Hardly daring to breathe, Gwen Lovatt carefully cuts out an intricate pattern in her shiny piece of card.
Despite suffering from Parkinson’s disease, the 56-year-old is determined to make the most beautiful card she has ever produced.
“There is so much to learn,” says Gwen of Penn, Wolverhampton. “I have been coming to the card making class for around three years after I took early retirement from my job as a secretary. One of my friends was coming to the club and there was a vacancy so I slipped in.
“It is not just about folding cards, it is painting, embellishments, pin pricking – there are hundreds of different techniques so it keeps me entertained.
“I suffer with Parkinsons, which does cause problems, but I make cards to raise money for the Parkinsons Society in Wolverhampton.”
Gwen is a member of a club run by Jennifer Fellows. “I started out as a florist with my own little shop in Sutton Coldfield,” says Jennifer, 59, of Willenhall.
“After a while I decided to go on an art course to learn how to make more intricate designs with the flowers and it was there that I learned a lot about paper. After an accident I lost the use of my hand and started making cards because I was able to do stamping with my bad hand. I was making so many cards that I ended up getting a job working for Hobbycraft and Gardenland doing demonstrations, showing people how to make cards.
“When you are doing a demonstration you are selling a product but people kept coming up to me, asking how to do different techniques. It was frustrating because I didn’t have the time to show them everything, so I decided to set up some classes and anyone that asked me about techniques was invited to join a group.
“I started off with one group but the demand was so high I ended up with six groups and every week I make sure I teach them a different technique.” Among the techniques is tea bag folding, which uses some of the techniques of Origami combined with tiny squares of patterned paper. Once folded these squares are combined in attractive geometric patterns to form a larger design.
Jennifer also teaches decoupage, cutting and layering, iris folding, lacey, pin pricking, punching, chalking, stamping, layering, embossing, how to use a light box, pearlised paints, heat gun, viscose, brass templates, rubber mats and even makes fabric cards with her class.
“I am planning on setting some more groups up in September and anyone who wants to join can call me on 01902 634268 for more information,” she says. The classes should cost no more than £6 and that will include all the paper and materials as well as room hire. At the moment I am running one group in my house to keep costs down.”
Anyone who joins Jennifer’s Card Club will learn how to make cards with a theme from fans and teddy bears to story books and boots. Norma Hall, 70, of Willenhall has been making cards with her for around three years.
She says: “It is relaxing and stops me getting agitated at home because it is easy to lose yourself in the moment. At the moment I’m making Christmas cards – we have to start early because it takes a while to just do one card.
“The club I go to is on a Monday from 11am to 3pm, but we never finish a card in that time because we do quite complicated designs. We take them home with us and the next week bring them back and Jennifer gives us marks out of 10 – Gwen normally gets the best marks.”