Italic pens

I visited my parents recently. My dad, in his mid 70s, approached me one morning and said, "Well the italic pens still work." I must have looked rather mystified because he went on to say, "When I'm gone they'll be yours".  I guess at his age you start to think about things like that. It took me aback a little, but also got me thinking.

I used to use italic pens a lot when our children were younger. Initially it had started out as a way to save money by making our own cards for birthdays and other celebrations.  We had some quite creative results and I would often use my italic pens to write in them. We could buy the blank cards quite cheaply through a local craft store and, as we were home educating, our card making was part of our art work. Sometimes we even made little miniature cross stitch pictures relevant to the season. I still have a lovely one of some carol singers done by one of my daughters - she did one for me!

When the children were older we started making them on the computer. It's relatively easy to find images online that suit but after my dad's mention of the italic pens I began to think a bit. It's ok but it's not really as creative. If you make your own card you can add, not just a picture, but a whole lot of other things like beads, ribbon, cut outs, pop outs etc etc - whatever creative idea takes your fancy.

There is something about handmade that computer made just can't reproduce. Handmade has a bit of yourself in it.

I might just go and get out those italic pens....