Love in an envelope.

This is how I would define a card-- 'An envelope full of  warmth, tenderness and happiness filled with all the love that you have but do not know how to say'. There is truly nothing that matches the feeling of pure joy which you experience when you get an unexpected card in the mail--I can vouch for that personally. (Just thinking about it and writing it here is making me smile).

Therefore, it is no wonder that in United Kingdom alone one billion pounds are spent on greeting cards every year.

When I was younger, I would keep hunting for that 'perfect' card to gift to my friends. I would haunt the Archies and Hallmark stores  and would spend hours going through the cards. I found almost all of them hopelessly inadequate. Nothing was good enough really. (with due apologies to the companies which make these cards). That was when I started making my own cards.

They were much appreciated and cherished. My parameter those days was "Did it look like a 'printed' card? :) I used to painstakingly paint Garfield (one of my favourite cartoon characters) by hand and most people thought it was a store bought card till I told them. Another favorite character was Snoopy. Gradually I moved away and started making my own toons. (Some of them were published in my college magazines later).

 During Diwali, my parents started requesting me to make ethnic cards for their friends. I was so pleased they considered my cards 'good enough' to send out in the mail. (I was about 12 years old then). Most people who received them  too got deceived thinking it was a store bought card. My joy knew no bounds. Ever since then, I have made cards for all the special people in my life. For me the 'highest gift' I can give a person is gifting them something I spend my time on, something I make by hand.

Recently, in between writing my books, I took up paper quilling. The pictures I posted of my cards on facebook, were widely appreciated and many wrote to me asking if they could buy them. And thus was born my alternate (or should I say additional) career option--- "Card-maker" :)

 Like I have said before, what I earn from my writing is a thousand times more than what I make from my cards. I make cards because I like to be a part of people's happiness! Not to earn money! My cards aren't inexpensive either. (They start at Rs.400/- for quilled names)  The amount of effort that goes into each card is humongous. Careful attention to each detail. And I feel elated when people appreciate that.

See this mail I got from Divya (shared with her permission) who had ordered a card for her husband:

I just received the card....ITS BEAUTIFUL

Thank you..thank you sooooooooooooooooo much.

The card deserves thousands and thousands more than what I have paid for it.

 need to wait four more days to hand over the card (9th july)...all excited to see his reaction too.

Iam very grateful to you Preeti..making such a beautiful card...

Wish you lot of success n happiness...

and

The cards look so elegant and beautiful...and the reciever would be defiinitly delighted...now wonder you are flooded with requests now."

  This was the card I made for Divya:

 I  used a blue metallic shiny strip for the name. I also used subtle, rare pastel colours  for the card as well as white lace.The leaves under the red flowers on the right have a lot of detailing.There are tiny little hearts inside the card too

A close up showing details.

Then there was this card which was ordered by a person for his father. He said his father has been invited by All-India Radio a couple of times to sing and so the card should have musical notes. He also said that his father loves to read and so can I incorporate something which shows that into the card. He also wanted the quilled letters to say "Daddy".

This is the card I created for him.

 I included all that he wanted and  I even made a little book with real pages which you can open and turn!

See the detailing of the musical notes?  I made a guy holding a mike and singing. This is 3 dimensional and raised. (yeah i made this!) :)

 See how the pages of the book open? And see the detailed quilling that has gone on the cover of the book?

 Each page in the book has a handwritten quote on books! Quotes  like "When you open a book, you open a mind."

 This picture shows you the amount of detailing in the yellow quilled flower.

The person who ordered it, his reaction when he saw it (over whatsapp) was ':))))))))))))))))))))))))))))'


So you see, each card I make is a 'labour of total, complete and blissful love.' It is definitely not a 'business' for me! It is my passion.
So please do not demean it by treating it like a business! I will not accept your order, just because you offer me more money or more orders!!

I wrote this post because of the kind of messages I get on FB where people so casually  ask me 'how much?' :) To be honest even if you offer me a lakh of rupees I am not likely to be impressed.



I hope you get what I am saying.

 For me, the happiness that I am a part of  between the sender and receiver is my unmatched reward.

Plus of course your appreciation! ;-)
It matters.
A lot.
_____________________________________________________________________

Ps:

 1. If you want to place an order for my cards, mail me on ps(at)preetishenoy(dot)com. However, I am not accepting orders till mid-August as I am fully booked till then.

2.If you still don't know about my Ted talk, go watch!

If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here