Just over a week ago, friends through Toastmasters gathered at my home, by invitation, for a craft afternoon. We’d talked about it at our Christmas gathering, set a date and now here we were, ready for it.

We’d also discussed, by email, what sort of craft to do and the materials we’d need to gather. Scrapbooking and card making both made a play for centre stage. Card making seemed the best fit since some participants’ budgets were more limited than others.

Rebecca had been making cards for some time. In fact she gave out only cards she’d made since well before her graduate studies began and when we met her. She was bringing the card stock and envelopes and some of her coloured paper supply and I would provide the place to craft, scissors and glue as well as snacks. Rebecca also brought a couple of the tools and punches she uses. And I had scrapbooking tools as well to add even more variety.

We’d also decided to invite our Toastmaster friend, Zareen, who’d come from Mauritius to work for a year who’d attended our Toastmasters meetings late last summer and fall.

We had a great time making cards and talking about mutual topics of interest and also learned more about the social events our friend engaged in while living in her home island.

At the end of the afternoon, we had many varied results to show off. All using the same materials and stamps available to each of us. Each one of us are artists in our own way. And now we have special cards for occasions where we can write our own note.

samples of our card making