Jul
17
…but don’t spend precious summer hours or all your cash on your hostess gifts, either. These cute little cards took me fifteen minutes this morning; add a little extra drying time if you use sparkles, but otherwise, you’re out the door faster than you can say “Bottle of wine or bouquet of flowers, take that!”
Card #1: Picture perfect
I was lucky enough to spend a semester in Ireland during my fourth year of university. I fell in love with the country and don’t go a day without saying “In Ireland…” I’m sure that part is charming to the people around me. So, for this card, I printed a picture from my travels there — from the Powerscourt Estate in County Wicklow — in black-and-white and glued (with an ordinary gluestick) to a piece of purple scrapbooking paper cut to fit the small envelopes I unearthed in my craft cupboard. In small lettering, I wrote the location of the picture in purple ink. I added a little sparkle, because I like sparkle, but you don’t have to.
A note on sparkle: It’s easy to go too over the top with the glitter. I use Crayola Super Sparkle glitter glue, because it’s easy to use, in a sort of gluestick-slash-marker. I stuck to the white parts of the picture, just a little line here and there, to add unexpected shimmer. Don’t try to outline or colour in; it never really works out and ends up looking a little crazy.
Card #2: Be wordy
Find your favourite saying. I like silly things that don’t really have anything to do with anything, for blank cards. This one — “Sometimes I believe six impossible things before breakfast” — is from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass. You could always use inside jokes or private memories as well, depending on the recipient. I wrote the quote in simple lettering but coloured over-top, first in one direction and then the other, with purple crayon. Yes, you read right: CRAYON. It adds texture and looks interesting.
Card #3: Simple stamps
Using a rubber stamp, place a single stamp in the centre of the card. Colour in with crayon and add a little sparkle. I added a little train of sparkly dots, too, but you don’t have to. It’s so, so easy, and really adorable.
For the envelopes, I just used the same ink to write ‘To:’ on the front. Makes it easy as pie for your gift receiver to use the cards.
Once the sparkles are dry, stack the cards and their envelopes and tie up with a pretty length of ribbon.
See? You won’t be late. And you don’t even have to stop on the way to the party.
Have a wonderful weekend!
