A few days ago, I was cleaning out some old papers and I found this.
Look familiar? It was the prototype of my current logo.
The notebook this was in was from 2012--five years ago. It's crazy to think that I had this shop in the back of my mind for five years.
As I studied this doodle, it reminded me about why I started with cards. With each card that I make, I am giving a little piece of my heart to go along with the card. Each card that I hand-craft is formed with love. If you are one of the people who gets a card from me (birthday, invitation, just thinking of you etc.), know it is my way of saying that I love you and that I am thinking of you.
My favorite moments are when I create a card with the preferences of the receiver. The look of awe or "How did you know I love..." make every moment spent on the card worth it.
I chose to sell the cards that I make so that others can experience giving a hand-made card. Someone can look at their friend and say, "It's handmade by my good friend Parthena" (I say good friend because I hope that if we are not good friends that we may become better acquainted through these cards). Some of my favorite customers have been those who have ordered custom cards. They told me what they were looking for, I then produced a test card to show them, and I allowed them to tweak it as necessary. Working together, we produced sets of cards that were tailored to the recipients. One customer gave me an image of a Norfolk mermaid with a stethoscope and requested that I create elegant graduation cards for her Eastern Virginia Medical School friends (a school based in Norfolk).
A fellow teacher asked me to create cards based on her classroom theme, monsters. Whenever someone opened the card, he would know it was from her class.
With custom cards, each recipient knows that the sender put in the thought and energy to create the card even if the sender was not the one who put the glue on the paper.
Cards are ways to make people feel special. The outside of the card is the cover to the inside--like a book sharing a preview of the glorious tale within. Most of my cards are blank so that the sender has plenty of room to write how he feels about the recipient without squishing or rearranging words. Cards are ways to express love both on the outside and the inside. They proudly proclaim, "You are important to me." They announce, "You matter to me." That's why cards. Do you have an idea for a card? I would love to hear about it! You can contact me at [email protected]. Bonus: If you use the coupon code CELEBRATE between now and July 21, you will receive 25% off of your Etsy purchase! Please like, share, comment, or subscribe if this post inspired you in any way.
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