Ah, how I like a book which advocates using just a few basic items many of us already own (at least the sort of people likely to be reading this review).  Pens, paints, assorted colored cards, watercolor paper, basic stationary items, etc. and little else are used in this book.  These combine to make some lovely and perhaps rather more original cards than those made with things like stencils and rubber stamps.

Trace, photocopy, scan and print or freehand draw some charmingly naïve style greetings cards depicting sailboats, sheep, baskets of apples, hens, birdhouses, angels, hearts and more.  There are no gallery pictures either, as all the templates not thoroughly explained step-by-step are at the back (they just need to be enlarged).  Add some folksy "stitching" with a pen for that quilted, handmade look and you have a delightfully simple card.

I found I got into the style of the thing and drew some of my own naïve pictures, ready to be inked in pen and painted with delicate watercolors.  I think what I liked the best about the book, and about the whole process, was how back-to-basics it was — good old-fashioned fun and a more personal way of making a card than a rubber stamp.  Recommended, particularly for anybody feeling overwhelmed by crafting fashions.

If you cannot find a good range of the materials used in this book locally try SearchPress.com for a list of suppliers.