#53: Greetings cards

Friends gave me these beautiful cards for my birthday this year and last year. One is a delicately layered affair with lace, a paper flower, a butterfly and a sparkly sequin, all on top of what looks like a professionally distressed page from a French romantic novel. The other is an origami-influenced geometric creation complete with real button. Inside both is perfectly matched lining paper. They are now semi-permanent fixtures on my dressing table — definitely too lovely to throw away. The card designer, Andalucia-based Wendy Jackson, told me how she started making cards after a back injury, and 33 years later is still in love with the practice.

 How did you start making greetings cards?

I started making cards after a car accident about 33 years ago. I was off work for about eight months with a lower spinal injury and my mum decided to buy me some crafty goodies from a company in the U.K., Lakeland Plastics.  I think she was trying to get me to focus on creating, as a distraction from the pain.  

Once I was back at work I mostly made cards for Christmas and family birthdays, but then I would be asked by friends if I could make cards for them for special occasions — it’s grown from there. 

My job in the U.K. was sometimes very stressful, and being able spend a few hours crafting at home afterwards really helped. I think a lot of my crafty friends have embarked on crafting following some sort of illness or life crisis. I suppose that’s why there are so many mindful colouring books on the market for adults….. it’s a huge business!

 How did your hobby progress?

 At the beginning I simply watched craft programmes on television which also meant I would buy what was in the programmes — hence why I have so much crafty stash! But now on Facebook and YouTube there are thousands of crafters giving tutorials, demos or even just showing what they have bought! I suppose that must sound very strange to a non-crafter. Over the years I’ve learnt lots of new techniques.

 I was invited to join a design team for a U.K. designer, Lisa Horton Crafts, a couple of years ago, which was amazing. As part of the team, I would be sent new products before they were available to buy. I would make card samples using the new goodies and then post them back. These samples, along with others from the team, were then used by Lisa on Create and Craft TV to demonstrate the new products. Unfortunately I was forced to leave as post-Brexit the costs for me to receive a free parcel of products was getting ridiculous. I paid €40 once!

 How do you run the business now?

 I’ve called myself Olive Farm Crafts, simply because our house in Spain is La Granja de Olivos. I don’t really see my greetings cards as a business — it’s just what I love to do. If I can manage to sell any cards to friends and family then that’s a bonus really — a few extra pennies to spend on craft supplies! I don’t do anything other than  share my makes online and rely on word of mouth. I’m not good at marketing myself really — it’s not me!

 I am very lucky to have a large craft room here with loads of storage — but I do share my craft space with my hubby (well he has a small corner for his computer…), and when I’m in create mode I do encroach into his space and I’ve even been known to cover the floor with things. I don’t think crafters ever have enough room.

I do love to buy new products as they are released by designers and craft companies. I think that’s the addictive side of the crafting world — we all have to have the latest products even if we don’t strictly need them. A lot of crafters also have ‘full set syndrome’ — we have to have all of the inks or every marker in a range. I’m not alone!

 How does crafting in Spain compare to crafting in the UK?

Finding supplies here in Spain has been challenging as card making isn’t really big business here, though it’s definitely improving. I have a few go-to online stores now. Ordering from the U.K. is tricky these days with the export/import duties, but there are a couple of favourites that are registered now for IOSS International One Stop Shop. This means I can pay Spanish taxes upfront and not be charged by Correos on delivery.

 Do you have any plans for the future?

I would love to be on another design team, based the EU or otherwise purely for digital stamps. I’m always on the lookout for an opportunity that would work for me. I keep thinking of approaching one of the local shops but I’m not confident enough to do that (in English or Spanish!), plus I still want it to be enjoyable. Churning out hundreds of the same cards is not my idea of fun really — making something beautiful that I know will be treasured or loved by the recipient is my motivation.

Find Olive Farm Crafts on Facebook or YouTube.