This money goes to the church's general fund and to supply Cancer: What Now? books for anyone in our congregation who gets diagnosed. Karen died of pneumonia while fighting leukemia. She was just two days from her transplant. She mailed my birthday card the day before she died, just before the ambulance carried her to the James Center in Columbus, OH.
I'm going to set up a tab on the blog with details of how I run the card shop for those who want to set one up yourselves. Look for that in the next day or two. One thing I've learned in the past year is that people want to buy very specific types of cards: birthday, thank you, get well, and sympathy sell best, and anniversary cards are slow but steady sellers.
Thinking of you, hello, blank, love and friendship, and holiday cards don't sell that well (with the exception of Easter). I use thinking of you and love and friendship cards a LOT and am surprised buyers don't seem to like them. Also, mass-produced cards don't sell well; I guess people who buy handmade cards want to feel like they are buying something truly unique!
The popular themes are hard to keep in stock, and right now we're particularly low on birthday cards. Hence, today's card.
Greens and blues are always a great combination, and this card highlights those colors in a fun way using the little stamps from Papertrey's Good Times stamp set.
And yes, I stamped an envelope to match.
This card and envelope will be packaged in a cellophane bag, sealed up, and put in our shop. I predict a quick sale!
On another note...feeling the need to give my rubber stamps some love, I've challenged myself to make at least one birthday card using images from each box of wood-mounted stamps on my shelf. I've made three already, and it's so much fun!
It's a shame the idea for Karen's Card Shop didn't come to me until Operation Write Home folded. Karen would have been our biggest customer.
Mercy, grace, peace, love, and memories,
Susan
Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Good Times
ink: assorted Archival and Memento
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: craft foam, glue
Wow, Susan! This is amazing!!
ReplyDeleteFestive card ... and lovely to have the matching envelope.
ReplyDeleteGreat card! I agree with you, I love the blank, hello, thinking of you as well!
ReplyDeleteGreat card! I agree with you, I love the blank, hello, thinking of you as well!
ReplyDeleteI always have a hard time sending cards to friends who have cancer or some other disease from which there is no recovery. Get Well and Sympathy cards just don't cut it for me, so I make and send Thinking of You and blank cards with a personal message inside.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your insight on the types of cards that sell well. Curious if you add a verse or something inside or do you leave it blank?
ReplyDeleteBlank. Since the cards are packaged in cellophane bags, I don't stamp anything inside. What if the inside sentiment didn't suit the person who bought it? They can't look, so I don't want them to be surprised.
Deletecould you share the address again please? I can't seem to find it-even tho I wrote it down when you first posted!
DeleteFirst United Methodist Church of Springboro
Deletec/o Susan Raihala
60 E. North Street
Springboro, OH 45066
This is such a bright and cheery card - I think you are right - it will go fast Anxious to read how you do your card ministry at church.
ReplyDeletelove this!
ReplyDeleteDo your cards for the Karen's card shop have verses inside, or do you want them blank? I'd love to donate some cards.
ReplyDeleteBlank, please. They are sold bagged in cellophane, so buyers can't see the inside. We love donations!
DeleteWhat a fun, bright, colorful card! I love a green and blue combo and better yet with all the crisp white. Cute envelope, too! When I was selling cards I found exactly the same to be true in regard to what people buy. Enjoy your wood-mounted stamps. I'm on a mission to use all my not yet used stamps. When I was working I was better at collecting than using, sheesh.
ReplyDeleteI'm very interested in your "how-to" blog post/tab Susan. I've been racking my brain for a way to "sell" cards at my church...with a specific goal in mind, such as our mission work, or marriage ministry. Churches don't seem to hold bazaars (or is that strictly Catholic?), and cake & cookie sales were voted down as too much work. Will you include how you display the cards? We have a small café where we display a few Bibles, church-themed T-shirts and books written by our ministers. They're in a smallish bookcase. I'm thinking of a turning rack of some kind. I'm looking forward to your ideas and what already works. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteOur Methodist church has a bazaar every November. Erica, the tab is up and running. You can find it at the top of the blog under the title on the far right.
Delete