Greet with a touch of creativity...

“Hello, Shyamali!” I said to my friend.


“Hey Hi, it’s good to see you. It’s been long since your last visit to my place,” she replied.


“Yes, I’ve been busy lately, however we met often. Didn’t we?”


“Of course!” Shyamali is one of my childhood friends, who has an eye for creativity. She uses her spare time converting waste materials into gorgeous craft. Most of the time, her office room is a real hodgepodge. Even today, there is no difference.


“Some things never change,” I muttered and looked at her. She had paint stains all over her apron. Her hair is messy. I realised she must have been working for hours. A little guilt crept into my mind, “Did I disturb her?”


“What are you doing standing over there? Come and take a seat. Your favourite sofa is waiting for you,” she teased.


“Sorry about the status of the room, I am sure you are used to it.”



“Hey never mind. By the way, what are you doing today? Looks like you have been working for hours.”


“Yes I did. Just six days more for Christmas, I thought it’s time for me to make some cards,” she grinned.


“Oh! Aye! I remember your advice. However, it was too late for me to work on it. By that time, I had already posted the cards I bought.”


“Hmm... Still you can have a look on what I am doing today, so you can try these out later. What do you think?”


“I’d love to. I am sure I can use this knowledge to make birthday cards also. I spend a lot of money on them too.”



“I agree. I too save a lot of money, this way. Many admire the personal touch and the way I customise those according to the receiver.”


“That’s inspiring. Will you teach me how to make some cards? There are many handmade cards in the store, expensive though. I always wished if I also could craft in that quality.”


“With lots of patience, proper tools and a pinch of creativity, achieving that store quality is a piece of cake,” she explained. Then she sat on the chair at her working table to continue with her work. I sat next to her, hoping to get a better view.



“Alright, what are the materials needed to make a greeting card?” I queried.


“There is nothing in particular. First, you need to have something like Bristol board or coloured paper to make the basic card. For this empty milk boxes are also accepted, but you have to cover them nicely.”



“Really? So, what you are saying is, we can make a card even buying nothing at all?”


“Exactly, that’s my point. The next important thing is, folding the card. There are different ways for that. You can make a standard card by folding the paper or the board into two. You can also make different cards by folding into three. The design can be laid out in portrait or landscape. This makes the card stand out.”



“That’s true. I have seen cards folded differently and I’ve also noticed those, which have a different fold than the ordinary, are a little expensive.” “That is a possibility. Now, we are done with the first step. Next, before decorating the card, we have to finish off with the verse. Write your own verse according to the person you are intending to send the card or there are free verses available online, which can be downloaded easily. Use colour pens, gold or silver pens to write this. Write the verse with your best handwriting and clear enough to read.”


“Can’t we get a printout of the verse and paste it on the card?”


“Of course you can. Is that a thing to ask? Only thing is, be creative when pasting the paper. You can burn the edges to give it an ancient look or cut the edges using a zigzag scissor. “


“Fine, what is next?” I asked.


“Now, it’s time to decorate the card and write the greeting on the front page. Write these letters bigger, so they are prominent,” she said.



“I can understand that. So, what do we need to decorate the card?” “Again use anything. Coloured paper, coloured board, dried flowers and leaves or water colours. If you want, use all in one. Be creative. Before doing the design on the card, do a sample on a waste paper and see whether it comes out nicely. In addition, it is important that the design suits the greeting of the card.



“If a birthday cake is drawn on a Christmas card. That looks odd, right?”


“Yes. I understand. Thank you so much for the wonderful tutorial. Do you mind giving a chance to the apprentice to try out some card?”


“Not at all, best way to learn something is by trying out on your own. You make a card while I bring you a drink. Good luck!”



“Thank you,” I murmured while picking up materials to make a card for the first time in my life.