This week, The Sunday Morning Happinez shines its spotlight on Paskaramoorthy Piraymithan, an ardent 19-year-old entrepreneur with his own greeting card business called Cards Paradise.
What are your earliest memories of engaging with arts and crafts? Who or what influenced you to kickstart Cards Paradise?
My earliest memory of making greeting cards was when I was nine years old. It began with making birthday cards for my loved ones to make them feel special, and eventually, it became a habit that I truly enjoy.
Each time before going to a birthday party or wedding, I would sit down, draw lovely artwork, create greeting cards, and gift them. The joy I saw in the eyes of those who received the greeting cards when I gave them my handmade cards made me so excited. Making people happy with my handmade greeting cards and gifts is my way of showing love.
At first, I made greeting cards for my family, and they really cherished them. A fond memory was making a card with my elder sister for my mother on Mother’s Day. My mother still keeps it safe. As time passed, more people started looking forward to receiving my cards on their special day. Their appreciation encouraged me to keep going forward and stay positive about cards and craft-making.
My family had a significant influence on starting Cards Paradise. When I was 12 years old, I started taking offline orders from family, friends, and neighbours. During the Covid-19 pandemic, when everyone was stuck at home and looking for things to do away from screens, I focused on making cards and killed the time with pure creativity.
My elder sister supported me during the lockdown by getting me essential stationery for card-making. Then, I officially started an online business on 21 June 2020 and named it Cards Paradise. It has been running successfully for four years now.
How has your style and approach to card-making evolved since you first started?
There’s a drastic change. At first, I focused on creating neat and colourful cards, ensuring each was carefully crafted. Over time, I learned many new techniques in painting, designing, and hand-lettering. I also began making bookmarks of the same handmade quality, which became popular.
After a while, my customers started requesting for larger cards to make their loved ones feel extra special. They wanted to express their love through a bigger size, so I invented a new card style – the giant card. I’m proud to say I was the first to create this style!
As I became more experimental, I started making cards for various occasions beyond birthdays, weddings, and baby showers. Now, I create cards for every occasion imaginable, like graduations, year-end parties, Diwali, Christmas, New Year – you name it!
From the beginning of my business, I have been making my own envelopes with the Cards Paradise logo for the cards I create. I have experimented with new materials and techniques to craft these envelopes. This experimentation and learning have helped me create a broader range of personalised cards, each with a unique design that reflects my artistic growth.
What materials and techniques do you enjoy working with the most?
Here’s a list: watercolour papers, special boards for card-making, watercolours, acrylic paints, oil paints, shiny paper materials, glazed paper, and glue sticks or double-sided tape. I also enjoy creating materials from scratch and upcycling items from my old cards and papers that would otherwise go to waste during experimentation.
I also use old newspapers to make organic paper by grinding them with water, glue, wheat flour, and natural colouring extracted from flowers. After soaking flowers in boiling hot water to absorb their organic colours, I add these colours to the paper mixture. Then, I spread this mixture on a flat surface and let it dry in the shade. This process is engaging and enjoyable, as making paper and materials is one of my hobbies.
As for techniques, I use watercolours to create different shades of ombre effects and employ a 3D form technique to give the cards a more realistic appearance. I also use shimmering paints on the edges of the artwork to enhance its fanciness and attractiveness.
Are any books, movies, or other media significantly inspiring your creativity?
As a cardmaker, I draw inspiration from various sources such as books, movies, and media – I’m an avid bookworm. I often find myself immersed in fantasy novels, which ignite ideas for fantastical and whimsical card designs.
When seeking inspiration, I turn to biographies and art history books of artists like Oscar-Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, and Leonardo da Vinci. They played a massive role in my creative journey. It has also helped me learn many new art techniques and theories.
Movies with stunning visual effects often inspire new colour palettes and design elements in my card works. Movies like ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ and ‘Loving Vincent’ inspired me and fuelled my creativity.
My elder sister used to take me to art galleries and exhibitions, and visiting those places opened a new arena of ideas for me. Sculptures, modern art, clay, pottery, books, painting, antiques, and war-related exhibitions inspire me. These experiences have challenged me to innovate and stay updated in my card-making and craft work. These influences enrich my creative process, enabling me to create new and unique cards for Cards Paradise.
Artists state that art and craftwork are therapeutic. What is your stance on this? Can you share a specific instance where card-making helped you cope with challenging situations?
Art and craft are therapeutic for me. Whenever I feel stressed or anxious, I shut out the outside world and immerse myself in card-making and craftwork. It’s like hitting a reset button for my mind; everyone in my closest circle knows this about me.
In September 2023, I had one of the worst days of my life. Everything seemed to go wrong. To unwind, I sat down with my card-making supplies to create a card for my niece. I carefully chose the prettiest colours, began cutting and pasting, and with each snip of the scissors and placement of paper, the stress melted away. By the time I finished, I had crafted a beautiful card that filled me with pride and happiness. The process itself was as soothing as always.
Being a cardmaker brings me immense pride and happiness. Crafting isn’t just about creating something pretty; it’s about pouring your emotions into your creations. When stress overwhelms me, I channel that energy into making a card, transforming negativity into something positive and beautiful. It’s my go-to method for coping and it never fails to work like a charm.
How do you approach pricing your cards and what factors do you consider to ensure your work is valued appropriately?
When I first started my hobby of making cards, it was purely for the joy of creating something beautiful. Money wasn’t even in the picture back then – it was all about expressing myself through art and making people smile.
As time went on, though, I found myself dipping into my savings to buy materials for my cards. That’s when I realised I needed to start charging a bit to cover my costs. Even during tough times like the economic crisis in the country, I’ve never increased my prices.
What’s most important is making people happy with my handmade cards. The joy and appreciation I see on someone’s face when they receive one of my creations – that’s priceless to me. It’s nice to earn a bit from what I love doing, but it’s never been the primary motivation. Making strangers and friends happier with something I’ve poured my heart into – that’s what keeps me going, and that’s what truly matters to me.
What’s the most challenging aspect of card-making for you and how do you tackle it?
The most challenging aspect of card-making for me is maintaining creativity and originality. Developing fresh ideas and designs can be difficult, especially when I’ve been making cards for a while.
To tackle this challenge, I sketch the design as a draft before starting a card to ensure everything is in place. I make sure not to copy from anywhere. Yet, one of the challenges I face is when customers ask me to recreate a card they saw on Google; this leads to less originality. But I am happy to fulfil customers’ requirements.
Another of the most stressful challenges I face is finding good quality boards, paints, and glazed papers, especially after the economic crisis in the country. The prices of stationery items have increased significantly, while the quality of the products has deteriorated. Finding good products has become a significant challenge these days.
In addition, I have made and sold more than 250 cards but have only posted half of them on social media because most of my customers want to refrain from posting their cards on social platforms, and I respect their privacy.
Furthermore, allocating time for card work during academics, sports, and leisure activities is much more complicated than I initially imagined. To tackle this, I pre-plan and allocate time for everything in advance.
Can you share a memorable story about a customer’s reaction to receiving one of your cards? How did that feedback impact you?
One particularly memorable experience was when a customer approached me to create a bespoke anniversary card for their parents. The customer wanted something elegant yet personalised, reflecting their parents’ love for gardening and cooking. After carefully designing and crafting the card, I delivered it on time on the same day the customer ordered it.
A few hours later, I received a heartfelt message from the customer expressing immense gratitude and joy, describing how the parents had been moved to tears upon receiving the card, appreciating every detail and the thoughtfulness behind it.
The customer said that the card became a centrepiece of their anniversary celebration, sparking nostalgic conversations and cherished memories. This feedback profoundly impacted me as a card-maker and I felt blessed. It also brought me deep satisfaction because this is why I make greeting cards.
Nowadays, my handmade cards often occupy a special place on the cake table at many parties. Alongside the cake and flowers, my cards receive full attention at these celebrations. They play an emotional role, making the receiver feel valued and celebrated. Additionally, my cards serve as great photo props.
How do you manage your time between your card-making business, academics, and personal life? Do you have any time management tips?
It’s tough; managing my time between all of this is very challenging, but I’ve found a few ways to handle it. I schedule and prioritise tasks based on deadlines and importance, which helps me stay organised and ensures I allocate enough time to each area of my life. I also set aside specific blocks of time for card-making, studying, and personal activities. By sticking to a routine, I can balance my responsibilities more effectively.
Flexibility is essential too, as unexpected things can come up. Another tip is to avoid procrastination; during free time between classes or after finishing tasks, I use it wisely instead of putting things off. This approach helps me stay on top of everything without feeling overwhelmed.
How do you hope to evolve as an artist in the coming years, and what new directions are you excited to explore?
In the coming years, I plan to evolve as an artist by exploring new techniques and pushing the boundaries of my creativity. Ultimately, my goal is to start a handmade card boutique and launch websites similar to Moonpig and Etsy to sell my cards worldwide.
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