If you had told me years ago that I’d trade blood bank protocols for paper trimmers and ink pads, I probably would’ve laughed. Back then, I was working as a clinical laboratory scientist in a hospital transfusion service, checking blood types, following strict procedures, and making sure every sample was handled exactly right.
Then, I left the lab to raise my son. For a long time, I didn’t know what my next chapter would look like. Somewhere along the way, between carpool, homework, and finding moments of quiet, I discovered cardmaking. What started as a creative outlet slowly became something more. What has surprised me in this journey, is that blood banking and cardmaking aren’t as different as they seem.
Paying Attention to the Little Things
In the blood bank, there was no such thing as “close enough”. Every label had to be right. Every test and crossmatch had to be accurate. There was no room for error.
In cardmaking, the stakes are thankfully much lower, but that same mindset stuck with me. I notice the tiniest smudge of ink, a slightly off-center sentiment, or if something’s just a little crooked. I think it’s because I spent years training my eyes and hands to be precise. Turns out that attention to detail follows you even when you swap test tubes for scissors.
There’s a Process in Both Worlds
Working in a lab meant following steps: collect, label, test, verify. There was comfort in knowing the routine.
Cardmaking might seem more creative, and it is, but it has its own little rituals. I find myself doing things in the same order: plan the layout, choose the colors, stamp the sentiment last. It’s calming and familiar.
There’s something satisfying about working through a process and seeing it all come together, whether it’s a test result or a handmade card.
It’s Always About Helping Someone
When I worked in the lab, I never met the patients I was helping. But, I knew the blood I was preparing could mean everything to someone, especially in emergencies or during a surgery.
Now, when I sit down to make a card, I think about who it’s for. Someone who needs encouragement. Someone who’s celebrating something big. It might be small, but it’s still a way of showing care.
Both roles, in their own ways, are about doing something thoughtful for someone else.
I Still Love My Tools
In the lab, I was used to the rhythm of using pipettes, microscopes, and machines. Now, it’s stamping platforms, markers, and dies.
Give me a set of tools and a process, and I’m in my happy place. That’s just who I am. I like working with my hands and seeing something take shape.
Learning Never Really Stops
After I stepped away from the lab, I spent years focused on my family. Along the way, I learned new cardmaking techniques and improved my coloring skills. I also discovered how to photograph my cards, share them on Instagram, and write about them on my blog. Over time, I found joy in the creativity, the connection, and the sense of community that comes from sharing my work.
Blending Science and Creativity
Even though I’m not currently working in a lab, that part of me, the organized, careful, and thoughtful side has never gone away. It just shows up differently now. When I’m coloring an image or assembling a card, I notice the same attention to detail and patience that once guided my work in the lab, but now it’s paired with creativity and joy. In many ways, cardmaking and blood banking aren’t so different. Both require care, precision, and intention, and together they’ve shaped the person I’m becoming.
