Greeting cards and invitations are easy to make and personalize. Strathmore or Canson blank cards can be used to write in and decorate by hand. They can also be enhanced with the addition of inserts or "stick-ons" done on a printer. Vellum envelopes and overlays are also available for a more sophisticated look.

Strathmore Announcement Cards are smaller than Strathmore Greeting Cards, making them perfect for enclosing as RSVP cards. Postcards can also be used for this purpose if a more casual look and feel are the order of the day.

For those with the time and desire, starting from scratch is also an option. Paper is available in every range of colour and texture: from the classic white, crisp and clean suitable for calligraphy, to the delicate, shimmery, soft, and exotic types suitable for embellishment or decoration. Decorative and coloured papers can be used to customize Canson and Strathmore ready-made cards with collage, inserts, matting for photos and other decorative additions.

Cutting, scoring and folding are easy to learn with a little practice, and a bone folder is the perfect tool! Use it to assist with the manufacture and design of your own invitations, place holders, favour holders, thank you notes, guest books, photo albums and other decorations or keepsakes tailored to your personal needs and tastes exactly.

To create a guest book for a special event, with matching photo album and keepsake book, you can make books by hand, or have one made. But time and budget do not always allow for these options so purchasing a ready-made book or album and customizing it is a very practical and less time-consuming option.

Consider embellishing the covers and the pages of purchased books with photos (using photo corners for a more retro look), collage, stencilling, stamping, freehand drawing, layers of paper with or without cutout areas, vellum overlays, silhouette cut motifs and painting. The covers of some albums are available with a die-cut window for inserting a photo or art piece, but you can also cut windows in those without. In some cases the covers and pages can be disassembled to make the job of altering them easier, and then put back together when you are ready.

If you have good penmanship, or feel a desire to learn, calligraphy supplies are available for adding text to your books, cards or albums.

A good pen and permanent ink are relatively inexpensive, and give a beautiful and classic look to your work. Inkjet printing works on a wide range of papers, or you can purchase specialty papers suitable for inkjet printing in a variety of styles such as textured, watercolour, glossy or matte, to name a few.

Part of the enjoyment of special occasions, including weddings, anniversaries or birthdays, can come from making the cards, albums and other stationery yourself. You will have handmade keepsakes that you created for your occasion, which both you and your guests will want to keep.