Usually, I have a ritual before I start any card. I need to have a clean workspace to get started. I don’t know why but I do. I don’t like distractions on my work surface. Even if I work on a card immediately after having just finished one, I clean up my space and return all of my tools to their appropriate space—even if I know that I am going to use them again. Go figure.
I know—it’s kind of silly to put away my scalpel when I know that I will be using it again if less than two minutes. But I put all of my tools away. I sit down, usually sketch out the design, collect all of the materials that I will use, collect (or re-collect) all of the tools that I will use, put on some music, and get going. Minutes or hours later, I get done. I always make two samples of the card of the moment: one to put in my card journal and the other to send out.
If I know that I will be selling this particular card, I make all of the pieces for the card, wrap them up in newsprint or in a manila envelope, and put them in a storage bin. I do this because I usually get tired of a card after it is designed and made for the first time. By storing the parts, I can duplicate the card when I am bored or watching the Mets lose. In a pinch, I can steal one of the cards and assemble it for personal use when I need a card immediately.
Today’s card is a SCRAP card. It is a card that can never really be duplicated because it is made from leftover materials that I have saved from other projects. I have a rule when I design cards: I never throw away anything over 2 inches wide by 4 inches long. I have two bins that I save these scraps--one for paper and one for cardstock. When I need a card for personal use (one that I will not be reproducing for sale), this is where I start.
Here is a SCRAP card that I made to send to David this week. The interior is a popup with paper posies.
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