I’ve been creating greeting cards ever since I learned the technique from Ruth Carden about 10 years ago. I was at a quilt retreat when I witnessed the beautiful cards that Ruth was making.
What I’ve loved about these cards is the fact that they are mini quilts with character, vibrancy, and customization.
I especially love doing the doors, gates and historic buildings in St. Augustine. The cards are now my signature communication and I send them to clients and friends routinely. I’ve also had several gatherings at my house where people are invited to spend a morning making cards and it is always a fun group experience. I went to a professional meeting a couple years back and I brought a customized one for each participant – all 75. I hosted a lecture where each guest received one as a “party favor” – all 100. I’ve probably made 1,000 by now.
But I ponder the real message behind them…. I think it is to bring a smile to the receiver. That is why I call them JOY greeting cards. There is something heartwarming about a customized handmade card made from the texture of fabric. Heart and soul expressed through busy hands.
I love the attention to the color, the arrangement, the splashes of embellishment, the replication of a theme – ocean, nature, history, beauty. I imagine upon receipt, the card is open and so is a heart.
Spreading JOY. One card, one message at a time.
My next phase will be to translate the various archetypes into the cards. I haven’t done one yet, but that’s the next step. Finding images of the Hero, the Nurturer, the Healer will be fun and then to set them into appropriate backgrounds. So if you receive an image of the Missionary, the Companion, The Mother in the mail, know that I have selected that particular message for you deliberately. May the power of the archetype resonate with you and you recognize a piece of the ancient wisdom in your being and carry it forth throughout the day.
If you would like to learn this easy technique, click here for online on demand class information.
https://anmarshallonlineclasses.anmarshallartist.com/courses/JOY-Greeting-Card-Class
