3. For the folded frame: Cut a 3" square of orange squares paper and another 3" square of yellow textured paper, then glue them back to back. Place the yellow side up and mark a dot in the center of the square. Fold in each corner to meet in the center. Fold out the point of each corner even with the outer edge. Fold the point of each corner inward even with the inner edge. Then fold each outer corner point in as shown.
4. Add the "thank you" cut-out to the center of the frame with foam tape. Insert yellow mini brads into the corners of the folded frame, then glue the frame to the center of the card. Use a black pen to outline the frame for definition.

For more great card ideas from Susan, check out her new book: Susan's Journal of Paper Engineering Secrets!