Simply Stamped Note Cards

Don't Shy Away from 'Handmade'

With the onslaught of email, many of us have opted to stay in touch with friends and family via the Internet. It's easier to hit the send button rather than getting out of the house, going to the store to wade through the massive selection of cards on display, taking the time to choose a card, write a note, buy stamps, and wait for snail mail to deliver. Just thinking about the process is exhausting.

Well there's something to be said about making and sending a handmade card. For the most part, people always remember that you made the effort to do something different, and they're usually impressed that you took the time to make them a card from scratch.

I know, the word 'handmade' conjures up images of a huge labor intensive effort that makes going to the store to choose a card seem effortless in comparison, but this is not always the case. There are many ways to go about making your own cards, and fortunately there are quite a few that are far from being time consuming.

With rubber stamping reaching new heights of popularity there has been an increase in the selection of rubber stamping tools that are now available. Stamps are no longer confined to the local craft store or scrap booking store, you can even find a stamp or two at the Dollar Store. So creating a handmade treasure is easier than you might think.

Here is a simple card that is easy to make and sure to get rave reviews from its recipients.

What you'll need:

Card blank - white (4 x 5 inches is a good size to use)

Rubber stamp - a flower or any other simple design or image will work just fine

Stamp pad - black (black ink looks good when stamped on a white card blank)

Pigment ink pen - black (to write your sentiment)

Envelope - a complimentary color (for mailing)

What to do:

Set the card blank on a solid surface (so when you stamp you'll have a solid surface to press down on)

Press your stamp into the ink pad (make sure that your image is completely covered with ink)

Press stamp unto card blank (it's always a good idea to practice stamping a couple times on a sheet of scrap paper before you put your image on your card)

Write a simple sentiment under the stamped image ('hello...',' hi...', 'checking in...')