A card a day....

....keeps cancer away!  Really!

OK, let me explain.

My Crafty Friend, who still comes fortnightly to visit, create and share the latest purchases, set herself a challenge!

It was so good I have shamelessly stolen the idea!

She decided to work through her cardmaking stash and make cards sufficient to say she had made one a day for a year, but in batches.

She's tried the card a day thing before, but it never worked (to much permanent mess), but aiming for 365 cards this year and trying to, more or less, keep within a week or so of fulfilling the brief seems to work better.

For example, whilst I was nursing my horrible cold last weekend, I got a bit bored.  Out came some *uncomfortable squirm* (I have far too much!) cardmaking stuff and I created another 20 cards!

That's a further 20 on top of the 50 I've made so far!

So that's 31 for January, 28 for February and 11 so far for March.

That means I am in no rush to get any more done for a week or so. Great! (In fact I've had the crochet out....yes, the new stash of yarn.....more about that another time!)

This is a little taster of my makes....

So what's that got to do with cancer I hear you say....well.....

Of the 360+ cards I make this year I will give half to our local Cancer Research shop to sell.....I'm so excited!

DoCrafts Creativity magazine has been supporting this initiative for years and, for free, provide the little cellophane packets to display your cards.

This means they can only be one size (thankfully a size of card I have LOTS of!) and they sell for £1...not bad for a handmade card!

Here a some of mine packaged up and ready to go......

 

I'm so pleased with how they look.

 

I'm also very pleased with how good my cupboards look!

 

I have had a good tidy, streamlined my supplies and colour co-ordinated papers and embellishments so that I can work in batches.  I have also stuck with a similar design throughout using matting, 1 or 3 embellishments (even numbers look yuk!) and a sentiment.

 

Cancer Research benefit and I feel that I am contributing in a unique way AND into the bargain I get to relax and be creative, keep half the cards I make for friends and family and reduce my stash in a productive way (instead of just binning it which the hoarder/eco-warrior in me was struggling with!!)

 

It's a manageable challenge, not one to get stressed over.

 

And can I tell you, it has done the hoarder in me the world of good!  Somehow I feel quite emotionally detached from most of these cards.  That's a new feeling and may enable me to make and sell other things....who knows!

 

Do you make anything for charity?  Do you struggle with stash?  Do you get emotionally attached to the things you buy or make?

 

It's interesting.

 

Anyhow....got to go....I've done 5 hours of business work today (it always takes longer than you think!) and I'm going to pop the kettle on and retire to bed.....*sigh*.

 

Happy creating,

Nora

xxxx