My vast collection of greeting cards includes hand-made ones too. I used to make them regularly and owned many stamps, inks, and embossing powders. When I visited Liberia, I made wedding favors to attach to pens that said: “A true friend is a priceless treasure.” I was told to make plenty because people were going to stampede to get them.
Then, I moved back to the States and had a baby. I envisioned that my child and I would make crafts together. When my son was younger, we would make our greeting cards by using cut-out pictures from magazines. One, in particular, was a baby on the front, and inside it said, “Thanks Mom for potty training me. I can’t tell you how often that comes in handy.” My son didn’t cultivate an interest in card-making, so I stopped doing it.
When I moved to Columbus, I found out my friend makes cards, along with a couple of sisters in my congregation. I had found my kindred spirits!
The first card-making party I attended was during Winter Break with a group of teenagers. Heather asked them whom they would like to get to know better, and they said: “Sister Singleton.”
AWWW!!!
When I arrived, the girls were already making their cards. Heather had prepared a few projects for them to make, or they could do whatever. It had been a while since I made cards, and I discovered I was in the company of zealots. There were papers, envelopes, stamps, inks, markers, pens, pencils, burnishers, embossers, punches, scissors, knives, trimmers, glue sticks, glue dots, tapes, rhinestones, a die-cut Cricut machine; you name it they had it!
I was overwhelmed, so I just stuck to composing quaint sayings they could use for their cards and commending them on their work.
Card making party!
Cards
Cards
Cards
And more cards
The second card party was with the die-hards. I decided to stamp some envelopes that said, “You’re Invited” because of all the parties I like to throw.
What do you do when you make a mistake? You run with it. One envelope stamp impression came out looking like double vision, so it seemed applicable to write under the “You’re Invited” “To my nervous breakdown.” Sorry, I don’t have a picture of that one because it was one of the first ones I used.
So, if you love giving greeting cards but don’t want to spend much money, have fun, get crafty, and make your own!