What to Write in those Blank Cards

 This is just a quick post on ideas for dealing with a blank card. Let's say you've bought a blank card from me or from another artist at a craft sale. It's a pretty card on the outside, but now you're staring at that blank page on the inside. What do you write in there? 

The Inside of a Card  

Normally,  all you write in a card goes on the right side. The left side is left blank unless you want to add a short note. So, on the right side, you'd put: 

1. The salutation: 

        - examples: To (name), Dear Mom, or just a name ( Greg, )

        - put a comma after the salutation

        - drop down a line (that's the space of a line, you can guess at this) 

2. The verse or sentiment: 

        - Here's the hardest part for me, maybe you, too? More on this later. 

3. Your signature

        - Depending on who you're giving the card to, before your signature you could write Love, Yours truly, Your (friend, brother, cousin, etc.) but be sure to be honest and sincere with it. I don't recommend writing Love, ... if you're sending a card to a new friend, for example. In appropriate situations you could write something to fit the occasion: 

• for a birthday or anniversary: Best wishes, Happy birthday or Happy anniversary, 
• to express sympathy over a death: In sympathy, In sorrow with you, 
• to celebrate a promotion or graduation: Congratulations, Best wishes, 

Now to find that verse or sentiment: 

1. Being the sentimental person that I am, I have a small collection of those old Ideal booklets that came out in the 60s and 70s. For a special occasion, like a birthday, I'll look through them for something that fits the occasion. I've put some examples at the bottom of this post.  

 2. There are also lots of websites offering many examples of verses you can use. Just Google a phrase like "what to write in a blank card", or make it more specific and type "verse to write in a blank birthday card". Here are some I like: 

• https://www.wikihow.com/What-to-Write-in-a-Birthday-Card
• https://www.bhg.com/party/birthday/cards/funny-birthday-jokes-poems-riddles/
• https://www.papier.com/thefold/articles/what-to-write-in-a-birthday-card

3. Before you write that verse:

You can save yourself some embarrassment by doing a little planning of how this verse is going to look on your card. Here's what you do:

1. take a piece of scrap paper and lightly draw around the folded card so that you get a rectangle the same size as the space you'll be writing in; don't make a dark, black line around the edge of the card by pressing too hard with the pencil or pen
2. do a quick practise session by writing out everything in the rectangle on the scrap paper; even include the salutation at the top, and your signature at the bottom if you wish.
3. Go ahead and write everything in the card; use a coloured marker, gel pen, or for a smart or formal look, use a black pen.
4. Some people might insert in the card a small, sentimental item like a photo, sticker, bookmark, or other small, flat, pretty thing.

Got an Envelope?

Normally, an envelope comes with any card, but if you don't have one, here's a link showing a really easy way to make envelopes for 3 sizes of cards. You can use gift wrap paper, plain white paper, brown paper, or the kind of colourful paper that creator Natasha Foote used in her post.

Here's some of my favourite verses for cards:

I've used one verse out of a poem by James Joseph Huesgen in a few birthday cards, depending on the season the birthday lands on, for example, this one for spring:

Then suddenly it's spring again

A different kind of hue,

When colours burst from out the ground

In shades of joy and blue.

I love this short poem, also by James Joseph Huesgen, for a birthday:

Live not in yesterdays

Look back, and you may sorrow

Live precisely for today,

Look forward to tomorrow.

Another nice poem for a birthday by Erle D. Parker:

Life is a beautiful garden

Made of our days and years.

It always is growing and changing

As each new birthday appears.

And so in the beautiful garden

Brightened by sunshine above

May you go through the years and gather

It's blossoms of joy and love.

Here's one that might work for a sympathy card, by Emily Dickinson:

I never saw a moor,

I never saw the sea;

Yet know I how the heather looks,

And what a wave must be.

I never spoke with God,

Nor visited in heaven;

Yet certain am I of the spot

As if the chart were given.

A Bible verse is often used in cards. Here is a List of Bible Verses to Write in Cards and Notes.

Wise, short quotes never fail to give meaning to a card. Here are 50 Short Meaningful Quotes to Write on a Card.

I hope you enjoyed this post and found something useful for future cards you may send.