Happy people.

I’ve learned to never say no to a burst of inspiration, but rather keep myself free to move to its whims. This results in some late nights, when I have, perhaps unwisely, let myself be drawn back to my workspace when I get home from my late-night job. But as a night owl, these moments can often be the most productive.

This was the case with these cards. I had been flipping through an old Houghton College yearbook (I have a thick stack of these, gathered from many [legitimate] sources) to find some black and white pictures to use with a custom order journal. I love black and white film photographs, and 1970s yearbooks have been a surprisingly reliable source of classic photos. I found four that had simple, beautiful expressions of happiness, and decided to highlight these on a set of simple cards.

I paired the crisp black and white with 5″ by 7″ kraft cards, trimmed the lower front edge with pinking scissors, added pairs of black pen lines, and added some Scotch patterned masking tape with a typewritten greeting. I gave the envelopes a similar treatment with masking tape and a typewritten phrase. The inside of the card has a piece of lined paper attached with the same tape.

I really like how these turned out. I’m always pleased when I am able to bring the quality of the vintage items out and make them the focus, as I did here.