If I had the opportunity to take a poll and ask how many cards each of you send to friends I know for a fact that I would be shamefully outnumbered. I absolutely love to create for others, but it seems that even when I do have a recipient in mind it takes me a VERY long time to address the envelope and just pop it in the mail.
Susan Tierney-Cockburn not only is a wonderful friend, gifted flower and card maker, but is also a prize winning pastry chef, trained at a culinary school in New York. Now she didn't tell me that she is prize winning - we just determined here in our office that she is!!! OMGoodness but she makes THE most delightful treats and bestows them upon us here at work. We are so blessed to have her for a friend, but then to top it off with all these delightful yummies! Well, I just wanted her to know how much we appreciate her thoughtfulness. So I set out to create a thank you note.
Then it hit me - I wanted to make it a little something special. So I took components from an invitation to tea that I had created for Paper Crafts Ladies Only magazine. When they return the pieces to me I typically just leave them in the little ziplock bag and they get buried in a box someplace - not this time Ü
I had used the Lockhart teapot stamp and doodled a design on it using colors from my original papers, so it was important to find products that would coordinate. With some very careful "pulling apart" of the original project, and finding some new papers and cardstock, I turned it into a little "pocket style" card. The card is simply a piece of Granny Smith cardstock with Mocha Chica paper adhered to the top edge. The ribbon is actually Basic Grey's elastic band ribbon turned into a little "garter" of sorts - it holds the pocket together. The little tag in the pocket has our little note and signatures, and the packet of tea is one of my favorite blends, Orange Tazo - yum!
It was so much fun to have all the girls sign this thank you and pop it in to the mail - it felt good even though it was a good week or two late.
Please share some of your secrets to just getting things done in a timely manner. When life is so busy that it seems to be throwing a wrench into your manners, how do you figure out a way to just do the right thing? I would love to hear your suggestions!
Thanks for stopping by - I hope you have all had a wonderful weekend!
I am so bad about not sending the card. I make it, but then I end up sitting it on the shelf and letting it collect dust.
Posted by: Mary | October 22, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Ellen, I do make lots of cards and papercraft gifts for friend. This card is so sweet and I love tea! I will have to make up some of these to have on hand.
Posted by: Debbie Fisher | October 20, 2008 at 06:09 PM
Working full time makes play time a challenge. What works best for me is to take some early morning weekend time and design some cards. I get out all the components, stamp them and make a pile. I can usually get everything ready for at least 6 cards. After dinner during the week, I take 15-20 minutes here and there to finish them and add them to my stash or put them in the mail. I don't usually have the time during the week to design the cards but do have the time to put them together. Hope this helps. I'm sure Susan will love the card. I know I did. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: karen | October 20, 2008 at 07:01 AM
Just beautiful. (and my FAVORITE tea!!)
For sending cards, which I think is very important, I use my Google Calendar. You can set up separate calendars for each part of your life and then choose to see all of them together, or view them one by one. I have one called just "cards" where I track cards I need to send and cards I have sent.
I also get up at 4:15 to answer email and write out notes to people before work. :)
Posted by: Lydia | October 20, 2008 at 05:45 AM
Over the summer I did better (before going back to work/school) then I altered a Notebook, and in it, I sat down with the various Birthday lists for the month, and made one list..it was so nice to check them off when I got done...since work and life in general is back to being crazy, not so much time to make let alone send them either...
Posted by: Leea | October 19, 2008 at 10:38 PM
I would have to say that I think how I would want to be treated and then I do it. I have always been a giver and love to see the look on someones face when that little thing is done for them.
Posted by: Stephanie Sheridan | October 19, 2008 at 06:28 PM