The Process

I begin by planning what your card deck will look like, making sure that I’m capturing your story and memories correctly. Sketching begins with a water based fine liner—the icons of the numbers and suits, as well as the line art of your photos are all hand-drawn. Afterwards I let the cards dry for 4-7 days before I begin the colouring stage. Colouring is done with alcohol markers, watercolour, and acrylic paint. Before packaging, I’ll let the cards dry for about a week. 

Afterwards, it’ll be sent off and on the way to you!

The Planning Stage

Sending the photos

1.  If you purchased small volume decks, 1 to 5 cards, please send me the photos either on cardsforalma@gmail.com or DM @cardsforalma on Instagram. 
2. If you purchased large volume decks, 13 cards to a full 54 piece deck, please wait for the email I will send you and it will contain a Google Drive file where you can upload photos you’d like me to recreate.
3. If we started our conversation on Etsy, you’re more than welcome to send through Etsy messages.
4. For full card decks, please include a minimum of 30 photos.

Sending more details

1. For customers who purchased large volume decks, please include details of your story, memories, and loved elements you’d like to see on the card decks. This is especially useful for the design of the card and ensuring that I’m not just replicating photos, but recreating memories!
2. Mood boards are also incredibly helpful in establishing the feel of the cards!
3. All of this can be added through Google Drive.

Production time

1. Solo cards or 4 cards typically take 1-3 weeks from photo upload not from date of purchase. 
2. 13 cards, 25 cards, 36 cards, and a full 54-piece card deck typically take 3-6 weeks from photo upload, not from the date of purchase.
3. If you need the order to come faster, please let me know and I will try my best. I operate on a first come first serve (based on photo uploads) and can only create a maximum of 250 cards in one week. 
4. Expedited production is available for a price.

Communication

1. The bulk of communication happens during our planning stage. During the sketching stage–which will take place about a week after photo upload–I may reach out for further questions about certain memories or certain photos.
2. Check-ins are always appreciated, but as long as the cards have been purchased and the photos have been sent, that means they are in production! 

Designing Stage

If you purchased a large volume deck, I will send over a Google Drive link where we can plan what the design will look like. Please send over as many details that you can provide about the theme of the card deck, as well as colours, elements, and motifs you'd like me to keep in mind during the design. Recreating memories is much better than simply replicating photos, which means the more details you can provide for me the better!

Sending the photos

1.  If you purchased small volume decks, 1 to 5 cards, please send me the photos either on cardsforalma@gmail.com or DM @cardsforalma on Instagram. 
2. If you purchased large volume decks, 13 cards to a full 54 piece deck, please wait for the email I will send you and it will contain a Google Drive file where you can upload photos you’d like me to recreate.
3. If we started our conversation on Etsy, you’re more than welcome to send through Etsy messages.
4. For full card decks, please include a minimum of 30 photos.

Sending more details

1. For customers who purchased large volume decks, please include details of your story, memories, and loved elements you’d like to see on the card decks. This is especially useful for the design of the card and ensuring that I’m not just replicating photos, but recreating memories!
2. Mood boards are also incredibly helpful in establishing the feel of the cards!
3. All of this can be added through Google Drive.

Yes it is!

The second I receive your photos, you're added immediately into the schedule. Production time will vary based on the volume of the cards you purchased, 1-5 cards will take about 1-3 weeks, and 13-54 cards will take 3-6 weeks. Afterwards, they will be packed off and shipped.

Canadian Deliveries

I offer free shipping to Canadian clients for all orders over $100. If you'd like additional insurance and tracking however, there is an available option to add on! Packages will typically arrive anywhere from 4-10 business days. Letter mail will take 6-12.

Of course these are all estimates, orders can arrive much earlier than this.

U.S. Deliveries

Duties are pre-paid and are built in to the shipping already, so you should not have any fees after receiving delivery!

Packages will typically arrive anywhere from 4-10 business days. Letter mail will take 6-12.

International

Packages will typically arrive anywhere from 7-14 business days. Letter mail will take 10-16.

Orders going to Oceania have taken 21 days in the past. Please reach out if this timeline doesn't work for you and we can discuss a digital option!

Frame Sizes

• 54 cards | Frame size needed 24x28"
• 36 cards | Frame size needed 18x24"
• 25 cards | Frame size needed 15x20"
• 12 cards | Frame size needed 10x16" or 12x16"
• 4 cards | Frame size needed 10x16"

How to Frame

The backs of cards are glossy and blank (unless a design was purchased) so each card can be taped by painter's tape, washi tape, or double sided. Because the cards have a glossy back, they will not be damaged if you decide to remove the tape eventually.

If you'd like to duplicate card decks I've designed for you, I offer the availability to ship multiple decks either hand-drawn or prints.

Hand-drawn duplicattes

One duplicate: 15% off per deck

Two duplicates: 30% off per deck

Three duplicates: 50% off per deck

Printed duplicates

4-50 duplicates: $40/each deck

50-100+ duplicates: $35/each deck

Another alternative for mass reprints of card designs is doing your card deck digitally and not as a physical product.

Why do digitals cost more?

Digitals costs more due to the artist license fee. It grants that you can reproduce my work and my designs as well as adapting it. This fee grants that you have unlimited mass-reproduction of the design!