Here it is....

...my interview:

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Anissa V. Rivera: Thank you cards go a long way

Article Launched: 03/25/2008 11:04:34 AM PDT

My son may only be 6, but he knows his way around a thank you card. Even before he was born, he was sending off thank you's to family and friends, once for that cute dinosaur outfit and another for a set of classic children's books.

Until last year, I did all the work, but now that Joseph's in kindergarten, he's doing more than just printing his name at the bottom of the card. He enjoys drawing trains and Star Wars figures and self-portraits on his cards and we get stories back about how his artistic efforts find an honored place on fridge doors and office cubicles.

So while the e-mail thank you may be easy, nothing beats a handwritten missive. I don't think one of my father's last notes to me would mean as much if he had not written it in his wide, round doctor's scrawl.

Longtime Glendoran Kathy Janicki knows what I'm talking about.

Janicki has been honing her crafting skills for more than 10 years, even before she began demonstrating for the Stampin Up company. She will lead a free greeting card workshop from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 29, at the library, 140 S. Glendora Ave.

Supplies will be provided but space is limited to 30 participants.

Janicki is an expert at making greeting cards, scrapbooking, craft projects and home décor, so much so that family and friends consider her cards a gift.

"It's fun, it's a stress reliever," she said. "It's my fun job."

Participants don't have to be uber-crafty to get in on the fun. Everyone will walk away with three handmade cards, one for Mother's Day, another for Father's Day, and one birthday card for a child.

"Making your own greeting cards is special because it comes from the heart, it's not something that was just rolled off a press," Janicki said. "It's something you've taken the time to do, and it's really a piece of yourself."

Janicki said her work is all about being a creative coach.

"For me, helping someone create that perfect project for a special occasion is the best feeling in the entire world," she said. "After all, creating cards, scrapbook pages, and gift items are about more than just stamps and ink, it's about sharing a part of yourself with the people you love."

And if you can't make this workshop, take heart. The library folks are cooking up more craft sessions with Janicki and other creative types, the better to inspire us not-so-handy ones.

For more information about the free workshop, call (626) 852-4891.

For more information about Janicki, visit www.kathyjanicki.stampinup.net.

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Thanks for reading.

Kathy