Titus 2 Christian HomeKeeper ™

by Wardeh Harmon

I’ve made elaborate greeting cards in the past, and I enjoy it. However, I don’t do it very often because of everything I have to drag out — the stamps, ink, stickers, paper punches, scissors, markers, glue, trinkets, foam core, embossing powders, embossing tool, and papers. Once I finish a perfect card, I wish I had at least ten more for other similar occasions coming up.

If you groan at the thought of having to get all your supplies together, cleaning them up, and ending up with only a couple of cards to show for your efforts, then you’ll really love making these greeting cards. To create them, you and your children will:

• use basic supplies and doodling to create an original greeting card
• make color copies on cardstock of your original greeting card

Think you’re a hopeless doodler? Think again. To doodle is to draw a simple representation of what you see in the world. Doodling uses simple shapes — hearts, swirls, dots, birds, flowers, insects, houses, birdhouses, stick figures and more — and bright colors. Your doodling needn’t be awesome. Just look at your children’s artwork — it is perfect because it is imperfect.

When I first started doodling on cards and in my scrapbooks, I looked at basic drawing books, imitated what I saw, figured out what worked for me, and then developed my own style. Here are the tips I share with my children when we draw together.

Wardeh’s Doodling Tips

1. Draw images using simple shapes
2. Fill in shapes with a few bright colors
3. Outline shapes with a dark, fine tipped color
4. Balance drawing with swirls, dots, and/or little hearts
5. Keep lettering natural and whimsical
6. Leave white space

All the above tips — simple shapes, bright colors, outlined shapes, added balancing elements, whimsical lettering, and plenty of white space — are evident in the doodling on the faces of the following greeting cards.

“Hello Friend” greeting card

“Happy Birthday” greeting card

“boy oh boy” baby boy greeting card

“Sweet dreams” baby girl greeting card

“From my heart” everyday note card

You can practice doodling, too. Start practicing on your own or search out books on the subject. I recommend the following books:

• The ABCs of Creative Lettering, by Lindsay Ostrom and Friends
• The 123s of Creative Doodling, by Lindsay Ostrom and Friends
• The Scrap Happy Guide To: Dots ‘N Doodles, by Suzanne McNeil
• Ed Emberley’s Drawing Book series, by Ed Emberley
• How to Draw series from Dover Books, by Barbara Soloff Levy
• I Can Draw People from Usborne Books, by Ray Gibson and Amanda Barlow
• Draw, Write, Now series, by Marie Hablitzel and Kim Stitzer

Recently, my daughters created greeting cards to use in letter writing. When we took my daughters’ originals and some of my old originals to the copy shop, the ladies there asked us to put some of our cards for sale in the copy shop and adjacent bookstore, on a trial basis. I’m still enjoying remembering my sweet girls’ expressions when the ladies complimented them on their simple, bright artwork. Following are pictures of the cards they created.

“Butterfly” greeting card by my daughter Haniya (age 8-1/2)

“Thinking of You” greeting card by my daughter Haniya (age 8-1/2)

“Dress” greeting card by my daughter Naomi (age 7)

Have fun doodling! Please forward me a picture of your doodled greeting cards — I delight in seeing what you create. I always welcome your comments, suggestions, or questions. Write to me at wardeh@t2chk.org or leave a comment below.

Doodled Artwork Greeting Cards Method

When my girls made their greeting cards, we took one afternoon to practice clear, bright drawings on scratch paper. The next afternoon, they made their final drawings on smooth white cardstock. One piece of cardstock, cut in half, will make two cards, so plan accordingly.

Materials

• 8-1/2 by 11 inch smooth white cardstock
• double-tipped scrapbooking markers (fine & bold tip)
• ruler
• pencil
• white gum art eraser
• straight-edge scissors
• decorative-edge scissors
• color copies on glossy or matte white cardstock
• invitation size envelopes (4-3/8 by 5-3/4 inches)

1. Prepare Paper to Make Original Card

Use smooth cardstock to ensure that marker ink doesn’t bleed. Orient a piece of 8-1/2 by 11 inch cardstock with the shorter side on top. Cut it in half horizontally, making two 8-1/2 by 5-1/2 inch rectangles. Place each rectangle on a writing surface, oriented with the longer side horizontally.

Using the ruler and soft pencil lines, lightly draw a line down the center from top to bottom, dividing the paper visually into two rectangles that are 4-1/4 x 5-1/2 inches. Using a ruler and soft pencil lines, lightly draw a box 1/4-inch inside each of these rectangles.

One piece of cardstock, cut in half, will make two cards. Repeat as needed for any others completing this project or if anyone intends to make more than one card. Consider making a few extras for the inevitable mistakes.

2. Add Artwork and Message to Original Card

Decide how you would like your card oriented — either by opening on the bottom or on the right side.

• If you want your finished card to open at the right side, lay your cardstock down horizontally on the drawing surface. You will draw the main picture and message on the right half. On the left half, you will write a message taking credit for the artwork.

• If you would like your finished card to open at the bottom, lay your cardstock down vertically on the drawing surface. You will draw the main picture and message in the bottom half. In the top half, you will write a message taking credit for the artwork upside down.

Follow Wardeh’s Doodling Tips (above) to draw your design and/or write a brief message in either the bottom or right sections of the cardstock (as determined by the orientation choice you made). Use light pencil marks to orient and/or practice the drawing before filling it in with permanent color.

In either the top or left sections of the cardstock (as determined by the orientation choice you made), write a simple message to take credit for the artwork, like: “Created just for you by _________” or “Created by _________”. This is also a good place to repeat an element of the main drawing. For instance, if the main picture is a vase full of flowers, then you could draw just one little flower with your simple “Created by ______” message. Remember, if you are orienting your card so that it opens at the bottom, you will write the message upside down in the top half.

Once drawings and messages are complete, carefully erase pencil marks with the art eraser. Hold the paper down firmly while gently erasing to avoid tearing or bending the page. Your original is complete.

3. Make Color Copies of Original Card

Take the original card to a copy shop capable of making color copies on 8-1/2 by 11 inch bright white glossy or matte cardstock. Two of the original artwork rectangles can be copied together as one page when lined up as if they are uncut. Decide how many copies you would like; each finished copy page will result in two finished cards. Direct the attendant making the color copies to make sure the originals are lined up perpendicular. Ask the attendant to let you proof the first copy, since colors or text may require brightening or sharpening. Proceed with making copies when satisfied with colors and orientation.

At home, cut copies in half to separate the cards. Fold each card in half. Keeping folded, trim one side’s edges with the decorative scissors — if your card opens on the bottom, trim the bottom edges; if your card opens on the right side, trim the right edges.

Match each card with an invitation size envelope. For gift giving, bundle five to ten cards and envelopes together with a ribbon.

4. Announcement Variation — Birth, Shower, Wedding, Party

Cut the original sheet of smooth cardstock into fourths, making four 4-1/4 by 5-1/2 inch rectangles. Using a ruler and soft pencil lines, draw a box 1/4 inch inside each edge of each rectangle. Use one rectangle for each original announcement. Doodle to your heart’s content — draw a border, embellish, write details, and/or include a scripture.

Make color copies on 8-1/2 by 11 inch bright white glossy or matte cardstock. A good copy shop will be able to take one original and reproduce it four times per page. Cut each copy apart into four rectangles, matching the dimensions of the original. Use decorative-edge scissors as desired on edges. Each announcement fits an invitation size envelope. Following are two examples of how the announcement variation works for birth announcements.

“Our house has grown by two feet…” birth announcement made for a friend

“The handiwork of God…” birth announcement made for a friend

© Copyright 2006 by Wardeh Harmon. Used with permission from the author.