Why I Enjoy Paper Crafting and Making Cards

I had such a fun night making cards and crafting with my girlfriends. Sometimes to get the creative juices flowing what matters is just showing up.

That is the approach I took when my good friend and fellow creative, Kate Watson, invited me to be a part of her group, Ladies Art Social. Once a month a group of women gather. Their purpose is to get their creative juices flowing by making art in different mediums. Having fun and quality girl time is definitely a bonus. I think only since joining have I really started to consider how my graphic design work fits into the category of art or taken the time to examine my own creative process.

Making cards for a special personalized touch

One of my favorite sessions so far was the night we made hand-made greeting cards. Handmade greeting cards have become incredibly popular in the craft and hobby industry. It is said that approximately 7 billion greeting cards are sold each year in the United States. More and more of which are being handmade because most people perceive them as being more meaningful. But really, just one walk through Michael’s Craft Store is all you really need to do to see how much retail shelf space this artistic endeavor gets. The short answer: it nets in the billions of dollars. That is some serious paper. (yes, pun intended)

Prior to our making card night, I hadn’t crafted in a while. There is a lot to be said for rediscovering the joy of making something with your own two hands. So much of the design and art that I do these days involves a keyboard and a mouse. Lost is the appreciation for texture, rough edges… imperfection.

Having the opportunity to play with paper—mix and match, be inspired by one color, and then turn around to introduce something totally different. Unsure of how the final card would turn out. It reminded me of an innocence and vulnerability that is often feared when being creative, yet, it is precisely at that moment when magic can really happen.