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almost all 110 of mine this year were individual. I can do that since I do some each month throughout the year. I think there was one set of five that I made the same because I was on a coloring binge!
I do several different card designs for Christmas, but I do them in sets of 12 (assembly line style). I hate to take the time to just make one card when I can make a dozen, but then I don't want to make 100-200 Christmas cards all alike.
__________________ Carla
The more we thank, the more we discover we have to be thankful for.
Assembly line. I found it is easier to keep track of what I send if I only make one design.
You know, this is a VERY smart idea. Every year someone comments on the beautiful card and asks how I made it! And I embarrassingly have to ask for a reminder of what it looked like! I guess if I stuck to one design I could avoid that. But I have so many sets and just want to get my money's worth out of them, so I continue on....
I usually make about 5 or 6 different designs. And I make 6, 8, 10, or 12 of each design. I try to use up any designer paper or specialty card stock I've cut for each design. I'm not a fan of holding on to bid & pieces of paper.
I have started a spreadsheet to keep track so I can use leftover cards from previous years without risking people getting the same one twice.
I only send about 40 cards though! Usually make four or five of each design.
Lesley
I keep a notebook with the year and a sketch of what I sent. I do that for all the cards I send. Everyone gets the Halloween, thanksgiving, valentine, Easter, and Christmas card. Birthday I have a male design and a female design and every male/female gets the same card. The exception is for those special zero birthdays.
No way could I remember what I sent without my chart.
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Originally Posted by craftjunkiesc
I usually make about 5 or 6 different designs. And I make 6, 8, 10, or 12 of each design. I try to use up any designer paper or specialty card stock I've cut for each design. I'm not a fan of holding on to bid & pieces of paper.
Great idea! I love using up stuff!
__________________ All I want is the chance to prove money won't make me happy!
Assembly line. I found it is easier to keep track of what I send if I only make one design.
Same here, I just know I'll repeat myself otherwise. Mine are all done, just need to address them, etc. I like doing assembly line cards, but I do change them a bit-this year half are silver and the other half are gold with different cs colors.
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Originally Posted by Cartermrc
Same here, I just know I'll repeat myself otherwise. Mine are all done, just need to address them, etc. I like doing assembly line cards, but I do change them a bit-this year half are silver and the other half are gold with different cs colors.
A really good idea for a way for us assembly-liners to switch it up a bit!
__________________ All I want is the chance to prove money won't make me happy!
I always do assembly line construction. In the past few years, I only made 10 cards to send out. I would do 2 designs - 5 of each. This year, I'm going to give one to the people I work with as well, so I'll be making a total of 40 cards. I can't come up that many different designs in such a short time, so I'm making them all the same.
You know, this is a VERY smart idea. Every year someone comments on the beautiful card and asks how I made it! And I embarrassingly have to ask for a reminder of what it looked like! I guess if I stuck to one design I could avoid that. But I have so many sets and just want to get my money's worth out of them, so I continue on....
I made a few kinds last year. I decided to write down the card and then the list of the people I sent it to. I did get comments and it was neat to just go to my list to see which one they were commenting one. Call me anal, but it worked for me.
Usually both - I'll make 5 of 1 design assembly line style and then I'll start using bits and pieces laying around in my stamp table. This year since I'm in the use it up mode and no more hoarding, each card will probably be different because I've pulled out all the left overs from kits, Christmas paper scraps, and stray pieces saved from previous years. If I successful, it will be nice to have cleared out all the parts so next year I can start fresh.
Each card for myself is different. But I'm going to make 13 assembly-line cards for a friend (actually, 12 assembly-line and one Hanukkah one, but all 13 will be very similar).
I usually send about 35 - 40 cards at Christmas and they are all the same. I'm another one that likes repetition and the assembly line method.
For what it's worth, I think I've always liked doing repetitive things that some people find boring. When I was a little girl, my job was to paste all the "Green Stamps" in the books so we could trade them in for stuff. I loved doing it!
I also love to crochet things like afghans and scarves that repeat the same rows over and over.
P.S. If anyone besides me knows what "Green Stamps" are, you can join me after the Golden Oldies tour and receive your award.:mrgreen:
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
Mine are all posted for this year! The beauty of the June crafting vacation...
I settled on 7 separate designs this year, and did the assembly line for 10-15 of each kind. I used the larger HL note card sets, so my bases were taken care of. I tried to match the dry embossing on the envelope flap to some part of the card front's design. When the cuttlebug was to be used, everything else went away!
My embossed angel card was for immediate family members, so that count is exact with no repeaters. I have a handful of others left for those last-minute mailings or home visits, and hand delivery to the godchildren with their gifts. I counted well this year!
I plan to do some trials for 2015, most with an evergreen image of some sort. The angel card must be inspired! Once I work out the kinks and label the steps, the assembly line kicks in. With all of the inspirations out there, designing will be sheer pleasure! I think it's ironic that for someone who swore she would never do assembly line work, here I am in that mode for Christmas cards! I must remember that I have the Anna Griffin card kits to use...those elements are terrific! Diane
Buggainok wrote: P.S. If anyone besides me knows what "Green Stamps" are, you can join me after the Golden Oldies tour and receive your award.
Bugga - count me in! I still have the small student desk from redeeming those books - it is the resting place for my cricut expressions!!! I even have a book or 2 around here somewhere...now there's a retro card inspirational element...LOL Diane
The majority of my cards to extended family, friends, work colleagues are the same.
I do individual cards for immediate family including my MIL, BIL&SIL, Nephew & Fiancee, Neice, Mother, Husband, kids.
Tomorrow is finish the cards day (today was outdoor decor day and I have two spotlights out I need to buy in the morning). Inserts and addressing. Probably go to the Post Office Thursday to be honest, because I know I will get behind. Hoping to get the trees and indoor decor done over the next week...
4-5 of a design and I make 40-60 each year; some stamped & colored pencils; some embossing folders and some dies. I make a copy of each [usually 3-4 on a page] and put a small sticker on the corner with the recipient's name & year. This gives me a record of cards sent as well as copies if I want to slightly change the design for another year. I have lots, and lots and lots of Christmas stamps and use different ones each year.
One year I did 40 the same and decided it just wasn't for me.
Ever since then I've been making them all different.
But this year I decided not to participate in the SCS Christmas Card challenge through the year, but to rely on self-motivation and make 4 more or less the same each month. I was able to keep that going pretty well. Four works well for me because I make a lot of my own backgrounds, so one sheet of card is four card fronts.
Between that and cards from various challenges, I really only needed to make 4 more as a top-up this week,. And I love them, I'll be making more next year!
So, I've been through assembly line, all different and think now I'll settle for an in-between ;-).
I don't like making two or more of exactly the same card - I just get bored. Instead, I grab a 6 x 6 paper pad and the use the exact same layout and just change things up by using a different sheet of paper from the pad, use a square main panel instead of a circle etc., different brads, different colour of twine/ribbon - and will make about 6 cards in this way then I have to move on to something different. I could never make 50 of the same card - it would just become tedious. I rather enjoy the challenge of making my card a little different to the last one and find it really sparks my creativity.
I have been making 20 of three or four different designs. However, I kinda like Kathy's (Muscrat's) idea of making all 60 different. I could do that throughout the year so that I get my money's worth out of all the Christmas sets I purchase at release times. But I could easily see myself in her shoes... not remembering what she sent to everyone when asked about it or told how gorgeous it was... Maybe I'll try shortening that down to 5 each of MANY different designs, that way I can still get alot of use from my Christmas stamp sets.
I don't like making two or more of exactly the same card - I just get bored. Instead, I grab a 6 x 6 paper pad and the use the exact same layout and just change things up by using a different sheet of paper from the pad, use a square main panel instead of a circle etc., different brads, different colour of twine/ribbon - and will make about 6 cards in this way then I have to move on to something different. I could never make 50 of the same card - it would just become tedious. I rather enjoy the challenge of making my card a little different to the last one and find it really sparks my creativity.
This is why I love this hobby!!! Because although I love making cards I can agonize over the minutia for far too long so "perfecting" an idea and then attempting to replicate it to make all my assembly line cards is my challenge.
This year after I decided on my design and how to do it. As the card appears very CAS, there was still the challenge of marking the cardstock for stamping, scoring the cardstock, cutting down the A4 to size (top folds), stamping the image exactly where I wanted it on the card, coloring the image with Copics (very small 1 in image), masking the image (which I did in batching of 10), stamping the background, lifting the mask, coloring the image with Versamark, embossing the entire image and Repeat.
I actually like looking at my "efficiency" and even timing how long each step takes. I know the "Background" segment from stamping to embossing the background took around 7 minutes per card. The coloring of each of the images (even though I lined up my markers in order of use) took about 10 minutes per card. So I guesstimate all the other steps together probably about 5-10 minutes per card. Why is this important to me? I guess because some people value time and sometimes I put my recipe as part of the insert so people know I'm not "cheaping" out on them. If they want to assume that with the facts that's their problem! :lol: Even at minimum wage, that's still a $4(ish in KY) card each without accounting for materials.
I don't like making two or more of exactly the same card - I just get bored. Instead, I grab a 6 x 6 paper pad and the use the exact same layout and just change things up by using a different sheet of paper from the pad, use a square main panel instead of a circle etc., different brads, different colour of twine/ribbon - and will make about 6 cards in this way then I have to move on to something different. I could never make 50 of the same card - it would just become tedious. I rather enjoy the challenge of making my card a little different to the last one and find it really sparks my creativity.
This could have been written by me. I made about 140 cards throughout the year. There is SO much inspiration out there, that I always see something else I want to try.
I assembly line them but will sometimes do more than one card. I have done all 40-50 the same with slight modifications (different colors) but will frequently do 2 or 3 designs and 15-25 of each. It depends on my mood and what supplies I have on hand. I never start early--I'm going to be in a mad card making crunch this weekend :-)
I do make individual cards for people that I hand cards to as opposed to mailing them out.
__________________ Kathy
Proud Mama to Mason 4/3/99, Miles 5/25/02, and Maya 8/26/04
I always start off intending to do assembly line technique. Then, I fuss and fiddle for days trying to get my design right. By the time I get the card done (sometimes a week later!), I'm so sick of it I can't bring myself to make more of it. I admit to asking myself more than once WHY I do it, since unlike most of you, I most definitely get more frustration than "joy" out of the process. Yet, I absolutely looove all the "stuff" (stamps, paper, embellishments, etc.). If I could only figure out how to combine them all into a card I'd be set. :rolleyes:
A mix of both ways. Sometimes I will make several of the same, then switch to making individual cards for the next few, then back again, etc. I never remember which card I sent to who, so when someone comments on it, I have to ask them to describe the card. To the person who said they get embarassed about this, don't! Almost always, the person is impressed and amazed and touched that I make individual cards. They tell me they feel special! Well, that makes ME feel special! Win-win!
I too remember Green Stamps. No one today would believe we did that.
For Christmas cards-
My best friend and I have a tradition of doing our cards together, usually one design. Our list overlaps and this has worked for us for years now. Some years we have made them on our annual November beach trip, some years at her house, sometimes at mine. We brainstorm all year before settling on a design. Over the years we have used most every technique. This year we made 70! They go out the end of this week. We have friends that keep each year's card. My SIL has a shelf in her library designated as a "shrine" of my (and our) cards.
I like assembly style - it covers a lot of ground quickly. It's peaceful, and I can create while watching TV since it's the same step over and over.
I also work on Christmas decorations, medallions, art pieces (experiments really) through the last 4 months. Come the season, I mount them and they get mailed.
I always have to ask "what does the card look like" when I get asked how I made that. :-) I'm just not that organized to keep track. Wish I was.
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Late to the party here but I do different cards for a variety of reasons. One, I just like creating so it's fun to make as many cards as I can. Two, I try to make them all year long or at least from fall on. Also I despise mass production so I save that for swaps :-)
I used to make two of every card, Christmas or otherwise since one sheet of paper makes two but for the past year or so (ever since my mojo took a nosedive) I usually make only singles.
Assembly line or individual Christmas cards?
