It’s Still a Card, Right?

Theme and Variation

The musical form, theme and variation, my all-time favorite, provides endless possibilities. It does so in so many ways, that it makes my head spin. I varied three elements for these cards: a short letter, a doll, and chocolate candy.

The doll in the card above carries a Neuhaus chocolate purse along with a scrolled letter tucked under her arm. I stuffed the doll with wool to give her a slight three-dimensional quality.

Elements in the card below include a brown paper bag envelope and a flat card wrapped in a handkerchief. A personal letter for the recipient appears on the card back and the card front features a doll holding candy and a musical score of Deck the Halls.

My friends wrote the most gracious notes in response to receiving these cards. Reading their notes brought tears to my eyes. I fell in love with them all over again.

A New Definition?

Christmas Art season begins in July around my house. Stacks of cut-out fabric forms, embroidery floss, thread, and ribbons clutter the studio work table. As I add a French knot to my newest card for 2022, I recall the Cambridge Dictionary definition of a card. In the long run, I prefer thinking of a card as something made of beautiful materials put together in such a way it makes someone happy or shows appreciation. For me, card-making connects me to other people. What can be nicer than that?