The History of Greeting Cards
The history of greeting cards is not clear but we can trace them back to the 16th century when they were used as a form of social etiquette. The first known printed card was from France in 1869 and it was called "A Souvenir."
The greeting card industry is alive and well and not going anywhere any time soon. Over the years they have evolved from paper cards sent by mail to e-cards sent digitally. However, nothing beats receiving those paper sentiments by mail. Another form of greeting card has also become very popular: the handmade greeting card. With these creations, crafters can show off their artistic skills and showcase many techniques that include many mediums. They can be used practically as well as creatively to express any sentiment - from happy birthday to congratulations, from congratulations to sympathy.
We began making greeting cards because they were cheaper to make than to purchase. Using images from other artists, we would digitally design the covers then add creative sentiments on the inside of the card. Over time, we realized we needed something to make our cards unique to us. We came upon a Papercraft magazine and began playing around with creating our own designs and voila here we are crafting and making cards for our enjoyment as well as our customers.
Today, the cards created use techniques encompassing using coloring pencils, watercolor, stamping, stenciling as well as digital formats using die-cutting machines such as Cricut and Silhouette Cameo.