The traditional, annual post with all of my handmade cards of the year. This time, featuring seven cards in different designs and techniques – quilling, drawing and watercolour painting.

The first card of the year is always one for Grandmother’s Day, which we celebrate on January 21st. I decided to go with one of my classic quilling flower designs.

Next one was a get well card – not a usual part of the annual routine and I hope there’s no need for one like this any time soon! My mum broke her arm in a nasty place and was looking at a couple of months of staying at home, so I sent her a little card to lift her spirits. Quite a few months have passed now and, fortunately, she made a good recovery with lots of effort and patience put into daily exercise.

Third in line was one of the most challenging occasions – my dad’s birthday. I find making cards for men difficult because colourful quilled flowers just don’t seem right – or at least not for my dad. I decided to go down a different route this year and cut out a whiskey bottle and a chocolate cake. The cake and the glass are on little foam pads, making them stick out a bit and adding dimension to the card.

Next up (number four already?!) is the Mother’s Day card. A simple design this year, with a neat quilled flower and a quilled butterfly.

For my sister, I usually try to make a card that relates to something she’s currently interested in. And this year, it was Winnie the Pooh! She’s not 5, by the way – but which of us, adults, never went back to childhood memories? Winnie the Pooh was her childhood favourite, and – after the bear celebrated his 95th (!) birthday last year – there’s been an abundance of merchandise in clothing stores and supermarkets, which sparked a lot of nostalgia.

So, here it is – Winnie the Pooh with a birthday gift, with a balloon shaped like an Ogre’s head (Shrek being another childhood favourite) and our family cat making a cameo appearance with his favourite green toy.

I designed the card in a digital, colouring page version. Then, I printed it on good quality paper and coloured it with colouring pencils.

For my grandma’s birthday, I made this quilled symmetrical flower wreath. I really enjoyed working on this card and I think I’ll make more cards in a similar design in the future. It was great seeing how the pieces fit together and eventually join, making a full design.

Last – but certainly not least – was a card for my mum’s birthday. I decided to make this quilled abstract flower bouquet, with circles of different colours and sizes representing various flowers. It’s a really smart way of portraying a detailed picture without the need to make detailed quilled designs. Really happy with the final result!

And that completes the summary of all my handmade cards of 2022! It’s only September, but there aren’t any family occasions left this year.

• DIY