When a new person signs up for my mailing list (like you did however long ago), I send a series of daily follow up emails.  These emails share little bits about me, Stampin' Up!, my journey into card making and stamping, as well as a few tutorials.

One of the first follow up emails says:

Here at Mail Something Pretty, I don't want to just provide you with great information.  I want to provide you with the information that's most relevant to you and your paper crafting!

The question is, how can I improve?

Please take a moment and reply to this email with:

~ Concerns you have about your paper crafting?

~ What are your current struggles with your card making?

~ What is the biggest challenge you've faced with your paper crafting?

~ What can I do to make sure you're gaining the knowledge you want and need?

Many times I receive similar responses, which makes a lot of sense since I am asking these questions to like-minded people.  Time management, organization, and finding ideas/inspiration are the top 3 responses.  

Yesterday, I received a response that was a little different and made me think. I thought I would share her concern with you (and my response) because I am sure she is not alone with her dilemma.

Her response from the questions above (in summary because I didn't ask to quote her) was:

She works a full time+ job and has limited time to search for card ideas that spark her interest to copy.  Her search results are yielding a trend of cards using a lot of Designer Series Paper (patterned paper) rather than more stamping.  The struggle is, she makes 200 Christmas cards and primarily using Designer Series paper is not cost efficient to make all those cards.  She needs other options/ideas.

This is my response/answer:

Designer Series Paper makes card making easier (not easy, but sometimes easier).  Especially when you need a quick card.  A lot of the design work is done for you because each pack of paper is color coordinated and pattern friendly.

I believe you are seeing a lot of cards online using Designer Series Paper for a few reasons:

• It's quicker/easier to use.  Cut a layer, glue it down and add a popped up message and maybe an embellishment.
• Because of this, it's faster to make and post online (photo or video) for a demonstrator.  Sometimes we don't have time to think or prepare a more complicated sample and we need to get something posted.  I am certainly "guilty" of this.
• There are many different ways of using patterned paper so you will see a lot of variations online.  You can use it for cards, tags, scrapbooking and 3D projects.
• There's always new paper being introduced by Stampin' Up! and demonstrators buy it to show it off.
• To be truthful, demonstrators like to use "consumable" products so customers will buy and re-buy from them.

This response doesn't help with your creations of 200 Christmas cards.  I agree, it's hard to economically make that many Designer Series Paper focused cards.

There are strategies of maximizing your paper.  For example: strip cards, "quilted" cards, strategic cutting, such as making your cards similar but with different back layers (you can get 72 layers from 4" x 5-1/4" layers, 6 per sheet; 108 layers from 4-1/4" square for square cards, 9 per sheet; and 192 layers from 3" squares (with an additional solid under layer) for square cards - if they all the patterns work as a back layer, sometimes this isn't the case).  

There are a lot of non-patterned paper focused ideas out there, I promise!  

Because you asked this very good question, my live today will not use any patterned paper!   I hope you will be able to watch (considering the amount of hours you work each week, you'll probably want to watch the replay).

The card I made on last week's live used 1/2" strips of patterned paper.  This is another strategic cutting method that would work for the amount of Christmas cards you make. Link to that live.

I am sure both of these cards could easily be converted into Christmas cards!

Thank you for asking such a great question.  As I mentioned in my initial questions, I want to provide you with relevant paper crafting information.  Please keep your questions coming.

That goes for you too!  Keep those questions coming.  And, if you have new answers to the questions above, I'd love to hear those too.

And, if you are a lover of Designer Series Paper, Stampin' Up! offers so many great choices!  See All Designer Series Paper.