Why I love CTMH Originals and CTMH Wishes Cardmaking How-To Books

Its all about the math baby! Think about it, every time you need a card what do you do?

1. Drive to the store Cost: $2.00 in gas and 10 minutes of time
2. Pick out a card Time: 20 minutes to find the right one
3. You brought your kids Cost: $7 in extras you weren't planning on getting
4. Cost of card Cost: $2.50 for a cheapie or $5.00 for a nice one
5. Drive back home Cost: $2.00 in gas and 10 minutes of time

Totals:
Time: You've probably spent a good 40-60 minutes going to the store, picking out a card, getting a few extra items and then getting back home.
Cost: If you are able to get out of the store with NOTHING else but a card you've probably spent about $6.50 for a cheap card to $9.00 total for a higher priced card. If you brought a kid along or tend to throw a couple of things in the cart because you are there then you've probably spent at least $15+ on that quick trip to the store to get a single card.

Now lets mutliply that. How many cards a month do you get? When I ask this question people usually reply about 2-4 for non-holiday months. That's birthday cards, anniversary cards, get well soon cards, sympathy cards, thinking of you cards, etc. We're not even talking about Mother's Day, Father's Day, Teacher appreciation, winter holidays, etc.

Average of 3 cards per month:
Time spent: 2-3 hours going to the store each time to get a card.
Cost: $19.50 to $27 minimum (no extra purchases at the store)

Price of Originals: $29.95
Price of Wishes: $29.95

How many cards does it take until you "break even" on purchasing one of our cardmaking books? About 2 or 3. Yes, that's right - about 2 or 3 cards and you've broken even on these books! The average person breaks even on this book within the first month or so of owning it!

Why do I love our cardmaking books so much? Because they contain between 85 (Wishes) and 99 (Originals) recipe patterns with all the cutting dimensions and assembly directions to make your cardmaking go FASTER, SIMPLER and EASIER. You don't have to worry if the card is going to look nice because you can see from the pattern that it will be artistic and have good balance. We even give multiple examples of how to make the cards so you can see how it looks with different papers and embellishments. They take all the hard work out of figuring out how to cut your paper and let you have all the fun - the embellishment! I always say they are like the perfect white bread recipe that comes out great every time and then you add your own herbs and spices (your embellishments) to make the card your own.

So your next question is probably, "Paige, how many cards can I make with one paper pack?"
Well, this past November I held a Holiday card workshop where we made 42 cards with HALF a Level 2 paper pack and one package of our White Cards and Envelopes Value Pack.

Cost: $12.95 Level 2 Paper Pack (only half used)
$14.95 for Card Base and Envelope Value Pack of 50 (some left over)

I added a bit our our Bulk Grosgrain Ribbon (great value in these 20 yard rolls) and some brads (packages of 100 for $4.50) and the some stamping (I used a couple of different sets but you could easily do this with one or two sets you loved) and two or three coordinating ink pads. We made 7 different designs with 6 cards of each. This workshop was a huge hit and lots of fun to do with my ladies. If you want to see what we made check it out by clicking here.

So now you ask, "But Paige, I don't live near you, how can I do a workshop like this?" and I'm going to say - buy Wishes! Our newest offering has 3 bulk card workshops! You can make 8, 12 or 16 cards with one workshop! Each workshop features 2 each of x# cards - so the 16 card workshop is 2 each of 8 different cards. Perfect for doing a bunch of holiday cards OR get a terrific stamp set like "Say it in Style" and you can have a variety of cards like Birthday, Anniversary, Get Well, Thank You, Mother's Day, etc. ready to go at a moments notice!

I hope this helps you "do the math" on why I love our cardmaking books so much! I know once you have one you will love how easy and quickly your handmade cards come together. And a handmade card is more than just a piece of paper, its a little gift of love you give every time you send one. It says to the person who receives it that you are thinking of them and care about them. They don't wind up in the recycle bin two days later. People keep them and smile and feel the love every time they touch them. And that is why I LOVE our BOOKS!