Project Post: A Card for the Travelers' Next Adventure

So I guess you could say card-making is kind of my thing. I mean, I more often than not make cards instead of buying them (although I do love when you find a really beautiful, funny or otherwise perfect card in the store), and several people have told me that they've kept all the cards I've ever made them or their kids.

That's sweet. Means a lot. Makes me want to keep doing it. :)

What I like about making a card is that it can be extremely personal -- you can't always find that in a store. I love finding a quote or theme or sentiment that's just perfect for the person and occasion.

We've got a few friends that are extremely well-traveled. Like, more than I will ever be. I really admire the sense of adventure and the way they say "yes" to new people, places and experiences.

When one of those couples got engaged, and the other was about to have their first child, I knew that would be a great theme for some congratulatory/best wishes cards. I guess you could say I cheated a bit by making these almost the same, but even though the words of the message are nearly identical, I felt that it fits each of them in their current, exciting stages of life.

 

 

A "Best Wishes for Baby" Card for the First Class World Travelers

I wanted to emphasize planes on this one since Dad is in the flight industry (that's as much as I could tell you to describe his job, I think it is something in logistics...?). I used softer, baby-friendly colors that I thought were still bright and cheery and chose stripes and plaids that I thought were appropriate for a little gentleman on the way (I thought the "All Packed and Ready to Go" sticker was appropriate for first-time Mom who had her hospital bag ready for probably about five months). 

 

Oh yeah, and the G'14 is for their last name and the baby's birth year!

 

 

A "Best Wishes on Your Engagement!" Card for the Adventuresome Duo

Again, basically the same concept applies here, but I played around with bolder colors -- in this case, lime green and navy blue for their Seattle Seahawks of their adopted hometown (I sent this right in the middle of the NFL playoffs).



In both cases my writing is freehand with fine point Sharpies (with the exception of the stamps I used on the first card), but a good handwriting font would be nice if you're not ready to wing it by hand. The cardstock is available at Michael's or JoAnn's, as well as any travel-themed stickers or accessories you might want to add. Here's my trick for the sketching the planes and suitcases, though (I'm not an artist by any means) --- once I find an idea of what I'm looking for on Google Image or somewhere, I hold up a sheet of plain paper over the screen, and really lightly trace it, going back and forth to take a look at the original compared to my copy... I then outline it in dark marker so that I can trace that onto my decorative paper. Your other option might be to print out a picture you like and accent it with colored pencils or markers.

In an effort to be a disclaimer; I don't know that I would sell a card using someone else's illustration... but I'm not a lawyer, soo..?

Anyways, there's a couple ways you can wish the travelers in your life the "Adventure of a Lifetime" for their momentous occasions. What kind of life events are coming up in your world? And what's on your travel bucket list? If I haaaaaad to narrow it down, mine is pretty much everywhere in Mexico, Fiji, and Alaska.

Happy Trails (and card-making!),