Homemade Living Series

Thanks for visiting us today for the second week in our series.

Be sure to pop over to these two blogs today
for more insights on living homemade:

Mary@Homegrown on the Hill

Tammy@Our Neck of the Woods

When I was much younger, going into a card store
and picking out a dozen or so greetings was fun.
Then they got expensive.
I figured I could do it myself 
and now I've been crafting them for years.

My friend KK who lives right here in the neighborhood 
is a card-making diva.

She has all the tools needed to make any type of card
for every occasion,
including loads of talent and creativity. 
She is a crafting phenomenon.
She's teaching me to knit and she also sews 
and is a formidable gardener.
Some people just "got it".

She was kind enough to teach me 
what she's learned about card making.

It all starts with the cardstock.
You gotta have the right paper so that the cards stand up 
to the many added embellishments.

A paper cutter helps to keep lines straight
and can be measured to virtually any size you might need.
Most cards have standard dimensions,
so they easily slip right into envelopes.

There are a myriad of stamps available for special holidays or themes.

Her collection includes these letter stamps,
which help with the personalization of cards.

This punch creates a beautiful edge on the bottom of the card.

It really adds a touch of elegance.

For those who lack imagination,
there are books on the subject of card making.

KK also uses her own photographs 
taken around her home and garden.

Most of the time though, 
she uses various patterned paper to fashion just the right look.
She even embelishes with glittery adornments.

One of her favorites is this cute note card with the bold green bow.
She often recycles parts of cards she's received
to use on her handiwork.

The cupcakes as well as the message on this card are actually stickers
that peel off and are easily adhered to the cardstock.

Here is an array of butterfly-themed creations.
The possibilities are really endless.

A woman after my own heart.
Completed cards are organized by color
and stored until needed.
(We both do this with the clothes in our closets too!)

Lest you think you need a lot of equipment to do this craft, 
it's not really necessary.
KK buys all of her supplies on sale and uses coupons to boot,
so she has accumulated a nice stash of tools.

Here are a couple of my attempts.
I use a lot of scraps of paper from my scrapbooking days 
and just decorate them using fancy scissors or a hole punch.
I try to send my mom a card each week,
since she lives down south now.

Recently, friends celebrated a big anniversary,

so I made this little ditty.

Making homemade cards is worth the time and effort.
It's a fun thing to do with friends
and it helps to stir up plenty of great ideas for designs.

When was the last time you sent a card to someone
just because?

These fine bloggers will be posting their creativity next Wednesday:

Amber@Making a Home

Meg@Bit of Life

Staci@Life at Cobble Hill Farm

Little Homestead on the Hill