A Complete Beginner - 2009 and 2010 Cards

My first cards were made in 2009 to send to church members who were shut ins.  They were all so very gracious when they received my first attempts at hand crafted cards.  I used commercial card fronts trimmed down, a variety of fibers, and card construction techniques from YouTube.  There are only a few remaining, but here they are in all their non-glory.

 From 2009, made with a Martha Stewart kit I won at the Old Rock School all-day crop. 

 I found a wedding invitation kit at the Foothills Thrift Store and used the blanks for the card bases, adding some patterned paper (note the lack of contrast), a card front trimmed to size, and some yellow and white threads from the Holly Bee shop.  This card was made in 2010 before I sent cards to Operation Write Home and before I knew about focal points, contrast, and the magic of matting photos and papers.