Sunday, April 12, 2009

Turns Out I Am Totally Crafty

So here's an update for you. We're still broke. This week my Dad turns 72 and I can't afford to buy him a big screen TV like my sister is going to do. So instead I decided I would try making a homemade present for him, because that's way more meaningful than a stupid big screen TV anyway and also because if I WAS going to buy a big screen TV, I would buy it for myself.

I got this brilliant idea to make my Dad's birthday card with pretty papers and a copy of a picture of him when he was a kid. So I stopped at Hobby Lobby on Friday and picked up some stuff, found one of my favorite pics of my Dad as a young 'un on the farm and got down to business.

Dudes, I think I've found my true calling in life.

I'm a photographer and that feeds my inner creativity most days. But I had no idea that I have a future in greeting card sales! I'm totally Etsy-ing the shit out of these things!

Here's my Dad's card. You can tell it's his card because the word "dad" is on it. I'm a genius at pointing out the obvious.


Cute as hell, right? My Dad is gonna eat this up with a freakin' spoon. He's gonna totally forget about the peanut butter cookies I didn't send this year like I usually do because I got wrapped up in gluing together this card and forgot to bake the cookies and shut up already, I'll send him the cookies for Father's Day, okay?

Here's a closeup of my Dad on his 5th birthday back in 1942.


He still smiles like that. I miss my Dad. He and my Mom live in Arizona and I hardly ever see them these days.

sniff


Anyway, I was still feeling crafty after I finished Dad's card, so I went ahead and made my Mother's Day card for next month. Because I'm an overachiever, so stop hatin', yo.

My mom is the one on the far left.


I wrote on the inside of the card "Everything I know about sexin' it up I learned from you." Because we're sentimental like that.

I think she was about 15 years old when this picture was taken. She was in love with Elvis Presley and wore poodle skirts and bright red lipstick. Look at her feet...yep, she also wore saddle shoes.


I miss my Mom too.

sniffle


So I need y'all to tell me if they think I could sell this stuff. Because Miss Yvonne needs a new pair of shoes and I just paid the mortgage, so I either sell these cards or I make do with one of the 84 pairs of shoes I already have.

Times are tough, people.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

CUTE

You should do something like that on etsy where you get people to send you the copies of photos and you make custom cards. so cute.

Also, FWIW, as a parent, my favorite gifts are always the ones my kids make. I'm sad my daughter is of an age she wants to buy gifts rather than make them. I think I'll always feel that way.

Kurt said...

People love that homemade shit. And by people I mean "my Mom" and probably the reason she loves it is because she never gets it.

All she ever gets is a twenty dollar bill with " Please put this in the bank so I can have it back when you're dead" written on it in sharpie.

Look at me not making a "your mom" joke. I'm pretty much the best person on the planet.

The cards were really sweet in seriousness. I'd be stoked if my kid gave me something like that.

Lana said...

those cards are great! and yes, selling them would be incredibly easy because anyone else who's spent nine hours cutting out little paper bits and trying to figure out which glue to use to make their own only to turn out a disasterous mess in the end, would love to buy cards that actually look special (and i don't mean retarded 'special').

ps. you can NEVER have enough shoes

erin said...

Your parents are so cute! I have this super adorable photo of my parents holding me on their wedding day. My mom looks like a baby (she was only 18) in this totally dated disco frock and rocking some awesome feathered hair...my dad's in a three piece POWDER-BLUE suit! I'm like three months old and they're both holding me and it makes me a little teary everytime I see it!
And can you tell I'm totally wound up this morning with all the ! ! ! !

Lindsey said...

Very nice.

I like the Etsy idea. I think you could turn those into funny greeting cards too. You just need some witty/sarcastic comments.

You blog for fuck sakes. You could come up with some good shit, Im sure of it.

I love Etsy, and Id totally buy your greeting cards. But not if you try and charge me, like,20 bucks for shipping. Then Id just be all like "Screw you Yvonne, you can't make money off of shipping, that's just wrong, and now I don't like you and I cant read your blog anymore."

Oops, I think I just blogged in your comments section. Sorry man.

diane said...

I like Lindsey's idea of making little sarcastic comments on the cards.

Your rents look so cute.

word ver. - dingle - no explanation needed.

Brandy Wilcoxen said...

LOVE!!

Anna Russell said...

My daughter makes me homemade cards every year and I keep them all in a little box. They mean far more to me than any other gifts.
Well, except the laptop someone bought me.

Green-Eyed Momster said...

WAY better than Hallmark! You are so clever that you could really give Hallmark a run for their money!!
I just deleted most of what I was going to say here. Maybe I'll send you an email!!

Jugs!!

Sacred Yoli said...

welcome to my world. Crafting and a lil chit talking is my vida!

Well done.

(by the way, I have recently found your blog via another blog buddy) Isn't it fun when your homeis whore you out?)

Tots said...

Yep, You have the touch (not the disease the touch, ok maybe the disease the touch but I don't really know 'cause I don't know if that's a real disease I am just trying to cover the bases)...




Oh yeah, cards are awesome, you should link it up as a thing on your blog (advertise yourself, novel, yo?

Craiglist yourself too, never hurts. As long as the moron renter lock the door so when the psycho stalks you from Craigslist to kill you they can't get in.

(Like the run on sentences?)

Vic said...

I really like the way you used your parent's pictures (which are great)

Time to set up shop!

Mona Lott said...

Honestly, those are both totally kick ass. EXCELLENT photo choices, too. I'd buy 'em:)

said...

Etsy-up, card girl!!

Amy Kate said...

ADORABLE! And I'm in a vintage photo mood lately, as we are still sifting through trunks of picture from the 20s-60s of my gramma and grampa, mom and aunt and I just love these pictures. Even if it isn't people I know.
I love that your dad carried his own cake! I love that your mom looks like part of a still shot for a movie set in the 1950s. LOVE IT!
The cards are beautiful. I love them, and of COURSE you can sell them on Etsy. Dude, people are selling placenta bags there. And crocheted birthing dolls (Don't ask, it was a long night of clicking links). I would much rather sort through your collection of adorable cards, made with love, 800 times before finally committing to purchase one than look at another vagina related crocheted item.
(Word verification: Jewatis. I feel like I shouldn't be typing it, like it is a slur or something.)

skywind said...

very nice. I like your blog.
Health informationHumor & Fun World

Anonymous said...

those are effing adorable. if I had ever made my dad a card he would have thanked me and then probably tossed it. that's sweet that your dad is sentimental.

Miss Yvonne said...

Wow, thanks everyone for the kick ass comments! I'll totally remember you when I'm a famous card maker...there is such a thing, right?

Aimee said...

I wish I were card crafty like that - but I suck. Which is far more lucrative anyway.

But yeah - you should totally sell the cards. And go ahead and use pictures of your own family. No one will notice.
:)

ana. said...

do start a store. im not saying ill actually buy anything, but i promise to browse thru them on a semi-regular basis.
oh! and pls do include a description to every card. i guess you can call it your etsy-card-blog....only funnier :)