Specialty Cards
Another joy of mine is making specialty cards. I like designing different styles and catering them to various occasions for my friends. About a year ago, I decided to market them to the public. It has been a challenge as they are so time-consuming to make. I spend time and energy on each one to make them unique and special.
At this time I am focusing specifically on making sets of Ayyam-i-Ha cards. I used to do everything from scratch: folding and cutting black paper to size, printing the text on gold paper and cutting and gluing exquisite Japanese paper onto the card. I have now found a printing company that will help me with the basic folding of beautiful shades of gold paper. I also make sets of cards that have inspirational quotations from the Ruhi Institute books. You can view some of the cards on the ‘Beautiful Items’ page on my website. I would love to hear your feedback or comments on the cards. I hope you enjoy!
Thought of the Day:
“…all things that have in themselves grace or beauty are pleasing to the heart and spirit…” -Abdu’l-Baha
12 Comments
Dear Elika,
I appreciate your beautiful work so very much! Incidentally, you mentioned that sometimes you have composed music to the writings by “request.” I wonder if you would ever consider setting the following to music:
“If it be Thy pleasure, make me to grow as a tender herb in the meadows of Thy grace, that the gentle winds of Thy will may stir me up and bend me into conformity with Thy pleasure, in such wise that my movement and my stillness may be wholly directed by Thee.” (Baha’u’llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u’llah, p. 240)
This is a quote that really impressed me the first time I read it and would love to hear it set to music!
Your work has helped me to memorize so many of the writings – and has touched my heart.
Thank you,
Susan
Hi Elika! It was great to see you and Tarry again yesterday after so many years. It truly is a small world.
I came to check out your website and thought I would leave a comment in your blog. Unfortunately I have nothing to comment about Specialty Cards. Hmm .. let me try to make this topical…
I am not very arts and crafty myself. Which is ironic since I’m a graphic and visual designer. I suppose I could be if I just sat down and tried, but I’m usually pretending that I’m too busy to do something like that so I never end up starting those sorts of projects. That’s okay though. Everything has it’s time and place. I’m sure I will have my artsy-craftsy phase soon enough.
Anyway, I just wanted to say hello. Hope you guys had a safe flight back to Beijing!
Hi Mark! Great hearing from you and bumping into you in Hong Kong! I just checked out your website too – very impressive. Thanks for writing and keeping in touch.
My Dearest one
It was so wonderful being with the family over the holidays. Thank you for arranging it. I dearly cherished the moments being with you all and love seeing the pictures you have put up. The cards are such a delight. The beauty and grace that you have created are truly “pleasing to the heart and spirit”. I wallow in them with great joy whenever i open up your web page with the beauty of the cards and the beauty of the music… thanks for sharing this beautiful gift with so many.
Hi Elly again!
I must tell you that since i have been in Thailand at every devotional gathering i hear your music from the mouths of the young and old. They not only sing your compositions that they have put into the Thai prayers but use your melodies for other pieces of the Bahai Writings too. it is such a delight to hear them…
so much love to you always
j
Thanks for your comments love! I’m so glad to hear that the friends in Thailand are using the melodies – I would love to hear them in Thai! Can’t wait for them to hear the new pieces on ‘Fire and Gold’!
Dear Susan, thank you for your appreciation for what I love to do. The quotation you sent me is a beautiful one and I felt inspired to set it to music-so thank you for sending it. I would love to get it professionally recorded at some point. I will update you as I soon as I do. 🙂
Dear Elika,
I am so deeply touched that you are planning to set this piece to music! I look forward to hearing it . . . and maybe memorizing it as I sing along!
Thank you so much for your work!
Best Regards,
Susan
Dear Elika,
I love this quote from Abdu’l-Baha!
It answers some of my questions about the things I’ve seen in this world. I was scuba diving off the coast of Monterey two years ago, and at 35 ft under water I saw the most beautiful royal purple shell with a line of gold spiraling around it… and it was atop a sea snail!! I couldn’t understand why God would create such a beautiful thing at the bottom of the ocean… where no one was meant to see it.
amazing indeed!
love,
naree
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I wish I would’ve seen these before Ayyam-i-ha! Keep making them. I promise I’ll order next year.
Hi Todd. Not to worry. There is always next year. I do also make Nawruz cards and am planning to start making Ridvan cards too. 🙂