Cards for a Year

Do you ever find yourself needing a special card and not having the time to make it? The thought of using gas to go to a card store and spending $3 on an impersonal card may seem fine to many; but to a scrapbooker or card maker, it seems like a waste of time and money. If you have found yourself in this situation, consider working ahead to create a stash of cards for the whole year.

Which cards do I need?

Since everyone's life is a little different, each person will need a different stash of cards. Here are some suggestions which you can modify to fit your own life:

• Thank you cards - Everyone receives gifts and favors and therefore everyone needs to send some thank you cards during a year. Thank you cards can actually be used for a variety of occasions including teacher notes and as no-occasion cards (thank you for being a friend). Thank you cards can be any color or theme and don't need to be specific to their recipient.
  
  
  
  
• Birthday cards - Everyone sends birthday cards, although some people, such as those with a large family, send more than others. Generally, birthday cards should be somewhat age- and gender-specific. I like to keep a variety in my stash. However, it is nice to have some gender-neutral cards on hand.
  
  
  
  
  
  You probably still want to make personal birthday cards for your most special people around the time of the occasion and save the cards in the stash for everyone else.
  
  
• Gift cards/tags - I have young children who attend a lot of birthday parties. The gifts are often wrapped at the stores and I find myself in a panic looking for a card right before we leave for the party. Children don't really require expensive or elaborate cards, but they do need to know who the gift is from. I like to keep a stash of little cards and tags that can be used for this purpose. I usually make some in both boy and girl colors, although I find that the ones made from birthday paper and primary colors can be used for either.
  
  
  
  
• Religious Occasions - Often we need cards for religious occasions such as communions, bar and bat mitzvahs and confirmations. In general, we know these events are going to occur in advance, but it is nice to have cards on hand.  If you expect to need cards for certain religious occasions, consider making them in advance. If you don't use them, you can always keep them for the following year.
  
  
• Congratulations - Congratulations cards can be used for graduations, new jobs, winning awards, new homes, and other similar events. You may want to consider making some general congratulations cards for unexpected events in this category. If you expect to need a lot of graduation cards in the next year, consider making some specific ones for your stash.
  
  
• Birth and Sympathy - My personal beliefs and superstitions will not allow me to make new baby or sympathy cards before the actual event. However, if you do not share these beliefs, consider making some cards in either or both of these categories as well.
  
  
• No-occasion cards - I find that cards not associated with any particular occasion can be very useful. They can be used to say hi, as thank-you cards, for birthdays, or even for certain holidays. These cards can be made without a greeting on the front, such that one can be added later, or with a quote or generic greeting such as "Hi" or "You are incredible". Here are some no-occasion cards I made with a chocolate theme:
  
  
  
  Here's another card that can be used for a loved one for a variety of occasions.
  
  

What about holiday cards?

Holidays occur every year and you probably send approximately the same number of cards for each holiday each year. For some holidays, you may send so many cards that you use a single design and replicate it many times or allocate time for making the cards. For other holidays, you may choose to send cards if you have them, but not if you don't. Consider making holiday cards for next year when you scrap that holiday. For example, after you finish making Halloween layouts, use your scraps to make Halloween cards for the following year. Using this method, your stash will always have seasonal cards when a holiday catches you by surprise.

Go through your calendar and make a list of holidays. Figure out how many cards you might need and make them in advance. Remember that no-occasion cards can be used as holiday cards as well. Most importantly, don't forget to make a nice Mother's Day card for your mother-in-law.

Designing the cards

Some people are natural card designers and like to make each card different. If you're not, consider using sketches. If you are going to make a bunch of cards, consider printing a page of card sketches and making one card for each sketch. Alternately, consider re-using the same sketch to make several cards. Since it is unlikely that cards based on the same design will go to the same recipient, I sometimes re-use the same design to make several cards at a single sitting.

When to make the cards

Of course, in order to create a stash of cards, you need to figure out when to make them. No solution is right for everyone, but here are some possibilities:

• Make a card (or gift tag) when you finish a layout. Use the scraps that are still on the table and create a card at the end of each layout.
• Make a bunch of cards when you can't scrap. Perhaps you are having scrapper's block or your photo printer is out of ink. Whatever the problem, turn this time into productive time by making cards instead of layouts.
• Make cards at crops. Some people can go to a crop and create 10 layouts while others spend the time socializing and don't finish a single layout. If you fall into the latter category consider making cards at the crop instead. These simpler projects might be easier to complete while socializing.
• Purchase a card kit or beautiful paper collection specifically for making cards. If you are like me, the excitement of receiving the new products will make you want to sit down and create.

What about supplies?

The best supplies to use are already in your scrapbook stash. Consider using scraps of patterned paper and small pieces of leftover ribbon.  However, if you want to purchase new materials specific for cards, Making Memories makes some card kits that you might find inspiring. Alternately, consider purchasing a small pad of high quality patterned paper such as the 6" x 6" pads from BasicGrey. While you are shopping, consider purchasing a stamp set with some basic greetings such as the Big Mouth Stamp collection from Technique Tuesday. These will simplify your card-making process.

I find that making cards in advance, without the specific pressure of an occasion, can be a relaxing and enjoyable experience. I hope you will too.

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