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I have noticed that many cards are not they style a person could mail to a recipient . So I wondered do you make cards to give or sell? Or are your cards an artistic expression?
I included " for something to do " in the poll in case people just make cards as a pastime, with no other purpose than enjoying the process.
Last edited by Barbara Jay; 04-05-2011 at 09:22 AM..
While I "oooh and aaah" over the cards here and other sites with all the "stuff", my cards are ones that can be mailed in a regular A2 or larger (if the card is larger) envelope using regular postage - does not require any extra postage or fees. Anymore, most of mine are made into packs and given as gifts to relatives who still send lots of hand-written notes and cards. I want to make sure I'm not giving them a gift to use that they will get back or the recipient will get with "postage due" stamped on it.
I really do love to see all the layers and bling and stuff, but I use what I see for ideas for 3-D projects and things that will be framed, not mailed.
I voted "cards to give to people", but I actually mail most of my cards. I hope that's what you meant. My style is not really clean and simple, but I try to keep my embellishments kind of flat, so I can mail my cards without extra postage.
I've found that if I include a piece of cardstock to cushion any "bumps" and insert the card in the envie so that any bumps are not on the corner where the stamp goes, I can usually get by with 1 first class stamp. The "postage stamp" end of the envie is what feeds through the mail machines, so if that end doesn't have a big bump it seems to work okay.
Occasionally I give a set of notecards as a gift, which are usually pretty simple in style so the recipient can mail them easily. I sometimes make a more elaborate card which I give in person when I go to a birthday party, etc.
I don't expect for my cards to be saved or framed. I think of them as "of the moment" and hope they brighten someone's day and they know I was thinking of them.
__________________ Bugga in OK
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I voted to give, as in to send. But really I could have voted for several of those, I used to sell some, and after my mum died it was a creative outlet when I didn't feel like playing the piano for a while.
Miss Barbara...I needed to check two boxes...made to give and made to sell..I do a lot of both..nice poll...OH..I am getting closer to sending your package. It is all ready to go. It should be on the way tomorrow.
blessings.
I didn't vote because I would say 'all of the above' apply to me. The hobby started out as something to do, then I thought they were pretty good so I gave them to people. Then I started accumulating too many cards so I began selling them, and as my cards became more 'advanced' I wanted to start expressing myself artistically through them, lol!
I chose artistic expression, but it really is all of the above, but I don't give them all away, or even sell them all, just like to make them ... enjoy the process and see what comes out in the end.
I could have checked 3 boxes. I don't make cards to sell and when I do make them it's more of a chore for me since I prefer 3D projects but the answers could apply either way. I make things mostly for artistic expression and I enjoy working things out.
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I didn't vote because I think I fall within 3 of the categories. I definitely think it's an art form and it's the way I chose to creatively express myself! I also make my cards in order to give them to people and make them happy as well as for something to pass the time. I hate being bored......after grad school and not having any homework, I was like what the heck do I do, hahahaha!
I voted give to people. That said, I do think it is a form of artistic expression. We take an idea, pull all the elements together to complete that idea and then have a finished product (of course the idea changes about 4x along the way - lol). I don't think of myself as an artist. I do think of myself as someone who enjoys giving love. One way I express that love is to make unique cards that no one can buy anywhere. I truly believe a handmade gift is the best gift. I do make gifts sets, coasters, etc. The only cards, etc. of mine that are sold are the ones that I donate in baskets for silent auctions at fundraisers for charities I care about. Yep, most of my cards take 64 cents to mail, but again that's a pretty cheap price to pay to allow me to give love to those I care about.
Like others, I could have voted "all of the above". I first began making cards as truly a form of therapy. Then I started giving them away and selling them. While I still do those things with many, if not all, I now have a passion for making them and thus consider it an art.
For me making cards is a way to express myself artistically. But I could have marked give. If I choose to send my 3-d cards, I make a box to mail them. The rest of them I hand deliver.
I wanted to vote for two categories: Artistic expression (which is the one I did check) and to sell... I started off with making cards to give to the occasional person, then it turned into doing it for the love of making cards, then I started to sell them at a flower shop.
I rarely give my cards away (I am very wary of Canada Post and HATE mailing stuff, and I don't really know a lot of people that I would mail cards to) and will custom-make cards for people in my life. but the cards on my blog/gallery go to one of two places: the flower shop OR in a box of my very favourite cards that I can't/won't let go of..
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I wanted to vote to give my cards to people but in reality I mail out very few, they just collect in the closet...........so I do it for artistic expression
I voted "artistic expression" because I started making cards to express my creativity. Now that I had them I thought I could give them to people Since I still had some left I figured I could start selling them So even though "all of the above" is what I do, my primary reason to do it is because it's my creativity outlet.
I could check "All of the above". I started out making them to give to people; that turned into making them just to try out a new technique; which led me to start selling the ones I didn't send; and all that had led to me now teaching classes.
__________________ Randa Trying to be a Breast Cancer Survivor Follow me on Twitter @craftjunkiesc
For my cards I mail I try to make them easy to mail without extra postage. Plus, it's a challenge, to make a card that can be mailed and have it look good without any 3D embellishments.
I do hand deliver quite a lot of cards and I can have total freedom with them, which I enjoy.
I don't sell cards currently but want to one day!
And I do see it as an artistic expression. It's a card and I don't expect the receiver to keep it forever, but I express myself through them and I hope it makes them smile and know they are loved.
I didn't vote because I think I fall within 3 of the categories. I definitely think it's an art form and it's the way I chose to creatively express myself! I also make my cards in order to give them to people and make them happy as well as for something to pass the time. I hate being bored......after grad school and not having any homework, I was like what the heck do I do, hahahaha!
You start making babies..............duuu...... that's what you do! Isn't it about time??
If it wasn't an artistic expression for me, I would just buy them at the store.
<grin> Do you know, I can still spend hours looking and admiring all the gorgeous cards at <cringing> (please no one shoot me) the Hallmark card aisles in stores.
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Most of the cards I make are to give/mail to people. 95% of them are mail-able. If I know I'll be able to hand it to the person, then it's a special treat for me, 'cause then I can make it more 3D with the huge bows, hodgepodge hardware, huge pearls, etc.
Once in a while I "rebel" and make a card just because I want to make it, even if it's DEFINITELY something I wouldn't be able to give to anyone - a card that's really ghoulish, macabre, etc. Maybe a card that one psychopath would send to another.
Edited to add: The cards I make for others is also artistic expression, but it's also quite limited; it's art for others; not really for myself. For example, my nephews and niece cannot have any fantasy on their cards (no fairies, no gnomes, no tiny humans. Anthropomorphized animals thank goodness, are fine. Butterfly wings are fine [but still, no fairies]. No Halloween stuff. Preferably, no Santa stuff. Winter stuff is fine. Etc. etc. etc.). And for men: No pinks! Glitter, flowers, and pastels only with moderation. <SIGH> Etc.
Last edited by SophieLaFontaine; 04-07-2011 at 02:03 AM..
Oh, I MAIL out the cards I make.... I used to have a LOT of SU! ones that were leftovers from retreats, swaps, etc. I gave those to the local public school for their teachers to use for parent notes and cards for the students.
I do take special care in sending some of my layered or very dimensional cards. With careful tissue-wrapping, or bubble-wrapping, &/or using a box, everything becomes mailable. ;)
Well, I am trying to sell some more cards, but have only sold a few. I often make cards for a specific person for birthday, etc. Sometimes I make them for my mom to give to her friends. Mine are all postable. I don't put dimensional stuff on, and rarely even glue any paper on. Many years ago I tried to mail a dimensional Valentine, and I think it got ruined. I do a lot of postcards for the "Postcard Project", which I think I'll start a new thread on.
Can't vote. All four apply. I sell a lot of cards at work and most of those get hand delivered. If one of my customers needs to mail the card they tell me ahead of time and I make it with that in mind. All of the cards for my family are hand delivered because we always celebrate each other's Birthday's together.
I voted for "to give" which almost always means to mail ( and I do whatever it takes to mail my cards as far as packing and postage as I also could have checked for "artistic expression" because I get real joy out of creating and I do what pleases me no matter how many layers/embellishments. I rarely "sell them," but have on occasion and while it is "something to do" I have PLENTY to do without it, but I would much rather stamp!
I voted for artistic expression. I rarely give mine away. I probably should do that more often.
What do you do with them if you don't give them away? How do you store/display them? I always give mine away, but I will also make a sample to keep. I am now starting to give away my samples as I don't know what to do with them. This is something I've wondered about all the beautiful cards I see on SPC. What do the rest of you do with sample or display cards?
I would say is all of the above except artistic expression. I have never thought of cardmaking as an art. I would for my tatting but not cardmaking. It's more of a craft.
I'm glad you started this thread. I often find myself flip-flopping on style when I'm making a card. I mean, there are so many lovely arts cards on the net that i just love to look at and might like to copy. But when I get in my craft room and get down to actually making a card (especially if it's for a specific person), I back off on all the artsy (and big) stuff.
While I might like to see the trends in card-making, others not in this hobby, don't. They're regular folks who have regular expectations from a greeting card. The people I make cards for don't necessarily want all of that frou-frou; nor do they care if that is the latest trend in card-making. They enjoy regular cards - maybe pretty, maybe whimsical, and often the ones that give them a giggle.
So I honestly think that, yes, cards can be an art form. But the great majority of mine just need to be good ol' fun happy cards.
What do you do with them if you don't give them away? How do you store/display them? I always give mine away, but I will also make a sample to keep. I am now starting to give away my samples as I don't know what to do with them. This is something I've wondered about all the beautiful cards I see on SPC. What do the rest of you do with sample or display cards?
Hey Jeanne, I'm not the one you're asking, but if I may contribute. I keep my samples in binders. They're more for inspiration and reminders than pleasure. I get the sleeves for A2 (and larger) cards online. If a card is special, or one I'm copying, I keep it on my desk on display. I use the little picture-frame holders to do this. HTH
Hey Jeanne, I'm not the one you're asking, but if I may contribute. I keep my samples in binders. They're more for inspiration and reminders than pleasure. I get the sleeves for A2 (and larger) cards online. If a card is special, or one I'm copying, I keep it on my desk on display. I use the little picture-frame holders to do this. HTH
ETA: What is SPC?
Thanks for your reply. It's what I have been doing as well, but My binders are over-full and the two rows of extra shelving my DH put up can't hold anymore. So I'm sifting through and saving only those that have a design I really like or show up a technique. Still, I have lots as everyone gets their own one-of-a kind card for Christmas, Valentines, birthdays etc. Too many things I want to try to make multiples!
SPC is my typo for SCS. Don't ask how that one happened.
LOL! I was kinda wondering if that may be it. :grin:
Sounds like you're quite a prolific card maker and/or you make some real beauties that it's hard to part with.
I give away each one I make, no matter how fancy or work-intensive, I have absolutely no trouble parting with them, but I make a sample as well. The sample has directions with colors, sizes, and techniques as well as who I sent it to as sometimes I make a couple extra just for notes, thank yous, etc. and I don't want to send a duplicate to the same person. Holidays are all one of a kind (only a sample, no extras), but since I send out about 75 a year for Christmas, about 45 for Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving and Easter and then there is St. Pat's, Mother's Day, Father's Day, 4th of July, Back to School, Halloween, that's a lot of cards to keep in binders since I've been doing this for close to 10 years now. Guess I will be weeding, as I can't see another solution, unless I would wallpaper my craft room. It's only 10x12, so it would be long before that was covered as well!)
If I am sending a card but want a reminder of the layout, technique, or just who got what, I make a color copy with my scanner. If needed I jot a note or two at the bottom of the page. I store the copies in a binder. It doesn't take up much space and I am far too lazy to make duplicate cards.... ;)
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Has making cards become an art form?
