OK, so I was inbetween temping jobs for several weeks earlier this year and after a few weeks of pure vegetating, I knew that I needed to fill my time with something.
I have never been the typical creative type. Ever since I was a kid, I've been able to visualise a picture of what I want my creations to look like, but they never ever end up that way. I wrote myself off as doomed to be uncreative for life and just buy all my cards.
But I was trawling ebay for ways to spend my non-existant money and I stumbled on the crafts section. Here I could buy card blanks, toppers that someone else had made and be able to assemble colours and stuff myself, therefore "making" my own cards without actually having to create all of the arty stuff myself. So I invested in a few toppers and started putting them together, with reasonably successful results. But half making my own cards was not good enough for long...
I then started buying more of the blank materials, ribbons, pearl and sparkly card, jewels and loads of different textures and colours of cards and paper. I have probably spent hundreds of £ (not $) in the last few months on materials and I haven't tried to sell a card yet (still a bit insecure about that) so it's not been a good business move so far!
What it has done though, is show me that I can be creative, that I can make something that looks how I want it to and that other people think it looks good too. That is far more valuable to me than making any money back on my outlay... although one day...