Homemade: Benefits of Being a Member of a Card Club

by Jamie Moesser on March 22nd, 2012 | No Comments »

I still remember when my friend Tara told me she was going to teach me how to scrapbook a few years ago. I laughed, literally, at the thought of someone teaching me how to do anything crafty with paper. She insisted, brought over tons of her supplies, and sat me down for a few hours, showing me how to cut, matte, arrange, and embellish pictures. It turned out to be relatively easy, and for some reason, a switch turned on and I was hooked on scrapbooking. It's the perfect hobby for a non-crafty person like me; there are tons of magazines, blogs, and websites with ideas, and ready-made products.

Some time after that, another friend Kari invited me to her card club, where we made 10 pre-designed cards for $10 with a bunch of other women. I was hooked that night, as it fit hand-in-glove with my scrapbooking hobby, and seemed relatively inexpensive.

Since then, I've joined a card club closer to my home, and convinced scrapbooker Tara to join me. We go once a month to my friend Anna's, with a handful of other ladies, and she shows us how to make two projects each month: a card and a non-card, like a teacher-appreciation gift or Christmas bow. We're each expected to buy at least $15 of Stampin' Up merchandise each month, and we take turns "hosting" a club night, which just means that we bring the treats and get free product. I love it, and would encourage anyone else to find one and join a club near them, and here's why:

Benefits of Belonging to a Card Club:

It's a good source for ideas: If you have a demonstrator for a stamp/paper products company or a really crafty person in charge, chances are they'll not only have great projects to demonstrate each month, but other projects on display that they've already done. These projects can be great muse-ticklers, especially since you can usually ask the host how they were made.
It's an excellent way to have some social time with women who have similar interests. When you "go ga-ga" over a book at book club, your fellow attendees usually understand because they've felt similarly, right? Same thing happens at a card club when you get excited about embossing powder.
It can be a great way to try out products before you buy them. I can't tell you how many products I use a ton now that I would never have thought to use had it not been for Anna or Maria, the hostess of my previous card club. I may sound like a walking commercial for them, but I'm grateful for their instruction.

I was in another card club for a time that was not led by anyone, and we just got together and exchanged cards. It didn't last long. A successful card club, from my observations, has to have one creative person in charge and the opportunity to learn new techniques. Ultimately, card-making is just a hobby, but hobbies are the spice of life, and hobbies with friends are hot sauce.

Featured image courtesy of Flickr.