Most of my cards are a project in upcycling - paper scraps, magazine clippings, bits of ribbon, shapes made from cereal box, and so many other found objects. It helps that I also have a little cache of paints, markers, glues, and the oh-so-necessary X-ACTO knife.
Truth be told, I always think about the effort that goes into these cards with a lack of anticipation. It takes a lot of time and effort, constantly generating new ideas and putting them into effect. Then something funny happens, I get absorbed in the process. Once I get started, I can't stop thinking, "What else?"
Over time I've learned that the trick is to start early. If Christmas isn't until December 25, then December 9 gives me a good cushion to work on a little bit at a time. I don't feel rushed and make work that I'm not proud of.
On one hand it feels a little ridiculous that I'm nearly 29 years old and still creating homemade Christmas, birthday and Mother's Day cards. Then I remember that there's a huge crafting industry and a lot of women older than me making homemade cards...scrapbooks...and so many other things. And I must say that my current array of cards have a bit more panache than the washable Crayola marker on computer paper variety of days past.
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