If you follow this blog, then there’s a good chance that you’re a rubber-stamping card maker. I am.
While I occasionally share personal information here, I don’t really show too much that comes from deep inside me. Yes, I love my kids and adore my husband. I was born in Canada and figure skating is my favorite sport. And, of course, I love card making and scrapbooking.
In the last couple of years I’ve drifted. I make cards, but not as many for “personal” reasons as I used to. I make a lot of cards to share with my customers and readers. They say that when you turn a hobby and into a business, it loses some of its appeal. That’s really not true for me. But I make fewer “persona” cards than I once did.
As I grow older, I realize that there is much in life to cherish and be grateful for. But I also see sad and difficult events more often. I make cards for all of these occasions. But not as often as I once did.
This week, I learned of a very sad event. It didn’t happen in my family, but in one that I know. I really don’t know why this event touched me more deeply than any other recent event. But it did.
Yesterday, I went to my craft room and made a card. I made this card for personal reasons.
I explain in this blog that sometimes I start my card designs with the stamp set. Or the color set. Or the paper. Or maybe a tool. This card started with the feelings.
Making this card was not a therapeutic exercise for me. I made it to give a little piece of myself to this family. To make a difference. To send some inky hugs to our friends. I don’t know how else to explain it.
So this post is a little different from my typical post. Today, these are the most important details about the card.
The 4-1-1
- Be true to your feelings. I knew the feeling that I wanted to express. I found the stamps to deliver the message. If I didn’t have the correct sentiment, I would have omitted the words completely on the card front and just written them on the inside.
- Invest time. I wanted to show how much I care. I chose a stamp that requires 3-step stamping. It’s not a difficult technique. But it took extra time. I used extra layers because that takes longer than fewer layers. I’m not sure if the recipients will even know that. It doesn’t matter. I do.
- Use favorite colors. I picked a color combination that is one of my favorites. It made it easier to design a card that I really, really like. By the way, if I knew their favorite colors, I would have used those.
So here is the card that contains a little piece of me. I hope you like it. Feel free to copy & share.
What’s the real reason that YOU make cards? Please leave a comment and let us all know.
