The card-making event was such a great way to start off the semester! Over the years I’ve actually developed the skill of making homemade last-minute birthday cards for my friends and family. I’ve always found them more personal and really heartfelt. So immediately, I knew I wanted to sign up for this event and see if I could learn anything new! The materials included in the kit were great to put together such cute homemade cards. I decided to make one for my friends who stayed back home for the semester as a little “I’m thinking of you” and a pick-me-up. I enjoyed just being able to sit back, take my mind off of classes, and let my creativity flow! It was nice being on a zoom with other people because it reminded me that there were people there and I felt a little less alone during this unique semester!

It has been FOREVER since I last made a card myself. Well, that’s not true literally, but it certainly felt so. I used to be very fond of crafts, but as I grew older and gotten busier, I drifted apart from it. Last time I’ve made a hand-made card was probably back in elementary school. Not to use it as an excuse, but it was a great excuse of how clumsy I was. I had no clue what should I do with all the craft paper, decorative pieces, and scissors, so I ended up copying all of my suitemate Lisa’s idea. Her cards were simple but they looked very good.

I enjoyed this event a lot even though I was not good at it at all. It was the first time I get to do something together (except eating) with my suitemates. This event gave us a legitimate reason to relax and have fun sitting together. We listened to music while we casually chatted and made cards, it really gave me the chance to spend more time with real persons (screen doesn’t count) as we did it together in the suite livingroom. All of us loved it and agreed we should do this more often.

This was one of my most memorable Rose House events because of the impact it had later on! I had a blast crafting decorative cards for my friends, not only was it therapeutic, but I was able to implement my creative energy and see others’ artistic prowess. GRF Seems card making skills were amazing and was a source of inspiration as well! I ended up making a card for one of my friend’s and when I give it to him he was very surprised because it turned out to be one of the first time’s he’s ever gotten a card. Even though my card was mostly humorous, I was able to relay my gratitude and appreciation for having him as a friend and I could see that he appreciated it. Card making is very underrated nowadays and I think we should start normalizing card giving to more people! it’s a small token of gratitude and it can make someone’s day exponentially better because unfortunately, we don’t show each other enough how much people mean to us!

Being creative is relaxing. Allowing your artistic juices to flow and contemplating symmetry, colors, and aesthetic beauty is an activity that I, and I think many of my peers, don’t do often enough. As an engineering major, much of my academic time is spent with numbers, facts, and scientific reasoning. However, creativity is key to so many careers, and engineering is definitely one of them. Designing products, circuits, programs, and networks requires ingenuity, thinking outside the box, and allowing our artistic intuition to take over sometimes. Engineering, after all, combines math and science with design.

Making cards was the perfect creative outlet to allow my thinking to run free and exercise the artistic side of my brain. In addition, I really loved that we made cards, specifically. Writing cards for friends and family on their birthday to show them how amazing they are is a passion of mine, and I was so excited to add more artistic flair to this activity.

I really enjoyed the card making workshop lead by Seema because it was nice to just sit for an hour making cards, using only our creativity with the materials available. I used to make personalized cards for holidays and thank you cards for teachers back in middle school and freshman and sophomore year in high school, but I haven’t made any cards since. It allowed me to have a creative outlet and to just relax especially during this stressful time with corona and online classes. I was able to make a birthday card for my dad and a birthday card for a friend, and give it to them. I was reminded of the pride and happiness from seeing their smiles after they open the card and seeing not only the message, but also how it was handmade rather than store bought. I will definitely continue to make cards just because it provides a time to take my mind off other ongoing events and the satisfaction after making it.

The card-making workshop was a really nice way to take a break from an endless slog of textbook notes and lecture recordings. Taking the time to sit down and do something creative rather than staring at a screen for another hour really put into perspective how I had spent the past few weeks…

I think I usually put in a good amount of effort when it comes to card-picking commercially, although I don’t really do it often. I’ll at least pick a card with something funny on the cover, like “We need to talk”, and maybe doodle inside. Nowadays, though, there just aren’t that many reasons to send cards anymore, especially since it might feel a bit awkward unless you’re close to the person you’re sending them to. But I think that’s because I usually end up being more sentimental with card-writing than like, over text or phone call. I honestly found thinking of what to write/who to send them to much harder than the card-making itself, but it’s not the cards are going anywhere.

I really enjoyed the card-making kit that I received; I had a lot of fun thinking of ways to incorporate all the materials into my cards, which I think turned out really nice.

The card-making event was an incredible one. Semma Singh welcomed us while I got all set up. I wasn’t sure what I was going to make, but a girl mentioned that she was making a card for her mom’s birthday. I then got a pang of homesickness and decided to make cards to send home to my family. It felt really good getting something together to send home to show my family I miss and appreciate them. I realized how long it’s been since I have worked with my hands and done something fun like arts and crafts. And it was extra nice since there has been so much screen time I could just center myself on this art project. I had owl prints in my bag so I decided to make owl-themed cards with owl puns on them. I’ve been so caught up in schoolwork and everything so my communication back home hasn’t been the best. The jazz music played and I just let myself enjoy using colorful markers while I write an update to my family about my life. I’m excited for them to know that I am thinking of them with this homemade card. Overall a wholesome experience. 

Every fall, I have two “big deals” to prepare for: the start of the school year and the flood of birthdays among friends. While the former is surprisingly easier to manage as September creeps closer (perhaps because my major’s four-year plan is practically laid out for me already), the latter is what ignites my worries. What gifts should I get my dear friends? How can I possibly beat last year’s gift? Where can I access gift supplies as a college student who is barely scraping by with a few BRBs and meal swipes? These kinds of essential questions are unending.

In my vain attempt to avoid these worries this year, I managed to order gifts on Amazon mid-August in preparation of the fall birthday season. I thought I had everything planned out– I either shipped the gifts straight to my off-campus friends or had it sent to Rose for me to hand-deliver around campus; I even made sure to include the gift receipt option (just in case). But once I arrived on campus, I realized I had forgotten one crucial part of every birthday present. The card.

Regret! Shame! Fear! Questioning life! What will my friend think of a mere gift with no card? In what world can a gift with no card beat last year’s gift? And where can a college student who is barely scraping by with a few BRBs and meal swipes access card-making supplies for this catastrophe?

Amidst my frantic search for quaint birthday card stores in Ithaca, I received the iconic weekly email from Rose Scholars that we all know and love. And behold, a card making workshop with GRF Seema was happening on Saturday.

Joy! Excitement! Courage! Questioning life! My fall worries had been relieved and I finally had the (very diverse set of) materials and inspiration to make personalized, full-of-love birthday cards to accompany my friends’ gifts. Thank you, GRF Seema, for bringing your creativity and organization to the workshop. Now I can continue into this fall season without my annual birthday-season fears weighing me down! What a fall to remember.

Wait a minute… does anyone know where I can get envelopes?

I always enjoyed making presents for my friends from scratch.  They always made me feel like I was giving them something important, something that I thought about carefully, planned thoroughly, and worked for many hours on to make it perfect.  Or as perfect as I could get it.  Creating beautiful products by hand also has helped me think more creatively and relax as I color or carefully piece small parts together.  This workshop has helped me continue to make small presents by hand.  I made cards for people who mean a lot to me but I have not seen in a while or know are lonely because of social isolation and the pandemic.  It was a lot of fun working with my suitemates in the common room to make cards for our friend who decided to stay home for the semester.  It was fun to see all the different ways we tried to make our cards personal and fit her personality.  It was a great community experience working with my friends, doing something that we all enjoy for a common friend.  All the different designs we came up with was great to see.  We all think so differently, but the outcome is similar: beautiful cards for a fantastic friend.

Have you ever purposely taken the time out of your hectic week just to relax? Or do you forget to put your own needs first like many of us do? The Explore! Series: Card Making Workshop reminded me how important self-care is. Doing a creative activity helped decrease my stress and allow me to focus better afterward. Here are some of the cards that I made! I did not have any scissors and used all the materials given to me. My favorite card is the pink one. During the workshop, I wrote my 8 year-old sister a message since we both miss each other so much. I plan on mailing it to her and hopefully make her smile! But even if she doesn’t (which she will), at least I took time to destress. I plan on making that more of a priority this semester, now more than ever. I can’t wait to join everyone for another activity next week!

Ever since I was little, I’ve always loved doing arts and crafts– cutting paper, gluing collages together, and doodling until my markers went dry. With creative and artsy projects in elementary school turning into mundane papers, exams, and textbook readings as I’ve reached higher education, I truly missed getting my hands dirty with paint marks and glue. Taking just an hour out of my busy day to spend time living one of my greatest childhood joys brought me lots of peace. Not only was creating cards such a nostalgic moment, but what my specific card symbolized to me was also really special. When my cousin was doing her undergrad at Cornell over six years ago, she sent my older sister and I handmade cards because she was away while our family was celebrating Eid. Now that I am on the very same campus and she’s away at medical school, I  thought it would be nice to return the favor and send her an uplifting message. I’m really excited to mail it away to her in Syracuse and I hope this card can make her day a little better and brighter. I love the way my card turned out and how I was able to merge all the pieces of my kit into one creation. I will definitely be making my own cards from now on because I really enjoy the creative process and making my cards so personalized!

Store-bought cards are great; they have never failed to do their job, but I have always found them a bit hollow. While their messages are sweet or comedic, they are also mass-produced slogans that can be given to anyone. When I think about all the cards I have ever received, the ones I have appreciated have contained personalized messages or were hand-made. At GRF Seema’s card-making workshop, I found myself reflecting on how important it is to show how much you care about others through your actions. I could write a simple “Happy Birthday” message to my sister using a store bought card, but putting that same “Happy Birthday” message in a card I made would be more memorable. I would take her personality into account, adding silly drawings and shared jokes to a card matching her favorite color scheme and patterns. Everything I put into the card would be for her. A store bought card does the job, but hand-made cards carry a stronger message of care and affection. Looking at the cards I made, I am happy to say that I may have found a new potential hobby.

After signing up for the card making kit, I was nervous for the event. More specifically, I am the exact opposite of a creative person; I liked organization and structure. Seeing how I had to make a card from scratch was intimidating: I had been so used to buying the store-bought cards. Since the Chinese holiday of the Mooncake Festival (where family members gather together and admire the full, bright moon) is soon approaching, I decided to make a card to send to my family back home. I drew a moon cake, a common food item seen on the table to celebrate the holiday and one of my favorite treats is moon cake, as well as the bright, full moon in the front to show that we are all united and connected by seeing the same moon. I plan to write in the card and mail it just in time for the holiday! Another idea that came in my mind is making a card for my friend back home whose birthday is coming up. I drew a birthday cake in the front, balloons, confetti, and added some of the small flower decorations to the corners of the card for the final touch. The last card I got the chance make is for my relatives who live in Hong Kong. With a 12-hour time difference, it can be hard sometimes to find a convenient time to video chat with them. I plan on writing on my recent updates and ask how they are doing in this pandemic. Overall, I had a fun time making the cards with the lovely music provided by GRF Seema and realized that it is okay to have simple looking cards and that it is the thought and effort that really makes a card special.