If you didnt make cards, how many would you send?

[wavejumper]

An interesting point was made in another discussion....

If you were not making cards....how many would you be sending?

As many?
Half?
Only the mandatories like sympathy? (or whatever you call mandatory)
None at all?

Would you buy cards to donate places like your church? Or send to organizations?

Let's say cards were not so expensive. Let's say they were 3.00 each. You still have to go to the store, pick them out, etc. So there is still some cost and effort needed.

What do you think you would do?

[Arlene_C]

I would send birthday cards to my kids and grandkids only (parents and grandparents, too if they were still living) and Christmas cards to only my closest friends, kids and grandkids. So this would cut my card giving to less than a 1/4 of what I send now. I would not send Easter, Thanksgiving, thinking of you anymore except to the Grandkids. Mother's day and Father's Day cards would be sent only to my daughter and son-in-law (parents of my grandchildren).
I would not buy cards for donating.
I might add that my DD and husband & grandkids are military so I don't get to see them often so I would still send cards regularly to them.

[SkyNacho]

As many as I send now-- almost none. I don't make my cards to send them, I just make them as a crafty outlet for my energy. Sometimes I stick them in swap or other packages, and sometimes I use them to mail something else (like a check), but otherwise, nope. I don't really send any.

By the by, I think $3 for a card is expensive! I try to buy the $1.99 ones, and I recently "found" that Dollar Tree's cards are quite nice these days-- they used to be pretty flimsy but now I think they're made by American Greetings or some other card company. Bought a nice foil graduation one recently.

[cardmaker2]

I make way more than I send! I only send (I am talking of mail now, it's expensive to mail handmade bumpy cards in Canada) to my daughter, and her boyfriend for his occasions. I hand deliver or tuck in gifts a fair amount. But if I didn't make them, I would give probably 1/4 as many, as Arlene said. At the present, say for a funeral, I make for each immediate family member of a close individual. I make lots for grade level staff at year end or Christmas. I likely would not buy for as many people.

I also create to a large extent to be creative and when I have a sizeable stash, I bring to work and sell them.

Interesting question!

[lynnewithane]

I too make way more than I send. But, I love having a stash so that when someone has a baby or a death in the family, I have a card to send. I keep promising myself that I am going to make a perpetual calendar, and send out more Birthday and anniversary cards. Right now, only immediate family gets them. I really want to start sending them to my cousins and other extended family.
On the other hand, I send cards to my card making friends. Not a ton, but those are cards I wouldn't be sending if I weren't a card maker.
Christmas and Chanukah cards get sent regardless. This will actually be the first time I will send exclusively handmade cards. I send a lot of them, some handmade and the rest store bought. But, this year, a friend and I got together in February to make holiday cards, and I am done!

[BashfulStamper]

This is an interesting question.

For me, WAY less than I do now. I'd certainly send "some", but not very many. I sort of made the decision to switch from several different hobbies (including scrapbooking) to putting all of my time, energy, and money, into card-making. At the same time, I decided to become a Chemo Angel, which is where most of my cards now get sent. I don't think I could do one without the other now.

(Not that there's anything wrong with Hallmark, or with crafting for the fun of it. I was just at a point in my life where I needed a purpose.)

[howdyheidi]

I would still send birthday cards to family and close friends, Christmas cards and sympathy cards, and thank you cards. Valentines and Easter cards would probably not get sent.

[buggainok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lynnewithane

I too make way more than I send. But, I love having a stash so that when someone has a baby or a death in the family, I have a card to send. I keep promising myself that I am going to make a perpetual calendar, and send out more Birthday and anniversary cards. Right now, only immediate family gets them. I really want to start sending them to my cousins and other extended family.
On the other hand, I send cards to my card making friends. Not a ton, but those are cards I wouldn't be sending if I weren't a card maker.
Christmas and Chanukah cards get sent regardless. This will actually be the first time I will send exclusively handmade cards. I send a lot of them, some handmade and the rest store bought. But, this year, a friend and I got together in February to make holiday cards, and I am done!

I made myself a really simple "perpetual calendar." I typed the months, and each person and their birthday under that month. I keep the page with my card list which has addresses. I look at it each month and get the cards ready to send for the month.


When I find another birthday person to add to the list, like on Facebook, or if someone mentions it, I just add their name and date to the list. Very easy to update on my computer and print it out.

[Dorthy]

I would like to think I'd send out as many cards, but would probably only send out Christmas cards, no Easter cards, no Thanksgiving cards, and half the birthday cards. I would send out as many Sympathy, New Baby, and Marriage cards. I probably would not send much in the way of Graduation, Thank You, Happy Retirement, and Get Well cards.

Wow. I am sorry I answered this question.

[JBgreendawn]

well, that is interesting but, I would guess that I used to mail out a lot more cards before I started making them...

[cnsteele]

I doubt I would send even half what I do now. I would definitely send birthday and sympathy cards, plus the rare graduation, baby, and wedding card. I never sent Christmas cards before I began stamping, though, and it is unlikely I would have begun sending them to sponsor kids and church shut-ins. All of which makes me so very happy that I do make cards - I love having a purpose for what I do and I love knowing how appreciated by others the happy mail is.

[jor]

I always mailed out cards (and letters at one point). It was my way of keeping in touch with long distance family and friends. I tried to keep up with my cousin's children for a long time as well. When I was first working a friend and I would go to the Hallmark store at lunch every once in awhile. I usually bought a bunch all at once and had several to choose from when I needed them.

In the last two years, I have fallen behind in mailing cards. My New Year resolution was to start mailing again. I had cards stocked in a box that was overflowing. Now, I have used about 75% and need to make more to restock! That's a good feeling!

[mrsclark2001]

If I didn't make cards I doubt I would send many.

Like Bashfulstamper I became a Chemo Angel (and Senior Angel) around the same time I started making cards. The program has been very fulfilling to me and even though I could purchase cards to send, my chemo and senior buddies have commented that they like the handmade cards.


I think this hobby (or is it an obsession?) is stuck with me!

[craftjunkiesc]

I haven't purchased a card in over 15 yrs! If I didn't make all my cards, I'd probably only send a handful to family scattered across the country. Since I do make ALL the cards, I send dozens of birthday cards to family & friends (all personalized for them). I send Valentines, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving cards to about 15-20 ppl. My Christmas list is about 60 ppl. I also have STACKS of "just because" cards that I send, not as often as I should. I make quite a few cards because I wanna try a technique or layout. I used to donate lots of these cards to OWH, but since they no longer operate, my family & friends get most of them. I feel like I can send more cards because I make them & can spend more on postage since I'm not paying $8 each for cards.

[Dorie95]

Always sent cards to family, or gave them if we saw them but our family is very small so it was easy to keep up the traditions.

Now that I make cards though, I send a lot to people I don't personally know. I feel good about sending cards as a token of my creativity! I send to the Monthly challenge group here and also to a couple of places that distribute to kids in the hospital.

[DianeinSparks]

I'd send the same number if I didn't make them. I'd go back to doing what I did before I was a cardmaker - I would buy boxes of large notecards with floral or pretty scenes on them from places like Tuesday Morning or Steinmart and add my own sentiments. I could buy a box of 20-24 notecards, 5 x 7 size, for under $5. I still have a few boxes hidden away someplace!

[gregzgurl]

Zero - no question. I'm the world's WORST, and I can recognize... ;)

[jor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by craftjunkiesc

I haven't purchased a card in over 15 yrs! If I didn't make all my cards, I'd probably only send a handful to family scattered across the country. Since I do make ALL the cards, I send dozens of birthday cards to family & friends (all personalized for them). I send Valentines, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving cards to about 15-20 ppl. My Christmas list is about 60 ppl. I also have STACKS of "just because" cards that I send, not as often as I should. I make quite a few cards because I wanna try a technique or layout. I used to donate lots of these cards to OWH, but since they no longer operate, my family & friends get most of them. I feel like I can send more cards because I make them & can spend more on postage since I'm not paying $8 each for cards.

What is OWH?

[gregzgurl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jor

What is OWH?

Operation Write Home - for the armed services...

[Rachelrose]

Probably the same number. But I make more than I send. Which is good, because instead of having to run to the drugstore and rifle through what they have every time I need to send one, I just pull out my card stash and go through those that until I find the perfect one. Since I almost never put a sentiment on my cards when I make them, any card I make can become any kind of card, depending on what I put on the inside.

There are a few people who get bought cards. People I don't feel like wasting my hand made cards on because I know they don't value them. But, luckily, that's a very tiny list.;)!

[wavejumper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dorthy

I would like to think I'd send out as many cards, but would probably only send out Christmas cards, no Easter cards, no Thanksgiving cards, and half the birthday cards. I would send out as many Sympathy, New Baby, and Marriage cards. I probably would not send much in the way of Graduation, Thank You, Happy Retirement, and Get Well cards.

Wow. I am sorry I answered this question.

Aw, dont feel bad. You might surprise yourself. I think a few people here might. Once you get in the habit of sharing and giving..it isnt so easy to just stop ;)

[sylviad]

I keep track of who I sent cards to and why what the card looked like and in the last year I have sent 185 cards out, including Christmas cards. All made by me, of course. I started keeping track because I have had people come up to me and say, "i just loved the card you sent" and I can't remember which one I sent them. I don't think I would have sent that many if I had to buy every one. It's not the cost, it is the effort required to go to the store and stand there looking for the right card for each person.

[Kathleen Mc]

I have always been,a card sender. Even when I was at uni on limited funds I sent bday cards to friends and family.
My circle of friends has grown now, and friends have gotten married so anniversary cards have been added to the list.
I'd like to think I'd send cards regardless as (before fb) it was my only way of staying in touch with many.

[TLady]

Before I became a card maker, I didn't send cards at all! LOL Not even when I was single. I only bought cards for my husband & our children who were little, for their birthdays or our anniversary. One family member would get mad at me for not sending them a card on their birthday. I could NEVER find a card that fit for them, so I just didn't send one. It made for some testy times..... Cards were either so mushy or just ugly & expensive! I also didn't have the time to rifle through all the cards on the rack! Many of which were dog eared from so much handling. So, if I didn't make cards, I wouldn't be sending them. LOL ;)

[tigerlily55]

I would probably send half as many. I wouldn't send anniversary cards or cards for my adult nieces and nephews. I haven't sent thank you cards in ages (sorry Miss Manners). Never did Thanksgiving or Halloween or Easter. I do send cards to a few people who don't send cards because I love them any way!

[kmt1000]

I would send the same amount, usually just Christmas, birthdays, thank you, wedding, baby, and sympathy. I don't do Easter, Valentine, etc. I make cards for the therapeutic value. I like Clean and Simple cards so I don't really have to worry about extra postage. If I make a complicated fancy one with lots of layers, it would be for an occasion that I would hand-deliver it.

[muscrat]

About a quarter of what I send now. I haven't bought a card in 8 years. I figure if I'm spending this kind of money to make cards, I should make cards! LOL I would probably not send but a handful of Christmas cards.

[Rebecca Ednie]

I don't celebrate any holidays or birthdays so I'd mainly send out a few anniversary (5 at the most), some Thank you (10-15), baby congrats (?) and get well/sympathy (10). That's per year. I don't have many friends so that's only a few a year.

I'm at the point in my life where my peers are done with babies and their kids aren't having any yet so it's been a lull for babies. I've only made two in the last year. The kids are starting to pair up and get married but I still only made 4 last year and none were for me to give. I make cards for my sister to give but I wouldn't do that if I didn't make them.

But I do send cards and other art out for swapping on Swap-Bot and for Love Letters.

I'd say I do send more out than if I didn't make them because of the swapping and love letters. But I'd never have heard of those if it wasn't for my card making community online.

[Allistamps123]

Great question!

I send ( or give directly to the person) all the cards I make. That said I only make a card when I need one for an occasion.

If I didn't make cards I'd buy and send BD cards and Christmas. That's about it! Oh wedding and graduation.

I send and give way more than if I was buying them.

[ejluyk]

I usually have one or two extra cards around. I would continue to send them if I did not make them but would probably reduce the amount by a quarter at least.I make most of the cards as I need them. I have all the occasions marked on my calendar/planner and look ahead and make one or two at a time. I paint watercolor panels or make up some mixed media panels and use them for cards lots these days too...mostly flowers.

[KC Hadley]

I am catching up on email, thus my late response. This is interesting as I consider it... I really think I would send more cards. A trip to the store, pick up several as needed, and mail them without too much consideration. When I make a card for someone, it takes me a while to decide "their" colors, style, then comes the design itself. Sometimes I don't get a card into the mail... just run out of time. Each card I send is made with the recipient in mind... not taken from a stash. That's the fun of making them for me!

[jeanne3579]

I have always been a snail mail person, coming from the age when one did not make long distance phone calls often. I wrote letters home in college and after I got married and moved away. I would write those letters in a handmade card now (which I do). My dad was one who always sent B-day cards to all family members and handmade Valentine's to immediate family. When he passed, I got his address book that included birthdates, anniversaries, children, etc. I decided to continue his tradition. When I started stamping, it fit right in to that and I have added more occasions and people to the list. If I had never started making cards, I probably wouldn't send as many. If, however, for some reason I couldn't make cards anymore, I would send as many because I have developed such wonderful relationships with relatives I would never had gotten to know otherwise and kept in touch with old friends scattered all over the world, that I would have lost touch with years ago.