Paper Crafting, Rubber Stamping, Scrapbooking, and more

The Cobbler's Son Has No Shoes - A Paper Crafter's (Living Nightmare!) Dilemma

Not only do I need a professional organizer, I need a time management personal assistant. A cleaning lady would be nice too, but I digress…

How often do we card makers have card commitments for birthdays, special occasions, get well, sympathy, etc. every month and, yet, we can’t seem to get a card made, or in the mail on time, or mailed at all? We know the dates we need to remember for a given month, so what is going on that seems to sabotage the very thing we live for—making hand crafted cards! Instead of beating ourselves up for being unable to fit making a few measly cards into our day, let’s focus on what we can and will do going forward.

Here’s a fun way to trick ourselves into making cards, which appeals to me because it is all using the right side my brain (my favorite side). Groups on Paper Craft Planet such as Christmas Stamping All Year Long (CSAYL) and Saturday Sketch (to name just a few), are weekly challenge groups. For those of us who need an incentive, getting cards made by responding to challenges works well in satisfying the creative spirit in us. We have a specific time frame to post a card and, after posting to several challenges in a row, before long, a little pile of cards will have been created! This works really well for me.

My not-so-favorite side of my brain (‘ole lefty) needs constant adult intervention, which brings me to the heart of this article. Lefty needs a plan of action, a purpose, a structured and reasonable solution to getting things accomplished. So here’s what we do. Get out your calendar and look at the rest of May and all of June and list all birthdays, anniversaries, showers and anything else that might require an original hand crafted card from you. (Remember, you are the artist in the family whose cards are cherished by one and all!)

Next, consider duplicating cards using the same “simple” design. Need a design? Go to Paper Craft Planet Sketch archives for a ton of layout ideas! Now, let’s say you have 10 card commitments between now and the end of June. Of those 10, maybe two are masculine. Go to your white (or ivory) cardstock and cut five cards 11x4-1/4 and five cards 5-1/2x8-1/2 and score them. Find 10 envelopes too. Cut pattern papers to fit the card fronts. (I am confident you have numerous papers to choose from!) Find two masculine papers while you’re at it and cut those front panels. Affix all 10 panels of pattern papers to your card fronts.

Stamp some images on 2-1/2 x 3-1/2 plain paper scraps. For efficiency, use the same image whenever possible. Here’s an image trick: May/June (flowers), July (stars), August (golf, beach, sun), etc. I’m also big on creating photo cards of my dog, which is a great subject for guy cards. Color all your stamped images. Gather your ribbon and a few embellishments. Remember, getting ahead is the key – not creating a masterpiece!

As a result, in the 1-2 hours it takes to make 10 cards assembly line style, it would have easily taken (me) as long to make one single “special” (advanced stamper extraordinaire) card! Having a stack of 10 finished cards to choose from is a whole lot better than the agony of not knowing when to find the time just to crunch out one card.

Here’s another trick I use to quickly finish the inside of my card and, yes, the envelope! For the card inside, I cut a solid panel ¼” smaller than the area I’m covering. I cut a ¾” pattern strip and affix that to the top, side or bottom of my panel. The envelope flap is covered in a 3” x (length of envie) and another ¾” strip is affixed in the middle of the flap. It’s two extra super simple steps and completes the card ensemble into something that looks like you fussed.

Let’s recap the 6 steps to finding the card maker in you!

1) Know your card commitment dates a couple of months in advance.

2) Cut cardstock for the needed cards all at once. For variety, orient some cards with a top fold and some with a side fold, but keep them to an A2 size. Cut all card front panels. Double sided papers are a good choice too.

3) Stamp all images and color, or print out photos.

4) Assemble all cards.

5) Finish insides of cards and envelope flaps.

6) Always have enough stamps on hand!

Hope this article helps you in getting your cards made and out the door. I’d love to hear your comments and if anyone else has been in my shoes! Hugs, Lyn

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Gardenia Pepworth on May 10, 2010 at 7:25pm

great tips. I guess its like the fact that my car always needs something done to it, it never happens because my hubby is a mechanic. :)

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Permalink Reply by Renee Drew on May 10, 2010 at 7:26pm

On the rare(thankfully) times when I find that I have to resort to a (shudder) purchased card, I make a point of adding a couple of stamped additions to the inside of the card and to the envelope.

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Permalink Reply by elaine elford on May 10, 2010 at 8:04pm

you only have $1,000 worth of supplies?? Haven't been stamping long, have you?
elaine e

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Permalink Reply by cindi on May 10, 2010 at 9:22pm

I loved reading this post!
My mother, MIL and sister did not get a mother's day card as well as my nephew who had a birthday on Saturday because of this very problem.
Great tips!

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Permalink Reply by Lyn Bernatovich on May 10, 2010 at 10:03pm

Cindi - This is the beginning of a new you!!!!! You have many friends who understand! Now go cut some cardstock...

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Permalink Reply by Barbara M on May 11, 2010 at 3:00am

I relized at the last minute I did not make my mom mothers day card Yike's!! I made the fastest card ever! I came out nice. My mom loves roses so I just had to grab my rose stamps and pick from the bunch. When really pressed for time I am not that inventive but still feel creative. Life sure gets busy!!

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Permalink Reply by Lyn Bernatovich on May 12, 2010 at 9:44am

I just posted a companion article to my blog this morning! As I'm looking at my card making schedule...I didn't even get into June and I have 5 cards to make just this week alone!!!! Yikes!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Karen Patterson on May 12, 2010 at 9:32pm

I too find myself forgetting someone;s birthday or special event and then rush to get something created for them, as i will not buy a card.....no, no, no not me....lol
You have some great tips here and getting the organizer made to put the cards in would be fantastic too.....
I like the challenges and that does help to create some cards for future use, I also am on a digital stamp DT so am committed to making at least 2 cards per week, and that also forces me to do what i love, create those cards, and color those images so they are ready for that special card.....

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Permalink Reply by Lyn Bernatovich on May 13, 2010 at 1:59pm

As I'm reading your comments, I wanted to also share my experience taking a CAS (Clean and Simple) card class on Wednesdays from a colleague and you know what I discovered????? I'm actually learning how to go simple 'cuz I don't ever go simple!!!!! It's a struggle and I love the cards I'm making (Sherry is an A muse instructor too!) and I'm mentally thinking, oh, that needs more ribbon, or more embellies, or, or, or....!!!! So, it's kinda like I'm learning in reverse and I'm totally intrigued.

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Permalink Reply by Renee Drew on May 13, 2010 at 2:10pm

Clean and Simple cards are faster, too. That way, when I realize "Holy, um, cow! I've got to get that card in the mail tomorrow!" I can do one pretty quick.

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Permalink Reply by Valentina Deker on May 22, 2010 at 9:47am

Thanks for the tips. I haven't bought a card at Hallmark in over 4 years, I sometimes just go in and take a look. I have my list of birthdays and occasions handy and even if it is the day before, I enjoy taking the time and whipping up a card. I am always glad when I mail or give a card to someone and they are always impressed with my work,it's so much fun and I love it!