Spitting Yarn

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Ever since we first met, DB and I have given each other hand made cards to commemorate notable occasions. There was no discussion about it; we’re both just hand made card type people.

A few shop-bought cards and post cards have snuck in for lesser occasions, but on the whole, it’s hand made all the way.  Like everyone, we’re time poor, which makes the half an hour taken out of a day to create a little paper memento all the more special.  I have been known to banish DB to the bedroom while I work on a card for him.  DB avoids this problem by making many of his cards at work.

The balloon card on the left was made by DB for me.  I love balloons (they’re happy objects, don’t you think?), and so they adorn a number of the cards.  The card is made from hand made paper, for which DB has a fondness.

The card on the right is also one of DB’s and also made from hand made paper, sewn with silver thread (I don’t think the sewing is by his hand.  He has many talents, but doesn’t appear to want to expand his repertoire to sewing and fibre-based crafts).

My cards are often more fiddly affairs, which don’t look as clean and professional, but that I hope have charm anyway.  The owl card is mine - utterly ripped off from the sweetest little Bella Dia toy when I was feeling devoid of inspiration.  Hopefully, she won’t mind! 

The ‘turtle in snow’ card, below right, is also mine.  It didn’t turn out quite as I expected (glitter never behaves how I want it to), but it’s kind of cute, nonetheless.

My favourite card which DB made for me is the green lady card (below left).  He made it at work and the lady is entirely composed from Post It notes!  Note the recurrence of the balloon motif! 

I’ve dug out the cards, because I am thinking about a design for our Christmas cards this year.  In comparison to previous Christmases, this year’s cards, will be virtually mass-produced!  Kind of.  I’ll be using my Print Gocco to take the pain out of the reproduction process.  I’m looking forward to getting the one card just right, and then printing away merrily. 

The Print Gocco has led me in a more graphic design direction, as can be seen from my first effort.  Graphic images meld well with the raw, textured output of the Gocco.  I’m hoping to get hold of some design-your-own-font software, so I can mess about with fonts and typefaces, too.     

Etsy is a wonderful place for greeting card-based inspiration.  Don’t you just love this and this and this?!

Is anyone else planning on making their own Christmas cards this year?  If so, why don’t we plan a swap.  We can make 5 extra cards each and swap those.  If you’re interested, let me know in the Comments and I’ll think up a framework.  We could even have a theme (although “Christmas” may be sufficient!).