Origami Greeting Cards

Have you received an original origami card? Click here to learn more about it.

As Christmas 2003 approached, I was recovering for a horribly stressful move from the community I called home for 13 years to a community I still don’t know very well. I was lost and a bit lonely in my new home. I had not worked since January, was so broke I couldn’t buy dog food let alone Christmas gifts. My bid for Social Security Disability was only a bitter disappointment. Still, I wanted to say “thank you” to people who helped me make it through the prior year of stress and turmoil.

I looked for a way to spread the joy of the season as people had done for hundreds of years. So I got busy making crafts. One part of these crafts was the early inspiration for the cards you see on this page. If you are lucky enough to have one of these cards, know that they were made to say “thank you” to the special people in my life. They may look simple enough, but making them takes a lot of care and precision folding, cutting and gluing. If it weren’t so fun, it would be hard work.

I’ve been folding origami for as long as I can remember. I honestly don’t know where or when I was first introduced to this ancient Japanese art form. However, while teaching in suburban Tokyo, my students were surprised to learn that I knew origami before coming to Japan. I remember we used to fold a piece of paper to make this little device that functioned like a Magic 8 Ball. You would think of a question, go through the steps to operate it, and then open a flap and the answer would be revealed. But beyond that, I cannot remember if I learned more about origami in an elementary school art class or from the many books I checked out from the library across the street from my home. Yet much like my knowledge of computers, most of what I know is self taught.

I have had a bit of inspiration and assistance from friends while creating these cards, but the designs are my own (though currently the stencils and stamps were purchased from other artists). Everything but the card stock is cut, folded, embossed, glued, and stamped by my own hands and in my own home. It may be hard work and a single card may be made over a series of days, but it provides a great deal of satisfaction and joy when I see the look of appreciation in the eyes of the people to whom they are given.

In the future I will provide a bit more information about the meaning of each of the designs. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the cards or process, please feel free to use this contact form.

FAQs

Q:Wow! These are really neat! Where can I buy them?
A:Currently I am unable to sell these cards for a variety of reasons. I make them for friends as thank you presents for the help they provide while I wait for disability.

Q:Will you ever sell these cards?
A:Maybe some day in the future. However, it is hard to get the supplies at a reasonable cost and I would need a bit of money to invest in a decent inventory of paper and card stock before I could even try that.

Q:What is the Chinese character you use?
A:This is the kanji (Chinese character used by the Japanese) for “love.” It was designed by TSC Designs. The embossed tree was designed by Lynell Harlow.

Q:Who designed the stamped images on the cards?
A:PSX, Santa Rosa, CA

Q:What are the two triangular doll-like figures?
A:These are called Hina Dolls. See this link for more information on the meaning behind the dolls.

Q:You have a cicada, a summer insect, with a camellia, an early springtime flower&133
A:I’ve thought about this potential anachronism but since I have learned about summer flowering camellia, I no longer have to write this off as artistic license.

Q:What’s up with the color scheme?
A:As hard as I try, I sometimes make mistakes with the color matching. This is a product of my being color blind. While I see color, I often misinterpret which color it is and it’s suitability with other colors. I often mistake green for brown, green for grey, blue for purple, and the reverse. I generally do much better with brighter hues, worse with deeper, darker colors.

Q:How long does it take to make a card like this?
A:Actual times vary and the current designs are more involved than my original Christmas gift cards. But I generally spend 15 – 30 minutes on each card.

Q:Where do you get the pretty paper?
A:I have been collecting origami papers for years and even brought back a stash from Japan. Additionally, many of the current papers I use were a gift from a friend in Japan. I’m always on the lookout for origami paper.

Q:When was this page last updated?
A:12 September 2004.