The Perfect Words for the Perfect Card

Creating greeting cards is one of my favorite things to do. Hand-made cards are quick and simple, and yet are a great way to brighten someone's day.  An added bonus is the fact that this is a wonderful way to use up scrapbooking scraps!

The inside sentiments on cards can vary.  I use three basic styles (stamped, quotes, and handwritten)  to create card sentiments.  For birthday cards and holiday cards, I tend to use stamps.  This is by far the quickest way to share a thought, and dozens of stamps are available for all budgets.  I love the $1 rubber stamps that I find at Michael's!  Remember to store stamps by sentiment, so they are easy to find.  Here is a sample birthday card showing the inside stamped sentiment.

This friendship card also has a stamped sentiment.

We cannot stray from the handwritten thank-you notes that our parents insisted that we do, so for thank-you cards, I always handwrite the inside sentiment. The inside of the card is left blank until the card is used.   I always keep a supply of thank-you cards on hand to use when needed.

Quotes are my favorite when it comes to inspirational cards.  Often times I use quotes for friendship and "thinking of you" cards.  This "thinking of you" card uses a quote from one of my favorite books.

When using quotes, I type the quote on the computer, sometimes using different fonts, and then cut it out and adhere to the inside of the card as shown on the sample below.

My favorite resources for quotes are:

• Women's Wit and Wisdom, Running Press
• Friends, The Brownlow Corporation
• So Glad We're Friends, Hallmark
• Girlfriend Connections, Bonnie Jensen
• The Ultimate Guide to the Perfect Card, Linda LaTourelle
• The Ultimate Guide to the Perfect Word, Linda LaTourelle
• Quote Unquote, Volume 2, Autumn Leaves
• Quote Unquote, Volume 4, Autumn Leaves
• The Right Moment (A Collection of Quotations for Living an Inspired Life), William E. Hyche

There are also a number of websites that you can get quotes.  Some I use include

• The Quote Garden
• Quoteland
• Wisdom Quotes

No matter what kind of sentiment you choose, the recipient of the card is certain to get the message that you care, and will undoubtedly be grateful for your kindness.  In this day of emails, IM's, PM's, text messages and cell phones, a hand-made greeting card is an extra special treat.