help! in need of new adhesives...

I've been running into this problem recently that people keep telling me that cards are arriving at their houses that have fallen apart.

I first heard from my dad's cousin in California that a card that she got was in pieces. So I figured that cards travelling across the country need to be glued extra well. So I went out and I bought an "embellsihments gluestick" and I've been using that on the cards that I've been sending across the country. The cost of one of these gluesticks is approximately $2, where as in back to school season, Elmer's gluesticks are only 20 cents.

So, that problem is solved until further notice.

Now, I got a phonecall from my mother the other day who told me that the thank you card that I sent to my grandfather (Philadelphia to Connecticut) fell apart and that she needed to glue it back together for him. So maybe it's an issue with the fact that it's summer? Either way, if I have to change from Elmers glue to Embellishment glue - my costs are going to sky rocket quickly.

Then, TODAY - I got a Facebook message from Aubrey (who lives in California) saying that what I sent her was not in the envelope when it got to her and the post office lost its contents. This now means that the envelopes that I have aren't sticky enough to make their way across the country. At least I only put a pack of tissues in that envelope. Granted - I think I opened and closed her envelope multiple times before sending it, but that makes me nervous. What if there had been a check in there?

Does anybody have any thoughts that are practical, economical and easy?

so, you want to own your own greeting card shoppe?

Yes, it's definitely a shoppe with two p's and an e. A greeting card shoppe.

I made a New Year's Resolution this year on July 1st. (Better late than never?) My goal is to send a homemade greeting card to all of my close acquaintances on or before their birthdays. It's been over a month of greeting card fun at this point and I thought maybe the world might like to see the highlights. If you'd like to be on the list - or double check that you're on the list, just let me know.

Now it's not that these cards are the best of the best, or any of the cards that don't make it online aren't special or weren't made from the heart, I promise. Maybe one day I'll talk about the process I go through to decide how to make each card, but as I said, I promise - every card is made special. It's just that with each one of these there was something out of the ordinary about them. Maybe next time it will be your card that ends up on here.

this idea was inspired by wedding invitations,
two thank you cards for a wonderful trip to Los Angeles and Las Vegas
-my favorite part: the fact that it folds up into its own envelope-
-the challenge: making sure it doesn't come apart in the mail, aka choosing the right adhesive-
-note: I was informed that last time I sent something to Cali, the pieces fell apart before arriving-

a 30th birthday card
-my favorite part: I've been looking for a good place to use that sticker for four years (not kidding)-
-the challenge: getting the ribbon to stay-

my mother's birthday card
-my favorite part: um, it's a lady bug?-
-the challenge: deciding whether or not to make the wings open, ultimate decision was no-
-note: my mother tried to open the wings for a few seconds when she got the card-




a graduation card
-my favorite part: the picture on the cover-
-the challenge: cutting around the edge of the picture-



a 23rd birthday card
-my favorite part: the colors and the writing on the left-hand side-
-the challenge: deciding whether to put the polka dots on the top or bottom of the cover-



a thank you card
-my favorite part: the flower-
-the challenge: not breaking the flower before I glued it on-




graduation party thank you cards
-my favorite part: the sayings on the front-
-the challenge: making them all in a week-




a bridal shower card
-my favorite part: the flower on the front-
-the challenge: not overdoing the flower colors on the front-



an envelope
-my favorite part: the color scheme-
-the challenge: making sure it doesn't fall apart in the mail, I ended up taping it-



I currently don't own any envelopes that are over 5.75" x 8.75", so if I accidentally make a card that is bigger than that in either direction, I end up making my own envelopes too. Also, if you go over 6" in the shorter direction and you're mailing it, you have to double the postage.

And last but not least is the logo variations.

Maybe one day I'll own a greeting card shoppe. But for now, I'll just keep blogging about it :)