Basic card sizes and layering pieces

I had a really good question this week about card sizing and the best way to cut our card stock to make a basic fold. I am in North America so use Letter size card which is 8 1/2 x 11"; I don't tend to work in centimetres so all of measurements are in good old inches! 

To make a basic card you can
1. Cut the whole piece of card at 4 1/4" on the 8" side and then turn 90 degrees and score at 5 1/2"
OR
2. Cut the whole piece of card at 5 1/2" on the 11" side and then turn 90 degrees and score at 4 1/4"

This gives you the basic size which, when folded in half, measures 4 1/4 x 5 1/2". To fold the card in half look at your score line, one side of it has a dip or 'valley' and the other side has a bulge or 'mountain'. I always have the valley on the top and fold my card under; this stops the card stock stretching or cracking. 

You can orientate the card to be portrait or landscape and the basic size just remains the same. It will fit into a medium or A2 envelope. 

 

When I make the layers of card or Designer series paper I use a little set of templates which are so easy to make and I use them A LOT! The set shown on the video and below are the basic ones which reduce in size by 1/4" all around. (You can make another set with 1/8th "increments for a tiny border which, when added behind one of the basic templates, is just enough to provide a pop of colour)
Here are the basic sizings for layers - choose a couple or more and vary the ones you use! 

Video for cutting and layering basics can be seen here: