Who makes a blog about cards?...I do!

I HEART cards. Do you?

Cardallegiance? What’s that?... I can hear you scratching your heads and furrowing your brows. Don’t worry, my friends. I’ve named this blog “Cardallegiance” for a very good reason. Well, let’s just say I have a few good reasons: (a) I previously made an Etsy account with the same name. (b)It’s very hard to fork over cash for buying greeting cards (c) Maybe I take some strange joy in smashing two unrelated words together to make one gargantuan word (I think that’s also why I like german grammar. Gelbenlederhosen, anyone?)

Actually, reason “b” most fully explains why I’ve created this blog. Yes, I like to be thrifty (cheap!) when it comes to spending.  I believe in the whole “a penny saved is a penny earned” thing. Plus, I’ve been in many a greeting card aisle, looked through the cards there, and thought to myself, “I can do this” or in some cases, “I can do better than this.” So, that begged the question, “Why should I pay for greeting cards when I can make them?” Thus, Cardallegiance was born.

In each new blog entry I’ll feature at least one different design and give you a backstory behind its creation. I will *try* to update this on a regular (weekly?) basis or as my time allows. If you enjoy what you see here, therefore, please have patience with me if I don’t always adhere to that deadline. It only means that my next post will be ultra-amazing because great things come to those who wait… Aha! You thought I couldn’t throw in a second cliché in my first post! Boo on you!

How do I come up with design concepts? In almost every case, I start with a concept or idea that I think appeals to the potential recipient. At times, I’m inspired by an event in that person’s life, her favorite color, or a random eccentricity. The best part about the process is surprising people with customized, heartfelt greeting cards. The worst part, I must admit, is saying goodbye to each little piece of art. Over time, I’ve learned to cope with that problem by taking pictures. Join me as I flip through my picture book, an album of beloved “departed” pieces. If you see something you like, email me and help continue this creative addiction. I welcome the chance to create new pieces (or duplicate earlier ones), creating special stuff for special people.  

Design 1: Wedding Congrats

After spending a day doing many things, I had precious little time to come up with a grand design for this card. Since I think the briefest sentiment is sometimes the simplest, I decided to focus on the word, “Congratulations.” Once I got started, that word began bursting with tiny blooms as I sketched it out. I’ve always been partial to spirals and “curly-q” shapes, so those rounded out the design nicely. Finally, I paired this visual up with a personal note. The card was ready to be tucked under the ribbon of a wrapped wedding gift in no time. Voila!

 Congrats! You made it to the end of my first post. In case you missed it, visit my Etsy shop here. Leave a comment at the end of this first blog post or contact me here. Thanks for visiting!