How To... Mass Produce Cards

Hi Stamping Friends!!

I've been a Stampin' Up! demonstrator since 2006. I became a demonstrator simply for the discount. I had begun to make invitations for people and I was purchasing large quantities of card stock and ribbon. And no matter how hard I looked, I could not find better quality products than what I was buying from Stampin' Up! So I signed up and have not regretted it since!

Over the years I have made invitations for weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, birthdays, 50th anniversaries, bachelorette parties, and teas. I've also created thousands (Yes. You read that correctly. I said THOUSANDS!) of Christmas cards. One Christmas alone I made over two thousand cards. Many of my customers ordered between two and three hundred cards each so it was easy to get into the thousands quickly. 

Needless to say, I have a little bit of experience in mass producing cards. And even though I purposefully stopped taking large orders, I still stamp between 30 and 40 cards each month. I thought you might like to get a glimpse in the process that works best for me.

Here is the card that I mass produced this month:

Stamps: The Newborn King

Paper: Very Vanilla, Elegant Eggplant, Gold Foil

Accessories: Itty Bitty Star Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Circle Punches, Rhinestone Jewels, Vanilla Ribbon (retired)

The first thing to think about when making a large amount of cards is the design and layout. How much time do you have? Do you want something simple or fancy? I tend to go with simpler designs and techniques. I try to avoid time-consuming things like sponging and heat embossing. I do like to use embossing folders because I love the texture. It just didn't work with this design.

After deciding on the design, I score and cut the card bases:

Next I cut the card fronts and either emboss them or in this case, stamp them:

Next I stamp and punch out all the pieces for my embellishments. For very large orders, I would even pre-cut all of the ribbon. 

Now I have all of the pieces of my card ready for assembly:

As you can see in the above pic, I stamped and punched the nativity scene and layered it onto the gold foil scallop so it would be ready to be attached to the card.

When I have all my pieces ready, I begin putting the cards together a la assembly line style. This means that I attach all of the card fronts onto the card bases, first. Then I add the bigger embellishments. In this case, I added both of the circle elements. Finally, I add my "pretty" finishing touches which typically are rhinestones and ribbons.

When mass producing you also need to consider your adhesive choices. Are you in a hurry? Are you trying to save money? Do you need a strong holding or fast drying adhesive? Answers to these questions will determine which adhesive you choose. In this case, I was in a hurry and was not worried about cost. I used Fast Fuse to attach my card front on to my base. I used glue to attach my nativity scene to my gold scallop. I used Dimensionals to attach both circle elements. And finally, I used Glue Dots to attach my gold star. Thankfully the Stampin' Up! rhinestone jewels already have adhesive on the backs so that was an easy choice.

I ended up with 41 cards. People always ask me how long it takes to make a card and I've never been able to answer them. I rarely sit down and just "make a card". I get out card stock and ribbon for inspiration. Then I browse the internet for design ideas. Etc. Same for mass producing. I have no idea how long it took to make these because I easily interrupt myself. I stamp standing up so I give my legs a break every so often. Plus there is always kids, and laundry, and house distractions. But I did start these one day and finish them the next if that gives you a general idea. :)

Anywhoo!! I hope you enjoyed this little how to. And I hope it gave you a few ideas on how to streamline the process of making a ton of cards at one time. But I hope you never have to make 300 of the same card. Ever. Because by the time you are done you will think it is the ugliest card you have ever created. Ever. 

If you haven't already, please go and "like" my Facebook page. I need more followers so Facebook doesn't get rid of little ol me... KRYSTAL'S CARDS

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!

Krystal