I Won't Be At The One of A Kind Show

Dear Friends,

I am hanging up my One of A Kind art card hat.

When I started to make hand-made greeting cards I had one major goal.  To make cards that were good enough to be in the Toronto One of A Kind show.  I made hundreds of samples and taught hundreds of students before I submitted my art cards for the juried show.  And one happy day I was accepted as an artist vendor.

Then I really began to make cards in earnest!  Several thousand a year in order to have the inventory to be at both the Spring and Christmas shows.  It was really hard work and for months every year I adhered to a strict 24 cards a day production schedule.  And I was proud to say my cards were “one of a kind.”

I created every single card by hand and each set was limited to only six cards. I made resin filled embellishments and hand-sewn components.  I made my own buttons.  I found ways to attach embellishments so that they could be removed and used again.  I cut and hand attached my insert papers.  The only thing I didn’t do was make the envelopes.

Being at the show was very exciting for me.  I made new friends, met new clients and sold many cards along the way.  I never made a lot of money. I know it was my choice to price my cards very reasonably, but they made people happy. Which made me happy in turn.

But shows, like people change.  More and more vendors began to have greeting cards in their booth.  Printed greeting cards.  I even found a card vendor whose cards were “hand finished in Canada” meaning they were printed elsewhere and someone was just applying some glitter glue to make them qualify as an art card.

I can’t compete with a printer and I don’t want to.

I know there will always be an audience where a truly hand crafted card is appreciated and indeed treasured.  When I find a show that supports this ideal I may set up my art card booth again.  Till then, thank you for your support, patronage, friendship and many smiles. 

Carmi