Today my friend Shirley (who is also a Creative Memories consultant) came over to have lunch and bring me a new paper punch (a paisley maker) that I had ordered. Afterwards we had tons of fun using it to make new cards.
I really enjoy making cards. I think it is very fun to send and receive homemade cards. I think a lot of people that get in to card making do it because they enjoy it and they also have this thought in the back of their heads that they are going to save money. However if you aren't careful it is quite likely that you won't save money. It can be easy to get caught up in the going to Stampin' Up, Creative Memories, etc. parties and feeling the need to buy something (or maybe a lot of somethings) each time. After you buy a $30 stamp set, a $20 tool, a bunch of pretty paper, stamp pads, stickers, special chalks (the list could go on and on....), you are going to have to make a ton of cards to pay back the money you just spent.
Here is the solution that has worked for me: Buy cheap card stock by the ream (in basically just white and cream), choose your stamp sets carefully and buy very rarely (maybe once a year), Buy tools (like punches and other cutting stuff) that you really like and will use over and over again. (And don't buy them that often either.) Also slowly build up a supply of various stamp pads. Other than that I look around the house to see what I already have (such as colored pencils, scissors, special ribbon and trim, etc.) and for paper I enjoy using Magazines, catalogs, old colored envelopes and stuff like that. Yesterday we used only papers like that and we really had fun making some cute cards.
Anyway that is my tip for making cards for very little.
For more frugal Friday tips visit Biblical Womanhood.
3 comments:
Card making is definitely great fun. When I taught 4th graders, we made cards for Christmas, birthdays, Mother's Day and when classmates were sick. And as you mentioned, if you don't watch out, it can get expensive.
Great post! Take care.
The paisley maker is really cool! those cards look really pretty! I just filled my last scrapbook so I'm sort of feeling desperate to find a new one to start working in. But I'm finding them way more expensive than I want to pay with too few pages!I'm thinking I will try to find a pretty three ring binder and use that for my next scrapbook.
I am lucky, my mom gets this stuff free from the church in Reno. People give up there card making hobbies and get rid of all their stuff, she takes it and tucks a few things away for me! And I save all the scraps! Sometimes a card needs just the tinyest peice to add something to it. And yes, I agree, I would much rather get a homemade card. And they are so much more fun to give.
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