Making customised cards: 3 tips before you start

There's a unique pleasure in receiving customized cards. To create them, dried flowers and plants are just the ticket. But before you start, consider the following four tips and tricks, which will definitely come in handy when making them.

• If you want your cards last long, choose an acid-free paper.
• There are a whole range of these, most of them handmade. Japanese paper Unryu, with short or long fibres, is semi-transparent.
• Mulberry paper also exists in a variety of textures and thicknesses.
• It is torn, not cut, which gives its edges a frayed appearance.

• Often used to decorate cards, the prestige associated with the laurel is no new fad.
• In Greek mythology, the laurel was the sacred plant of Apollo, the sun god, and later his son Asclepius, god of medicine.
• Apollo fell in love with the nymph Daphne, but, pursued by the god, she asked the other gods to help her.
• They turned her into a laurel. The winners of the first Olympic games were given crowns of olive leaves; these were replaced by the laurel and dedicated to Apollo.
• The traces of this tradition can still be seen in words such as "laureate".

• To dry flowers, the traditional method is that of the herbarium.
• Although it's a fun technique, it takes a lot of time.
• You can now buy flower presses that make it possible to dry the flowers in the microwave in minutes. They are found in specialty stores and on the Internet.
• For best results, pick your flowers and plants in the morning, when they aren't wet. Think about what they will become when dry: when flattened, a wild pansy will be more beautiful than a rose, for example.

When your loved one sees that you took the time to make a card yourself, they will only be grateful. Let your imagination run wild and show off!