I am off work on Fridays and last Friday I had my friend Michele over for a card making playdate!
Michele got me into card making back in the late 1990s when we worked together at a company in Seattle, Washington (in the Queen Anne area if you are familiar with Seattle). Along with our friend Sandy we would make cards in the conference room during our lunch break.
I’ve not make cards for a couple years, not since I made them for my tierneycreates Etsy shop (which I still daydream about reopening someday). Here are the sets of cards I sold on my Etsy shop years ago:


I lined the inside of the cards with a white folded sheet of paper to make it easier to write inside the card (instead of trying to write a greeting on deep colored card stock.
So Michele and I thought it would be fun after all these years, and since I now also live in the Denver Metro area where she lives, to get together for making cards (and we could relatively socially distance while crafting).
I converted my studio/sewing room into a “paper crafting emporium” for the day, putting away my sewing machine and current project in progress (which I will share in a future post) and dusted off my old paper crafting supplies and set them up around the room.
Here is my studio table all set for card making (with snacks of course!):

And the paper crafting supplies spread around the room:
Here is Michele’s work in progress and the cards she made:





I tried to recreate the style of the cards I made previously for my Etsy shop that I featured earlier in the post but I was struggling with my paper cutter (old dull blade, etc.) in order to make larger cards from card stock, so I settled on using pre-made and folded smaller card stock I found in my paper crafting stash (likely 15+ year old!).
I also made these cards (some of the cards have 2 images – one with the ribbon in place and one with it moved so you can read the text):
Most of cards Michele and I added an inner liner of folded white paper glued into the crease to make it easy to write a note inside the card.
Michele and I had a very fun day while Mike the Miniature Schnauzer hung out in the room with us while we crafted.
At one point Mike keep seeking attention from Michele, and she took out a sheet of pre-printed adhesive letters and began teaching Mike the alphabet/to read (while we giggled). During the pandemic she’s been helping her son in his remote home schooling (like so many awesome Moms out there) so she used her Mom-Teacher skills on Mike!
Mike did listen attentively but he was not very good at learning the alphabet!
We had a wonderful lunch prepared by my partner John (who full time telecommutes during the pandemic) of scalloped potatoes, honey ham, and sautéed broccoli.

We also went on a walk around the green space/park behind my house.

It was a lovely way to spend a Friday and we plan to paper craft again in the near future. This time Michele is going to pull out her dusty paper crafting supplies and we will craft at her house.
Postscript
Speaking of crafting, my partner John, who has since the pandemic started and we became homebound, has been studying woodworking and continuing working on projects. I shared the tables he made in the Postscript section of the post – Making My Own Granny Square Afghan.
Well recently he completely a bench/table with drawers for his Miter Saw which in my opinion is pretty impressive for a new woodworker! He bought plans online for the bench/table and improved upon those plans to better reinforce the table.
He’s been having a lot of fun in his studio since we converted part of the daylight basement to his woodworking shop!
What a delightful way to spend an day. The cards are beautiful. During the lockdown my girls struck up a craft/card correspondence with an older neighbor. They each received a homemade card where quilting scraps were used to design the cover. Oh how they were treasured. Hand crafted cards are truly works of art.
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What a fantastic way to spend a day – with – a friend, face to face! John’s bench is impressive. Perhaps there’s a new quilting/craft/sewing table in the future for you???? Though you’re studio is pretty well tricked out as is…Enjoy your week.
đŸ™‚
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Sounds like a perfect day, crafting with a friend, a great result from both of you too đŸ™‚
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What a lovely way to spend your day. Friendship and craft is a powerful combination.
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Whole lotta creativity going on in your house! Fantastic!
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Fun Fun Fun! Love your creations and so happy you had a great time!
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Lots of creative output going on that day!
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What a fun idea to have a crafting playdate. I love the cards that resulted, and the sayings about friendship particularly hit home. Thank you for sharing your creativity and inspiring me to put more color and design in my life.
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Thanks Marylee I appreciate your comments! I am glad you liked the friendship sayings, I am excited to send those cards off to several friends! đŸ™‚
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WOW. Fantastic. đŸ™‚
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Thanks so much and thanks for stopping by đŸ™‚
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Welcome! đŸ™‚
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What a wonderful way to spend the day! Your cards are lovely đŸ™‚
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Thanks so much đŸ™‚
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I love your cards Tierney- now Mike knows his alphabet he can write some for you! John’s wood working skills are incredible.
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Ha! Yes as Mike progresses in his studies perhaps he can compose notes to people…but would anyone believe me they are from Mike?!?! đŸ™‚ Thanks from John on your compliment to him!
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Ah, that looks like such a nice way to spend an afternoon! And extra bonus points to John for his culinary wizardry and awesome woodworking skills!
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Thank you and I am lucky to have a chef in the house!
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You are both “pretty impressive” in the things you create.
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You are most kind, thank you! I was hoping the cards would come out a bit more exciting but I am rusty!
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I love the photo of all the card making supplies spread out on the table. Front and center…coffee!!
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Thank you and it was so fun just setting up the supplies (and dusting them off from the back of the closet where they’ve been stored a long time! đŸ™‚
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THose cards look amazing! And seems like the best way to spend a free day
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reconnecting through cards and the fact you both are in the same area … taking some time out to do something fun together – eat snacks – have lunch prepared by the inhouse Chef and take a walk about the ‘hood. As well as attempt to teach Mike some new tricks – has he spell out “want food” yet? đŸ™‚
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Ha! If Mike is successful in learning how to read I am sure that sentence will be at the top of his list! đŸ™‚
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Looks like a fun change of pace đŸ™‚
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It was, thanks for your comment đŸ™‚
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How wonderful that you made cards at work back in the day! I have no objections to bringing crafts to the workplace (have done the same, lol). Is that Japanese paper?
The snacks and papercraft supplies are delightful. It must have been so nice to unearth that paper from long ago and revive the cardmaking. I like the way the cards layer all of the different textures and patterns, and how right that they celebrate friendship. This looks like it was such a fun reunion!
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Yes the paper is from Japan when my friend Torben lived there for a couple years. I was an idiot and did not take him up on his offer to visit him and his girlfriend in Japan when they lived there đŸ˜¦ – that would have been so awesome! Thanks for your comments!
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Loved this post. I’ve really missed reading your blog! It’s so nice when someone takes the time to handcraft cards. Love the designs and so happy you could connect with a friend while crafting…always makes it much more fun. It’s been a long time and I’m delighted to learn you have a new partner (well “new” to me anyway). He’s doing quite well on his wood craft as well.
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Thanks so much and I’ve sent off two of the cards recently and it was so nice to send handmade cards đŸ™‚
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What fun and they turned out amazing!
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Awesome way to spend your day.
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It was!
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What a lovely day! And you both made such beautiful cards, I’m quite tempted to get my paper crafting bits and bobs out again.
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Thanks so much and it was really fun đŸ™‚ you should get your paper craft stuff out and play!!!
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