Sounding Board pls - Selling Personalised Cards??

[Twohootsunderthemistletoe]

Hi, am new on this topic board although post on MN quite a bit...

I've been making my own cards for about a year now and recently a friend asked me to make a personalised card for a naming ceremony she was going to (there is a distinct lack of cards out there for that kind of thing!). Anyway made her one (with her input on what she wanted etc) and she loved it - and so did the people! I put a lovely verse in that she chose and put babies name and date on the front etc. Have also just made one for friend's newborn again with name and dob and they loved it!

Got me thinking about advertising making 'personalised' cards for people. What do you think? I know hand made cards are being done to death in some places (even hairdressers round here sell them!) but I don't see many around that are personalised especially.

The way I do my cards is mock it up on the pc then print everything on the actual card then embellish so the personalisation is on the actual card and not on a piece of card stuck onto the card IYSWIM. I also choose poems/verses and print them onto the card inside so they can be very personalised...

Do you think there is a market for this? My cards are normally v simple (don't do fussy v well lol) but everyone always comments that they are different and stylish.

Wouldn't know where to start or what to charge?? I didn't charge the lady above but she ended up paying £2.50 as she bought me something in return (and she said she thinks the card would have cost her much more than that in the shops etc).

Would just advertise by putting a 'card' up in my local shop with a photo of a couple I've made (which I haven't actually got - silly me!).

Anyone any advice - I'd be v grateful

I have been making card for nearly 4 years now and although I don't sell an awful lot, nearly all of those I do sell are personalised & made to order.

I haven't really had time to do much with my card making/craft but hopefully one day! I have had some very good feedback and most customer will come back , not necessarily for every birthday, but for those special cards.

TBH, I charge the same for a personalised card as I do any other card of that size, unless it is something really expensive or time consuming to make up......but I do take ages.... such a slow worker.

Good luck.

Perhaps you could CAT AuntyQuated and ask about the MN cardmakers gallery?

I also do personalised cards, I tend to make up poems and work that way, but I do mine for friends and family and rarely charge, simply because I wentd own that road and didn't like the pressure- ahve far too much else on my plate LOL!

You'd need to look at other cards and what they're being sold for in your area (area makes a difference). Consider size (A5 and A6, for example) and the cost of other embellishments; for an A5 £2.50 isn't far off I would have thought.

Oh and don't listenn to Dingle- she is a card maker Par Excellence, have a look at her MN Gallery LOL!

Thanks for the feedback. I have to say I haven't seen many truly personalised cards around here and if they are they tend to be printed onto seperate card and then mounted on the card which can sometimes (but not always) look out of sync IYSWIM - but then I guess that's personal preference.

I have had peep at the Xmas gallery but not the rest - will have a look later on - have to say the xmas ones were v good!

I tend to do most of my cards A6 - really like that size but could do A5 as well.

Being a bit thick here but can only find the xmas ones - are there more somewhere else?

TIA

TH

I prefer making square myself, but do find that other people seem to prefer buying A5. Took a while to get the perspective / balance right but it was rather nice after to do something a bit different, but as quilling is one of my things (stamping and embossing techniques is my other card speciality- although my niggest, and best , MN thing is my shopping advice LOL ) there is a significant difference between card sizes, some other crafts can just be upsized.

I don't print on my cards- either use stickers (NOT peel offs, quill the letters (suprisingly easy) or stamp them. But I use a lot of textured card so printing not so much an option.

Haven't got any of my cards in the Christmas gallery as was ill and didn't get to make any

I think its a separate gallery ? Might be worth searching for the word gallery in the A&C section

LOL......Peachy, not sure about that, but thank you anyway!

Twohoots, I've not loaded any cards on the MN gallery for ages. I've been busy fighting our LEA!
But if you would like to look I will link my picture trail site...it's funny looking back at some of the first cards I made & loaded on there, compared to what I am making now.

I try to take pics of nearly all my cards and load them on the PC, one of these days if I ever get around to getting more than a domain name I have pics all ready to load.

Sorry, waffling now, here it is anyway!

my pic trail site

Beautiful Cards as always Dings

Oh my god Dingle they are FANTASTIC - you are very, very talented!!! (And obv spend a fortune on dies - which system do you use btw?). I don't have one and keep thinking I should get one but they are soooo costly - I end up drawing things by hand and cutting out which is so time consuming.

I am stupid and have not one single photo of cards I've made - am going to start from the next ones I do and build up a portfolio.

I know you said you are busy but god you should do it for a living you are that good! Having said that - it's so difficult knowing what to charge - clearly your stuff takes time to do.

Oh and do you write a lot of your labels (I can see you use a black thin liner a lot for 'doodling' as it's called in the trade) or do you print them - they look v neat and lovely fonts. Very of your talent!!

Thank you Twohoots.

I don't think I spend a fortune on dies!! I treated myself to a sizzix about 18 months ago, and I try to choose my dies very carefully. I also got a bargain sidekick a while back costing about £18. I love the quickutz dies and treat myself to one every now and then, but again, choose carefully as it is so easy to buy and never use. Using universal dies such as hearts and flowers and building from there.

I have revcently started selling a few toppers on ebay, and in return I use that to buy a few more dies.

I print off a lot of my wording on the PC, but finish off doodling with a fine marker and/or inking the edges.

As for the fonts I tend to have my favourites, if you want some links for free downloads, just shout.

Sorry hope I didn't offend about the dies - you obv make them 'go far' as you say. Would you recommend the sizzix machine then?

Have to admit the toppers look so professional when a die cut machine is used.

When you get the time you should def go professional - you are brilliant!

Dingle is a star (hiya Crafting pals!)
I've never had much luck selling personalised cards, other than to friends & family. I think its knowing where & how to advertise - Personally, I think people may be put off having to 'organise' the card being made rather than just going into a shop & buying one. I've done craft fayres where I have advertised I can do personalised cards & have never had any take up - yet people buy my cards !

Hi Whizzz honey. How are you?

TBH I am not really doing much crafting at all, but what I do is nearly all for family and friends anyway, so I do feel selling personalised cards has it's drawbacks because the customer can't take it there and then. I often think about trying to get a craft party up and running to riase some funds for our Down Syndrome Charity, but I never seem to have the stock levels needed.
I do send hubby into to work with a box of cards, very occasionally, label them up with order numbers and supply order forms and then make to order with personalisations.

twohoots- no honey, not offended. I don't feel I can comment on other die cutting machines. My sizzix is great, but so many more products have come onto the market since. I don't regret buying it at all, or my sidekick.

Another of my money saving methods is that I tend not to buy many dies at full price. I do hunt around for bargains and rather than pay full price wait until the die I want comes up on offer somewhere.(sound like a right scrooge!)I do give commision from my cards to our charity, so I suppose I am quite conscious of keeping costs down.

I think finding your market is the key to it all though.

Thanks again - maybe not such a good thing to try and do then. Having said that I really prefer personalised cards myself to just straight off the shelf type ones but know what you are saying about people not wanting to have to think about it too much!! lol.

Dingle if you can point me in the right direction I'd be interested in some of your embellishments you've made - partic liked the teddies - v cute! If they are on ebay would be interested - don't have CAT facility sorry.

If you can find a way to get around the ordering/making/delivery/collection factor then give it a go. I am sure word would spread.
Make sure you have labels & contact details on the back of your cards- those alone have generated orders.

Don't be put off- certainly try it and see!

As for my embellies-basically I can supply nearly all the die cuts used on my cards (there are a few I may not have the die for.) If you every want any you can always email me on dinglescards at yahoo dot co dot uk. Don't have any on Ebay ATM.

Go for it and good luck.