House of Cards: Step-by-step projects for beautiful handmade greetings cards

Description

Despite the digital world we live in, the sending and giving of greetings cards is more prolific than ever. Studies show that people have a far greater emotional response to receiving handwritten cards than they do to emails, texts and online messages. And how better to show your appreciation than with a beautiful handmade design? Creating your own cards is easy, affordable and incredibly rewarding. In this practical and insightful book you'll discover all the inspiration and advice you need to get started, as well as ten visually exciting and easy-to-follow projects from professional card designers. Each project introduces a different style and technique, from silkscreen printing and textile foiling to letterpress and stitched motifs. Roll up your sleeves and dive straight in: much of what you need is inexpensive and easily accessible, while clear step-by-step instructions guide you effortlessly through every stage. Each artist offers a colourful behind-the-scenes glimpse into their studio and practice, with insights into how they gather inspiration, plus tips and tricks to help you achieve a professional finish. Accompanied by fascinating nuggets of greeting-card history and a wealth of beautiful photography, there's also insider information on how to make larger quantities for sale and how to license designs commercially, for anyone keen to take card-making to the next level.

Sarah Hamilton is an artist and designer based in South London, whose work is inspired by colour, nature and midcentury design. She began her career as an artist handprinting greetings cards for Paperchase, The Conran Shop and Habitat, and cards are still a significant part of her practice. In 2014 she started the Just a Card campaign to support independent artists and retailers, after seeing yet another small gallery close down. Its message is that even the smallest sale plays a huge part in keeping independent design businesses afloat.