Handmade cards available at Canal Cargo
Diana Swigert’s handmade cards are available for sale at Canal Cargo. She has six original designs in each assorted package.
COSHOCTON – Diana Swigert enjoys sending out thoughtful hand-written letters and cards to friends, especially in the winter months when many people are stuck indoors. She hopes that her cards bring a little bit of warmth to her friends on those cold winter days.
Last winter, Swigert began ink drawings while staying in Florida and this summer, she has expanded her work. She began creating ink drawings on the cards she would send to friends. What started as a fun way to say thank you to friends became a money-making opportunity for Swigert. Recently, after friends began asking her where they could purchase her cards, she started printing them at a local print shop and selling them at Canal Cargo.
“Making cards is creative and relaxing,” said Swigert. “I enjoy doing them. It’s fun being able to hand a couple of cards to people who have done you a favor. I write cards for fun, draw cards for fun, and I’m selling them for fun.”
Her cards that are for sale feature six original designs created by Swigert. All of her ink drawings are done in black ink on white paper and include white envelopes. The drawings are very detailed and are modeled after the tangled ink art style, which includes intricately-drawn shapes and flourishes, and is a form of the abstract style Zentangle Art. Swigert enjoys drawing things from nature and her cards include two variations of a feather, cats, and a butterfly.
“I’ve heard people say that writing notes is a lost art, but when I go to stores, it’s amazing the stationary you see,” she said. “I haven’t seen anything like this (her cards) yet at any of the stores.”
The inside of the cards are blank, so they can be used for anything from a Birthday card to a “Just Because” card and everything in between.
Swigert has always loved to draw and has been drawing since grade school and really became interested in art as a teen before beginning high school. She has done a few larger pieces before including a longhorn sheep and beech trees.
“Drawing takes time,” she said. “I used my art skills in my job so I wasn’t drawing at home. Now that I’m retired, I’ve been drawing at home. It’s something that I feel like I want to be able to do and I’m thankful that I can do it. This is my new life after retirement. Retirement has given me the opportunity to do the things I want to do that take time. I had lessons as a teen, but it’s a gift from God. It’s a God-given talent.”
Her ink drawings at the county fair won two blue ribbons, but it’s not about the prizes for Swigert. It’s about making people happy with her cards.
“I write cards and I draw cards to put a smile on people’s faces,” she said. “I believe that if you help one person smile, it’ll make another person smile. It makes the whole world smile. It’s happiness.”
Her cards are available at Canal Cargo in Roscoe Village, located at 442 N. Whitewoman St. Her artist signature is Diana Lynn Swigert or DLS.
“I went to Roscoe Village because I’m retired from Roscoe Village,” she said. “I worked at Roscoe Village for 35 years. I’ve also worked with Lynette Wright (owner of Canal Cargo) over the years and we’ve built a friendship.”
Swigert’s wish is to see everyone sending cards to their family and friends regularly.
“My wish to everybody is to take time to write notes to your friends,” she said. “Emails just aren’t the same. You read an email and then you delete it. A card, you enjoy it more. You put it on the refrigerator and keep it, at least for a while. It’s something you can touch and when you touch something, you remember it more.”
Category: People & Places
