Hey Stamping Peeps! Hope the new year is going well for all of you. I've titled today's post Cardmaking – did you know? I've been making handmade cards for years but I have never taken the time to actually research the history of my craft. I found some interesting facts so I thought you might enjoy, too!
Believe it or not, the custom of sending greeting cards can be traced back to the ancient Chinese and Egyptians. In Chinese society, people exchanged sentiments of good will to celebrate the new year and the early Egyptians were sending their greetings on papyrus scrolls.
Early in the 15th century, handmade greetings (now on paper) were being exchanged all over Europe. Valentines were one of the most popular forms of cards to send out.
In the 1800's, with advances in printing, more people were able to participate in this form of personal communication; it had been relatively expensive prior to this time. This trend continued on and holidays like Christmas caused an explosion in the greeting card industry.
E-cards made their debut into the market in the late 1990's. Now, I still prefer the handmade greeting card; I'm sure that comes as no surprise since I'm a Stampin' Up! demonstrator!??
Over SEVEN BILLION greeting cards were sent in the United States alone next year. I knew cardmaking was popular, but this number actually boggles my mind! Covid has curtailed many craft fairs and markets but so many sold their creations through this avenue. The wedding industry is huge and many cardmakers use their skills to turn a hefty profit making handmade wedding invitations and favors.
I thought these facts were interesting; hope you enjoyed reading them!
I'll have a new card project for you tomorrow so please pop on in!
