Last time, I told you about my card-making dry spell. I hadn't made a card in months, and really couldn't identify a reason other than I was feeling uninspired. Well, "uninspired" sounded suspiciously like "lazy" to me, so I cleared off the crafting table and got to work. Here are a few photos of the cards I produced during a mini-marathon in the craft room. Keep in mind: I'm not a professional designer!

I wish I could give you a complete materials list, but my stash has been collected from so many different sources. Also, I have a bad habit of discarding excess packaging because it takes up too much space. You know I rarely follow the directions anyway, and I encourage you to do the same!

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Mail Art
Artlink, an art gallery in Fort Wayne, Ind., is looking for postcard art from artists around the world. The Postcard Mail Art Show will be on display during an exhibit by local photographers which runs from Dec. 12 to Jan. 14. Artlink will sell the postcards as a fundraiser for the gallery.

Sounds cool, but what the heck is mail art? Think handcrafted greetings in postcard format, like an artist trading card on steroids. Artsy, edgy, just plain fun -- and the coolest part is that your art is out there for everybody to see, no envelope required.

For more information, including the address to which postcards should be mailed, visit Artlink. Just for fun, include a note saying you heard about the exhibit from CardMaker magazine -- I'd love to see your notes when I visit the exhibit! The deadline to submit mail art is Dec. 3, so don't wait too long!

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Free project
In the spirit of postcards and mail art, here is a project from Kathleen Paneitz to get you started.

Reader Letters
Recently, Janice M. gave the book Card Making by Number to some young friends, and was delighted to be the recipient of several cards made by these budding card makers.

Shirley writes, via e-mail:

"I only started card making about 1 1/2 years ago, but it has pretty much taken over my life. I have taken over the spare bedroom, and it is full. I have those hang-in-the-closet canvas holders for shoes and sweaters to separate my cards by topic. It works really well. Friends come over and "shop" in my closet when they need a card. It's really a boost to my ego!"

Shirley, you're not alone! I'm sure a lot of us know what you mean about card making taking over your life. I really don't see the problem in having stacks of paper, oodles of embellishments, boxes of stamps and racks of ink pads. Do you?

Katie writes, via e-mail:

"I don't make super fancy cards because I am only 12. But if I remember, I will make the card the day before [the event], and spend as much time on it as possible. I love reading the newsletter."

Katie, that's awesome! I wasn't even thinking about sending cards at age 12, let alone making them myself.

Brandie writes, via e-mail:

"My children are as creative as I am. I have had to learn to let go and let them 'help' mom while making cards, pages and gifts for people, but it does wonders when I look at my kids and their scissors, papers, stamps and glitter all sprawled out with their finished 'masterpieces.'

My favorite story is when I was making Valentine cards for my friends this past year, my seven-year-old asked if she could make Valentines for her friends at school. Worried that she'd be made fun of, I said, 'No, honey, we can just buy some Bratz or Princess cards for them'.

But I was humbled when she said, 'No, Mom. I want to make cards for my friends like you're making cards for your friends because I want to be like you.' It makes a heart swell -- and we made cards better than any store-bought ones for her friends that year!"

Well, Brandie, it sounds like we have another card maker on our hands! Readers, do you have any stories about crafting with children? Please send them using my feedback form, and I'll share as many as I can in a future newsletter.

Linda writes, via e-mail:

"This past month, I attended two baby showers, 15 days apart, at which I gave 30 thank-you notes with envelopes. I set up an assembly line, cutting the blue or pink card stock and gluing the patterned paper. One paper had a curved bottom, while the other went at a diagonal from lower corner to upper corner.

In the open space below, I used a small stamp that had a baby crib with a baby looking over the rim on one corner and 'thank you' on the other side. Besides card making, I also enjoy crocheting and quilting. There's never a dull moment!"

Linda, what a great idea for a baby shower! Although, I have to say, handmade cards are always a great gift for people who are too busy to make their own (or those who "think" they can't do it!).

Angelika from Australia writes, via e-mail,

"I do scrapbooking, and I must say that your newsletter is always an inspiration! If I am hit by a dry spell, I like to go on the Internet and browse through some galleries of other people's pages. It's free and I can do it at night.

My favourite site is "Two Peas in a Bucket." The work on display changes all the time and is mostly high quality. I don't copy a layout as such, but I do take on ideas I like and make a little sketch of the part I like. Before I know it, I'm on a roll again.

Another favourite is to have a quick look through my stash, pick out one thing to use and work from there. It can be something as tiny as a safety pin, just anything that's been lying around for a while. It's challenging and makes my stash smaller (or should I say, makes space for new stuff)."

There are so many inspiring Web sites out there ... don't forget to bookmark CardMaker magazine!

Maria writes, via e-mail:

"I love to color with crayons. I loved coloring books and crayons as a child and I still do. Quite frequently, I color with my grandchildren. Also, I love making cards using chalks. It is much like coloring, just more grown-up. Colored pencils are great for cards, too.

My card-making and crafting time usually comes between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. This is the time when all is peaceful and quiet. The grandchildren have all gone to sleep or gone home, my husband and son are asleep, and I have no interruptions. I don't like to sleep, but I love to craft! It is wonderful!"

Maria, I love to color too ... but I have to admit, there's not enough caffeine in the world to keep me awake during the day if I crafted when you do. My primary crafting times are evenings and weekends.

Linda writes, via e-mail:

"Here's an idea for the person on a restricted income, who can't buy fancy storage systems (like me). I take pizza boxes (even neighbors can save them for you), and use Glue Dots or any kind of safe glue, and I line the boxes with plastic wrap or any kind of paper that won't let the oil from the pizza bleed through.

I can store my papers in them and they stack wonderfully on a shelf, one on top of the other. I glue a strip of paper on the front outside edge of the box and label what kind of paper is inside. I use a marker to print the words or use the computer to generate the label and glue it onto the side of the box.

It is a bit time consuming to do this, but it is an excellent way to keep these large pages from becoming unruly or bent, and it certainly isn't expensive at all. People on restricted budgets often have more time than money!"

Linda, this is a great idea. Thanks for sharing it with us!

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