By the Batch: Creative Cards, Postcards, Envelopes & More [Paperback]

Judi Kauffman (Author), Holly Mcdade (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2006

• Why make one card when you can make a whole batch?

• Paper crafters love cardmaking

• Fast, easy, innovative ideas and techniques



Crafters, stop sweating over one little greeting card at a time. By the Batch: Creative Cards, Postcards, Envelopes & More reveals innovative new ideas for creating fabulous cards (and envelopes, tags, and bookmarks) in batches, with impressive results. The wide range of techniques presented includes everything from the tried and true (rubber stamping) to the unexpected (polymer clay!), from the spontaneous (smudge-and-smear) to the whimsical (shaped cards). And author Judi Kauffman shows precisely how to put pedal to the metal and create whole batches of cards in just one sitting! Sophisticated materials and appealing design blended with speed-boosting ideas? By the Batch is just the ticket...uh, card...for anyone with lots of friends and family, and only a little time to create something special.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Judi Kauffman designs projects and develops products for many crafts materials manufacturers including Sulyn Industries, Bucilla, Coats & Clark, Red Castle, Inc., Ranger, Tsukineko, and Clearsnap. With more than thirty years’ experience teaching art and design, she also writes and reviews for many publications. Judi lives in Chevy Chase, MD.


Holly McDade is a commercial photographer. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Potter Craft (July 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823045080
• ISBN-13: 978-0823045082
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.4 x 11 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,195,438 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for any card you make., July 12, 2006

By 

Urceola "Urceola" (Washington DC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: By the Batch: Creative Cards, Postcards, Envelopes & More (Paperback)

Unlike many other card-making books that explain to the reader how to make the particular card shown, Judi's book teaches a particular technique that the reader can apply to any card with any set of inks, papers and supplies. After you look at all the luscious pictures, go back and read the text! By doing so, you will bootstrap yourself to a new level.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very inspirational book, August 22, 2006

By 

Artmuse (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: By the Batch: Creative Cards, Postcards, Envelopes & More (Paperback)

I love this book. It's very inspirational. Like most people, I work on my cards etc. one at a time but am tantilized to learn about making them in batches when necessary. You need to actually train yourself to let-yourself-go and still produce something exciting. The teaching in this book is great for beginners, yet still an invitation to challenge for the more experienced! An added bonus is Judi's wonderful storytelling!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars New idea generator, February 28, 2007

By 

Blurooferika (SF Bay Area) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: By the Batch: Creative Cards, Postcards, Envelopes & More (Paperback)

This book is great for making you think about your creative process in a whole new way. I'm sure many of you, like me, make your cards one at a time, with one recipient in mind and by the time you've got out the right papers, stamps, inks, tools, and embellishments, it takes well over an hour or two per card (or maybe I'm just a perfectionist)!
Anyway, Judi Kauffman sweeps that mindset aside and says, "Just do it!" She uses a lot of different materials (cork, punches, clay, found objects, embossing/diecutting machines), but what I found most useful were her layout ideas in the front of the book--12 to 15 of them, all based on design principles that many of us might not have been trained in.
I know I have often sat pondering how to come up with a pleasing arrangement of elements on my cards and having a batch of standard designs to refer to will simplify the guesswork and speed up the process.
I also appreciate that she provides the manufacturer's names of the products she uses. I, for one, want to know why artists prefer special brands and in most cases in the book we learn why (e.g., use round sponges for daubing on soft colors of ink b/c they don't have the harsh edges that other square/triangular sponges do).
Overall, though Judi's style of cardmaking might not be your cup of tea (it wasn't mine in most cases), her freeflow methods and suggestions provide many a springboard for creative inspiration and guidance. This is a keeper for your creative library.