Making special opening cards can be so satisfying. You make a card for a special friend or family member and they just know you have spent time and concept on it. Isn't it worth the pleasure you give to them by development your own cards? Sometimes it can be difficult to find a new idea for a card especially if you have given greetings to the same someone a few times. Let me tell you what sort of things I do to make sure my card ideas remain fresh and new for my friends and family.
1. What's the Occasion?
Parallax Basic Stamp 2 Projects
First of all, I think of the special opening itself, and the someone I am development the greeting for. I quest for a new twist on the event or about the someone that was not true the year or time before. For example, I ask myself questions like this:
- If it is someone's birthday is it a indispensable year?
- Has the someone changed jobs since I greeted them last?
- Have they moved or taken up a new hobby?
- Are they about to do something new like take a trip overseas?
- Has their status changed (are they now married/divorced/a parent/a grandparent?)
- Has something funny happened that I could make a joke about?
Sometimes request this type of ask can lead me to at least start development a card as I can find a direction to go in.
2. What's Their Preference?
Next I think about that person's taste. This can involve things like do I know:
- what their favourite colour is?
- what their favourite style is? (classical, modern, funky, feminine, sporty)
- if they have a favourite animal or flower?
Again, these things can help me determine on the type of greeting I will make.
3. The Supplies Question
Then I think about my supplies. Do I have things on hand that are interesting me to create, or is it time to go shopping? (Or do I just want to go shopping anyway!) Sometimes I purchase supplies with a particular someone in mind, then put them away and forget about them until I quest my stash again. So searching straight through your supplies can inspire or jog your memory, or both. Other thing to do with shopping is that a new stamp set, paper line, set of inks, tools or embellishments can often inspire me to generate a range of cards.
4. Case - Copy and Share Everything
If I am still stuck for an idea, the next level of inspiration often comes from looking straight through such things as the following:
- papercraft magazines
- card development websites
- handmade cards others have sent me
Just the concept of trying a new technique gleaned from these sources can be inspiration for me. I all the time want to put a tiny twist on the idea myself so it can even come to be a fun challenge for me.
5. Live Inspiration
Sometimes the very best time to come to be inspired about how to make a new special opening card comes from spending time with other paper crafters. I don't need much of a suspect to request friends over to scrap or make cards with me! every person shares ideas, makes suggestions, shares their most recent projects and techniques and we all come away with something new to try. On top of that, who doesn't like to socialise?
6. Online Inspiration
If you haven't any live papercrafters nearby, belonging to some paper craft forums online can also do the trick. I find taking part in challenges, request questions of other experienced crafters, and browsing straight through the galleries of their work can be inspiring.
7. Time Factoring
If none of these things help, you could be trying too hard or placing yourself under pressure with time constraints. Sometimes just allowing yourself time to consider all of the above, then putting it all aside for a day or so, can suddenly bring inspiration. Try sleeping on the idea if nothing gels for you the first time you sit down to make a greeting card. Starting the concept process well before the event can be a help, unless you are a someone who works well under pressure. In that case, wait till you can wait no longer to start crafting!
I do hope you now have a process in mind for interesting yourself the very next time you want to make special opening cards.
Happy paper crafting!
Seven arresting Steps For development special Occasions Cards