QOTD: Do you give away your cards?
 

So... I only make cards because I like to colour and a stack of cards is easier to store than just random images floating around. I have a hard time calling myself a cardmaker. I more think of my cards as "little art pieces". VERY few are ever given to people, or made specifically for people.

What about you?

Do you give away your cards on a regular basis?
Do you just enjoy making them and try to "thin out your stock" by giving them?
Do you hoard them like I do?

What do you do with all those amazing little art creations you make?

I make most of my cards for specific people, so I do give them away. I do, however, take a picture of every card so I can go back and look at them whenever I want. Some of them do feel like art pieces, especially when I spend so many hours on one, and occasionally I wonder what happens to them in the long run. Maybe I subconsciously send them to people who I know won't throw them away!! LOL!! Mom, are you listening???

I will add, though, that I make and send Get Well cards to older people at our church. I do not spend huge amounts of time on them and most are nice but not super elaborate, but they are so appreciated. So many of them tell me how much the hand made card meant to them.

Like gr8cards - almost all my cards are or specific people. I try to remember to take pictures but don't always. I do make a batch of cards (avg. 24) each month for our church's homebound and facility care members. Those are always appreciated by the individuals (if they're in good health) the families are grateful their family member is remembered.

Others are for family and friends, so they also get given away. Do not have a stash of cards, though there are times I wish I did.

I have a stash of about 500 cards including Christmas, Valentines, etc. I try to give out a few. My friend and I did a craft fair a couple months ago, but it seemed like things other than cards sold better (post it note holders, lotion holders, sanitizer holders). I have tried selling in a few stores, but not much success. Wish I could find someone who would like to buy cards on a steady basis, just to pay for my supplies.

I have been making cards for only a few years and give them away. I decided that after donating a hundred to soldiers and then another 130 to a hospice house I wanted to get something back so I could continue my crazy obsession. Two years ago i started selling at farmers markets and I am hooked now. I still give cards away as gifts but now I also sell.

Lorri

There are lots of military support organizations (my favorite is Soldier's Angels) that would love to have a donation of 500 cards to send to soldiers so they have nice cards to send home to their families. Many of them are nowhere near anyplace to buy a birthday, Valentine or Christmas card.

Lorri, I think I was typing while you were posting! :) I agree, it's great to be able to cover the cost of the obsession, but if you can't get rid of them, donating is an option. We have a new Farmer's Market in our town and it not only includes fresh produce, but craft items as well. ttemby, maybe that would be a good venue to try.
Good luck!

I love making cards, too, and coloring, so I relate to the creative process involved.

I have a large extended family, 5 grown kids w/spouses, 19 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren. Needless to say, someone is always having a birthday. I have a few months that are really loaded with lots of birthdays, lol.

So I make BD cards for everyone, usually specific, especially the kids, with whatever they are crazy for at the time. I've done Angry Birds cards recently, and just made one for my grandson from the Minecraft game, with a bright green character called "Creeper."

I also have a large list of other folks that I send random, no special reason cards to. I think of it as sending little bits of sunshine to brighten their day.

I have a close friend who has had to give up driving because of her eyesight, so I frequently make a stack of birthday cards for her to send so she doesn't have to try to get out and buy them. She likes mine better anyway, ha!

To digress from cards a little, here is a pic of the "Creeper" plush figure that I sewed for my grandson, too. I made up the pattern, so I'm really proud of how cute he turned out. His head and legs are attached with velcro tabs, so he can "explode" like the one in the video game. Can't wait to give it to him!:)

I think of my cards as little art pieces, too. But I started out as a collagist. Even now, working with other people's images feels odd to me. I've only been doing this less than a year.

I work very slowly, rarely make cards for a specific event or person, and never have a lot of finished cards hanging around. After I finish a card I feel I can't ever give it away, but then an occasion will arise and I will know exactly which card I want to give to a certain person and I'll feel happy about it. I only give my cards to certain people. Some people, as much as I might love them, don't get what I do. So they get nice store cards.

I don't think I am alone in saying this by any means, but I also have a tremendous affection for my "stuff". I recently got a paper order and I said to my guy "See this pack of paper? It's so beautiful I want to take a bite of it!" (He's an artist so he understands.) I love just being in my studio around my stuff even when I'm not making anything.

Sometimes I feel like every card I make will be the last good card I will ever make.

Sometimes I feel like making cards is very trivial. Why am I so obsessed with it?

Sometimes I feel like anything that absorbs me creatively can't be trivial. And that the fact that a card is so ephemeral and mundane is exactly why lavishing a lot of care on it is so important.

I go back and forth over those last two.

Aloha! I love to color and do think of my cards as little pieces of art. I do both, give cards away and horde those that are too special to give away right now. . . I usually make for a specific person or occassion. If someone gets a card from me/us it is home made. . . I got "balled out" a few times for trying to "cheat" and send out store bought so don't do that anymore. Most people that I send them to get at least a little smile from it (like someone above noted) so I try not to think what happens to it next. . . (circular file). I don't write in the cards but send letters and use post-its so that the recipient doesn't have to keep it if they don't want to. It's blank so they can pass it along. I like that idea. . . What a great question, enjoyed reading everyone's answers.

Great question!

I mail out a few throughout the year, but nowhere near as many cards as I make, so I do a couple of things with my cards:

The ones I like and think are good, I sell at a handmade marketplace on consignment.

The ones I don't like and think are ugly, I donate to my mom and she sells them at her work. The money earned from those cards is used for her work's holiday party at the end of the year.

I enjoy making cards and do my best to give them away. I have a big family and my mom sends everyone b-day and anniversary cards all made by me. Some of my cards are made for certain individuals. When I have an abundance, I give to Operation Write Home and friends. I do hoard a few!

I only make Christmas cards now. I used to make all types of cards but after years of doing that, I realized that my passion was to make Christmas cards.
So now what I do is, once I get a design that I like (or CASE) I will make 5 of that card. Four of them get send out to various people and I keep one to keep (with directions of how to make it in the back). That way if I want to make the card again, I have things like cardstock color, stamp set, measurements, etc.

Oh wow, I give all my cards away (although I've only been doing this for a year, so maybe that will change). I live abroad, and cards are a great way to stay in touch with friends all over the world (although Facebook is making it less and less necessary). I make more thank you and "thinking of you" cards than anything else, and try to send them out every week.

I love this idea! I'll have to start doing it too, as I usually make several of each type of card too.

I give them away to friends, neighbours and my immediate and extended family for birthdays, Christmas, thank you - any and every occasion (other than Halloween because we don't celebrate Halloween in Australia). We don't necessarily give presents to the adult family members for birthdays or Christmas - mainly the kids - so I love to make a handmade card for the adults. I always say that a little piece of my heart goes into every card that I make no matter how simple the design is or how complicated - and I am making and giving the card from my heart - even when I occasionally do orders for clients. I love to create and take a photo of 90% of the cards or projects I make but once it leaves my house, it doesn't bother me what happens to it: I just love to create!!

I think 2 of the nicest compliments I ever had was when my husband put the Christmas card I made for him last year in a frame and hung it on our family room wall (yes, it's still there!). And my next door neighbour who told me last Dec at a dinner we had with all our immediate neighbours that she gets out all the Christmas cards I have made for her over the years and uses them to help decorate her house for Christmas! I just assumed that cards got thrown away so was completely blown away :shock: when she told me! If you never give any away, you won't ever know how special it feels when something like that happens.

I make almost all my cards for others. That's the part I enjoy quite a bit! I have a small stash, but all my Christmas cards get sent out each year. I make Valentines and Halloween cards for my co-workers each year too. Then all my greeting cards are made for others. It's just something I like to do. I definitely give my cards away.
DH would love for me to sell them, but it's hard to make cards for demand--it is more pressure and stress--and I certainly don't need that! If someone asks me to make sets of cards and wants to pay me to do so, I have done that from time to time. It basically pays for more supplies, paper and adhesives. Truly I just love making cards for the pure enjoyment of having this fun hobby or craft. Lately I have been trying to branch out into other things such as Mixed Media and Art Journalling. That takes more time though, but I am sure having fun exploring that art world!

They're greeting cards. I make them to give them. I can't imagine doing anything else with them.

I have trouble making cards for specific occasions. I much prefer to make things I feel like making and then if they happen to suit an occasion sent them out. But to be honest most don't get sent out because the cards aren't really birthday cards or any thing like that

I have made Christmas cards for family and my closest friends the last 3 years. And will do so again this year. That can be around 30 cards. I always keep a sample so I know what not to do the next year, lol.

I have a few friends that always ask me for a card before they go to the store to buy one. One friend will ask for 2-3 at a time, every couple of months. I don't charge them much. They keep telling me I should charge them more, but I can't. LOL I take a picture (if I remember to) or keep a sample of these also.

I keep what I make at my stamp club. I have given or sold a few of those. Not many.

I only make cards to send out. I don't keep any.

Mine all go either to a specific person or a group who requests donated cards. I just don't have the space to store a big pile of cards, but I do love to make them!

If you're looking to donate some of your stash, check out the Challenge Forum here on SCS and look for the "Cards for a Cause" challenge thread. It lists a specific group that is in need of cards and what type of cards they'd like. You can send as many or as few as you'd like and the group changes every month. That's where most of my extra cards go. :)

I try to create and keep a selection of cards on hand for any occasion (birthday, get well, sympathy, etc.) so I can grab one and send it when needed, but I also make cards for specific people I am close to for their birthdays or other special occasions. I love sending RAKs and am starting to make cards for Operation Write Home, so my cards usually get sent to one place or another. I take pictures of most of the cards I make (and now I blog and upload to the gallery so I'll have the card's recipe as well as the photo). I get great joy in sending them out so I can't imagine just holding on to them. However, I rarely send the ones I make at card workshops...I usually keep those as samples.

I make 500-800 cards a year and most all of them go to Operation Write Home. I feel they are appreciated more there than any where else. Most people just discard them after a week or two. The same goes for my personal Christmas cards. I only make and send to family and very special friends. Those that tell me know much they appreciated receiving them. If I don't hear anything from some people after a year or two, they get a store bought card.

I donate my cards to be sold for our office fundraiser for Aloha United Way. I used to conduct craft classes to raise money for AUW but it got to be too much. We raised a lot of money but I couldn't keep up, so now I donate about 100 or so cards.

erin

I send out a lot of the cards I make, but I also keep a stash of finished cards just in case I need one quickly. Right now the cards are stored in two photo holder boxes which are about the size of a shoe box. Some of the cards I make are person specific especially for birthdays. Some cards I do for the challenges. I have given packets of cards to people as a gift and I've sold some as well. I haven't purchased any cards since I started stamping eight years ago.

I send away some, I sell some at the office and I hoard some as well. I have learned over time that it's not worth holding on to them for too long because my skills keep improving and after a while, my older cards feel too "weak" and not good enough to send out. I definitely keep my best work for people that will appreciate it and that I know keep my cards.

I feel this way too. It's like my older cards are no longer good enough to be used because I color differently now or something.

I have the very first card I ever made pinned up to my wall. HA. Whenever I don't think I'm getting anywhere with this card making stuff I look at it and feel better. As wrongly as I think what I'm doing is going, it's always worlds better than that poor little thing.

I sell some, give a lot away for gifts, use them, donate them, try to send some in for publication, all of the above!

I have my first card as well...it's not on the wall, but at the time I thought it was pretty cute....it is still a sweet card, but it's nice to know how far (I think) I have come :) .

I usually send them to friends and family, or make a bunch to send off to something like an Operation Write Home. Sometimes I do like to "play" with new images or techniques, and will keep those though:).

Definitely Make them to give them away. Try to have tons of bday cards and send them to different charities too.

Make to give to special people...It is a joy. The complexity of what is sent to a particular person is proportionate to their importance to me for a birthday etc. Except at Christmas...one design goes to my entire list. (The reason for this has been if I ever wanted to reuse a design...I'd have no idea who got what if I did not settle on a singular card design for that year. ) This year though, the list was pretty long. I did 75 Christmas cards with fairly complex design layers. SO... next year there will be a more simple greeting design for the masses and a more involved card for special friends and close family. I currently use a spreadsheet for my list and addresses, so I added a column for a star to indicate next year who got the bumped up card design. I am planning on doing the same thing for birthdays and other occasions. Regularly send Halloween, Thanksgiving and Easter to certain family and friends...and have done July 4th a few times also. I am going to employ a monthly spreadsheet this year to document what i sent so I can work ahead on my list. A large number of the people on my Xmas list also get SOMETHING ...like a halloween or birthday card during the year. I keep examples of the things I'm happiest with to inspire or generate future ideas, and photograph some as well...that documentation is not really giving me the results I want so that needs to be thought about will be NEXT (2014) years project!
Thanks everyone...enjoy seeing the commmets on this...'cause I wondered if I was nutty!

Have tried to sell my cards in stores and shops but doens't really work. I have donated tons of cards to soldiers and 'needy' groups. In our town the grocer sells cards for 50 cents each. Even tho they are not so hot cards, a homemade card for more than 50 cents can not compete. Altho the bright side.......Those who receive my cards always tell me how much they appreciate the effort that was made just for them in that card. :)
I keep a reserve for those who need a card in a hurry and belong to the Christmas Club of making so many per month. All in all, I so enjoy this hobby that I can't see myself closing up shop very soon. lol

I made cards and give them away, really enjoy the process to make cards. cause you have your private time to think about what you are going to make, what kind of inspiration you are about take advantage of , truly it is a nice idea to make cards and share your pleasure of making it by giving them away. :)

Giving cards away..
 

Do you give them away by sending to someone...or do you give unused cards away for others to use? :)

I haven't given any unused ones away...not sure what a friend or family member might think.....but I had thought of making a small collection and wrapping and tying with pretty ribbon...to give as a gift...is that egotistical?! :-?

I've given cards as gifts. Most people appreciate them. That's what we gave my husband's stepmom along with stamps and a framed photo of her holding her great grandson. She was thrilled with the cards because she doesn't get out very often anymore to buy them.

I used to be a scrapbooker. I actually switched to card-making when the economy tanked because I felt like I could better justify buying paper-crafting supplies. Every card I make is a gift (friends, family or charity), so somehow I feel less guilty for spending time and money on it. But I do understand why people hoard them. Every now and then, I sort of wish I had something to show, for all the time, energy and love I put into these. And I guess that's why I finally decided to put a few cards in my gallery here. It's sort of like getting the best of both worlds - I get to save them *and* give them away. :-)

OK, before I answer, I have to ask - what do you do with your challenge cards?

So for Christmas, I make my cards and send them out. I make several different designs but always keep one for my records and instruction book.

I have a bunch that I have made over the years in workshops where we've made several of different designs, and those I keep on hand for that last minute card emergency. They have been used at a pretty slow rate.

I seem to be amassing lots of challenge cards, and some of the donation places mentioned here sound like a good idea - I will check into those to keep the hoard down to a reasonable level.

Generally though, I use the cards that I make. If the person values them, great. If they toss 'em, well, I don't have to witness it, so I am okay with it too. Making cards is what makes me happy, so if someone tosses it, well, I've already gotten my joy out of making it and sharing it.

What do you do with the handmade cards you RECEIVE? Are you a tosser or a keeper?

I send cards to family and friends for their birthdays, anniversaries, etc. as well as make them for swaps and to donate to From Our Hearts for the troops to send home to their families. I also make up sets of cards from my swaps and stash to give to my SILs for Christmas and birthday gifts...if I don't do that I get emails begging for cards. I like to make cards specifically for certain people if I have the time before their birthdays.