Do you make more cards than you know what to do with? If you’re anything like me, the answer is YES! The perfect solution I’ve found is to give away my cards as gifts. I get to clear out my “inventory” of cards and best of all have reason to make even more!
Whenever I get a new stamp, die or product, I love to just play and explore different styles, techniques, etc.. During these crafting sessions, I just make card fronts that can be used for any occasion. This happens to be super convenient — especially when I don’t have the time to create something more personalized. I just pull out a card front, attach it to a base and then pop on a sentiment. So simple! As a result, though, I end up tons of cards! Way more than I can personally use.
When my sister-in-law’s birthday came up, I thought she’d love this set of butterfly cards I just created. I actually made a bunch more but I figured this was a good mix. As I went to add the final sentiment to the cards, I thought about how I use my stash of cards. I figured she’d also enjoy the benefit of the flexibility to choose the occasion/sentiment when she needed the card. I’m not sure what kind of cards she needs — birthdays, sympathy, thank-you, etc. I also don’t want her to have any cards she can’t use.
In the end, I gave my sister-in-law the following:
- 5 cards fully assembled (but without sentiments)
- 5 coordinating envelops
- 10 sentiment strips in a variety of occasions, colors and designs
I prepared the sentiment strips so they could be as easy-to-use as possible. I mounted them on my DIY foam adhesive tape, so all she’d have to do is peel off the paper lining and then stick it onto the card to finish it off. This way, she wouldn’t need any additional supplies to complete the cards. I made sure to include more sentiments than there are cards so she has more choices and hopefully can use up the cards quickly. Also, I made sure to include some sentiments that can be used for anything (e.g. “Hello”).
Hopefully she likes her present. I’ll definitely be making more card sets for more of my family and friends!