The Art and Craft of Handmade Cards

Whether sent through the mail or delivered in person, the handmade card brings with it a message that goes far beyond the words written inside. It says, “I cared enough to create something special.”



The Art and Craft of Handmade Cards demonstrates a wide array of creative options for creating beautiful, memorable greetings for any occasion. Acclaimed paper artist Diane Maurer-Mathison demonstrates, step by step, how to design folds, windows, edges, and layers, as well as how to decorate the card or invitation with color, texture, and dimension. She also explains how to produce stenciling, stamping, embossing, collages, pop-ups, marbling, and numerous other techniques. What’s more, everything is illustrated with beautiful and inspirational examples by the author as well as other leading paper and card artists.



This guide contains something for every skill level; experienced artists and crafters will find dozens of innovative ideas to add to their repertoire of card and envelope designs, while novice paper artists will be amazed at how easy it is to master a variety of dazzling paper decorating and card crafting techniques. And every reader will be able to create gorgeous handmade cards that will delight the recipient and present the wonderful gift of an artful greeting.




• Paper—making it, decorating it, and
creating with it—continues to be a strong crafts area. Greeting cards are one of its leading applications

• Features a wide range of innovative techniques and full-color examples

• Author has a first-class reputation
in the art of decorating paper

Diane Maurer-Mathison is an internationally recognized expert in the art of decorating paper. Her work is included in museum collections around the world, and book publishers, stationary companies, and manufacturers including Godiva Chocolatier and Lenox have reproduced her paste-paper and marbled designs. The author of The Art of Making Paste Papers and Art of the Scrapbook, she lives in Spring Mills, PA.