Greeting card designer Brittany Ellis,
18, the featured Artist of the Month for August, says she
started making her own custom cards about five years ago.
“When I was about 13, I was learning how to scrapbook,” she
recalls. “I loved it, but soon got bored with how
long it took me to finish a page. I was talking to some
members of my family and they said I should make cards
for awhile because they were quicker to finish.”
“So I tried it, and they were right,” she said. “The
cards were not only quicker, but also more fun to make,
because I could use more of my imagination with the design,
size, and style, etc.”
“I started by replicating some samples that my family
had lying around, but I soon started making my own designs,” Ellis
added.
Ellis’ custom creations are blank inside, but they
feature a variety of artistic adornments and color combinations.
Ellis keeps busy making a variety of cards, including wedding
announcements with thank-you cards that match. When asked
if she could make 100 or more of the same exact card without
getting tired, she replied, “Oh, I’ve actually
done three or four hundred invitations, plus matching thank-you
cards. It’s actually funner to do them in mass production,
because you can just sit there and cut out a whole bunch
of the same thing at once, and not really have to think
about each one.”
 “It
might be mindless work sometimes, but I love it,” added
Ellis. “It really helps take your stress away.”
Other types of cards that Ellis is often asked to make
are baby announcements, birthday invitations, graduation
cards, thank-you cards, and get-well cards. “I can
make cards for any occasion,” she added. “ I’ve
done a lot of hunting and fishing cards for dads and grandfathers.
Also, someone wanted a card for a lady who loved chickens,
so I made a cutout of a rooster.”
 Ellis
keeps a sample of almost every card she designs in a
catalog, which is now approaching 200 examples. “I
enjoy making replicates of them, or designing more,” she
said. “I really love the designing part. I still
keep sketches of design ideas on paper and file them
until I have a chance to actually create them.”
“That’s the thing I love the most about them,
is that customers can make suggestions to do something
differently, either by changing a design I’ve already
made, or by creating a whole new idea. I really love it
when people give me input and suggest change,” Ellis
said.
“I’m always thinking of and creating new designs,” she
added.
Ellis also enjoys riding horses, and was the first runner-up
in the 2005 Canyonlands Rodeo royalty. Running for rodeo
queen that year is when Ellis says she started to get serious
about selling her cards.
“I had been making cards for family, friends, and
acquaintances, and they all loved them,” she recalls,
adding,. “But when I ran for rodeo queen in 2005,
I realized I needed funding for traveling, costumes, horse
maintenance, and other things. I set up a booth outside
of City Market to see if I could raise money selling some
of my cards.”
 “While
I was down there, a woman asked me if I would like to put some of my
cards in her shop downtown and sell them,” Ellis added. “I
got really excited about that, and made up a bunch of samples for her
to order from. I thought, wow, if she likes my cards so much, then
I bet more of the shops downtown would like to see my work. I traveled
down Main Street with my catalog and soon had a variety of shops that
wanted to carry my cards.”
Ellis, a 2006 graduate of Grand County High School, is
currently getting ready to begin attending college this
fall at the CEU extension campus in Blanding. She plans
to major in early childhood development.
 “I
love working with children,” Ellis said, noting
that she also works regularly as a babysitter. Ellis’ artistic
abilities aren’t limited to the visual arts. She
is also an accomplished singer, and has performed at
wedding and other functions. She also won a karaoke contest
at a local restaurant a couple of years ago.
Ellis’ favorite size of card to make is 4.25 inches
by 5.5 inches, which allows her to create four cards from
one standard 8.5 by 11 inch sheet of paper. “But
I also make larger cards, if needed,” she says, noting
that her fees go up as the cost of the materials increases.
She generally uses double-sided tape to stick each of the
cutout pieces to the card. In addition to using various
types of paper, Ellis also utilizes a variety of three-dimensional
objects on her cards, including metal decorations, string,
ribbon, cloth, and other items to add texture and interest.
In addition to cards of all varieties, Ellis also creates
family calendars, scrapbook pages, gift bags, plus mini-cards
and gift tags. She also makes decorative “wirajigs” -
custom shapes made out of twisted wire.
For more information about
Ellis’ custom cards and other creations, contact
her at 260-9663 or e-mail her at brittanyatgchs@yahoo.com.
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