A Cuppa With Tiffany Price Russom

1. All Rounder

“I describe my style as ‘no style’,” says Tiffany Pryce Russom. Now there’s an answer we’ve never heard before. Take one look at Tiffany’s cards, however, and it quickly starts to make a lot of sense. She is such a versatile and varied cardmaker, that perhaps she really does have no set style at all. “I truly make what I want depending on how I feel in the moment,” she explains. “But if I had to choose a making style, I would say colourful and technique heavy. I love trying new methods, and I enjoy clean and simple cards but also artsy, inky cards.” Tiffany’s a dab hand at whichever technique she chooses too, producing stand-out cards no matter her approach. “For me, cardmaking is an expression of myself and my creativity, and that varies from day to day,” she adds. Since she began cardmaking, Tiffany hasn’t just found something she’s got a real talent for, but a whole network of people to share it with. This sense of community is crucial for so many crafters, and the rise of crafts on social media has helped this side of our industry to flourish. “Cardmaking can be a lonely craft sometimes,” Tiffany admits. “So the online community may be the only way to connect with others who ‘get it’. “I don’t have any close friends nearby who papercraft, so I’ve relied on making friends virtually. I’ve met some incredibly inspiring, encouraging and kind friends through Instagram and virtual crafting events. I’ve even been blessed enough to meet a few of these friends in person. I’m so grateful for their friendship and their creativity.”

2. Craft Therapy

Tiffany’s cardmaking journey may have been full of love and success, but it’s all happened in just three years. “I’ve always been creative,” she tells us. “I grew up drawing, writing poetry and journalling, so I’ve always had a deep love for paper and ink. I didn’t find the world of cardmaking until 2020 though, right before the pandemic. I was searching YouTube for calligraphy tutorials, and I stumbled upon a cardmaking video. The rest is history!” Around the same time as Tiffany discovered cardmaking, she was also facing some challenges with her mental health. It’s something that she, like so many others, found crafting helped with. She’s gone so far as to call it a form of therapy. “I was feeling anxious and stressed, and I couldn’t find a sustainable outlet for that energy,” she offers. “Crafting helps me focus my energy on my art and not on whatever is causing me anxiety. It helps to redirect negative energy into creating something positive that will brighten someone else’s day. “At its core, cardmaking is about kindness and encouragement – for my card recipients and for myself. Making someone feel loved and appreciated not only lifts my mood but lifts their mood too.” This is such a lovely sentiment, and a real testament to the power of crafts. So too is the confidence people like Tiffany can gain from their work. “Cardmaking has helped me to speak more encouraging words to myself,” she says. “When I try a new technique and nail it, or when I keep trying a technique until I get it right, I’m learning to love and push myself more. It’s not always roses and I’m still a work in progress, but I try to carry that positivity through to all areas of my life.”