I’m a sucker for greetings cards.

I can’t pass a rack without thinking: “My sister would love that card,” or “That’s perfect for my dad.”

The advantage of hoarding so many cards is that I’ve usually got one to suit every relative, friend and occasion. The down side is the expense. Cards are costly, most being over £1, which can add up if a cluster of celebrations fall together.

No wonder more and more people are making their own cards. A greetings card you make yourself can be more meaningful to the recipient and as attractive as the shop-bought variety.

I often fancied making my own, but assumed I’d need tons of bits and pieces, and shied away from taking the plunge.

So, when the chance came to make a card under the watchful gaze of a professional, I jumped at it.

If there was a Queen of card-making, Meryle Holland would wear the crown. From humble beginnings, she has created a card-making empire from her base in Shipley’s indoor market, designing imaginative card-making kits that sell in craft stores across the country.

When I first set eyes on Meryle, she was buzzing around, clutching armfuls of brightly coloured card and packs of designs featuring animals, country scenes and flowers.

“There are so many designs – you’re spoiled for choice. Whatever you want, it is likely to be here,” she says. She’s right – as I glanced around the unit, there are horses, ships, fashion designs, fairies, Old Masters, oriental scenes, fairies – the possibilities are endless.

“My buzz is to get people crafting,” says Meryle, her enthusiasm infectious. “It is not just about sticking bits and pieces on card – there are some very talented people out there.”

Meryle decided to start making her own cards after failing to find designs in shops that matched her requirements. She then found that the products she needed to make her own cards the way she wanted were not available either.

“There were a few designs but not enough, so I decided the only way around it was to create my own,” she says. “I began making a few design sheets, then friends started asking me where I’d got them from, so I made more.”

She then designed card- making sets and sold them to other crafters on eBay.

It was then that she had the idea to produce ‘toppers and tiles’ – large top designs complimented by smaller designs that fit together using self-adhesive pads to make a complete picture.

Before setting up shop in Shipley, Meryle took her designs to craft fairs across the UK, and plied her trade on TV shopping channels, where she built up a large following.

“I decided then to set up my own business,” she says, creating her company Tuliptoppers. “I wanted to offer crafters the chance to create cards that are unique and stylish.”

She opened her Shipley shop a year ago, and not only sells design sheets, but holds workshops too where people can learn the craft.

Meryle was going to teach me how to make a three-dimensional card, using a special kit which allowed the scene to be built up from the card base.

Sitting in her cosy workshop, she asked me to choose a design to work with. I picked an old-fashioned looking floral arrangement – poppies in a range of different colours. The sheet showed eight pictures with sizes ranging from small to large.

“The image is taken from a series of paintings by Victorian women,” explains Meryle, who does not sell ready-made cards, leaving the customer to be creative.

Having carefully cut them out – Meryle praised my neatness – I created the picture by laying down the largest image first and building up the 3D scene with four further views, showing the same flowers in greater detail.

I was surprised by how professional it looked. “Choose a backing design,” Meryle asks, fanning out cards in a range of colours. Plain would have been the obvious choice, but I really like a design emblazoned with daisies.

On top of this, Meryle suggests a stripe of rust, with two thin strips of gold at each side. My 3D flowers were to go on top.

The result is eye-catching and quirky, and I’m quite proud of it. “I’ll give it to my husband,” I told Meryle. I’m known throughout my family as having not an ounce of creativity and will do anything to prove otherwise. Customer Susan Blezard pops her head around the door. She often makes the journey from her Baildon home to pick up supplies from Meryle. “I watched one of her demonstrations, bought some materials and had a go myself,” she says. “I really enjoy it and it is great to be able to tailor-make them.” Susan has sold a few of her creations to friends.

Another satisfied customer, Lillian Dibble, stocks up on craft sets to make at her home in Idle. “I love making cards – it is therapeutic and gives me a lot of pleasure. I make all sorts of cards – birth, marriage and In Sympathy, and sell them to people I know. People are always asking for fairies.”

Although the majority of Meryle’s customers are women, an increasing number of men are taking up crafting. “People often think card-making is an activity for older women,” she says, “But I see a lot of people who have retired, given up their job through illness or have been made redundant and want to train in crafting with a view to starting a business.”

Meryle, who still attends annual craft shows at venues across the country, runs her business with husband Ray. “I’m what’s known as the licker, sticker, packer and poster,” he jokes, as he opens boxes of card and chats knowledgeably to browsers. The couple also operate a lending library, hiring out cutting equipment for a nominal sum.

The workshop over, I leave with my card inside an envelope ready to send. The first of many – I can see myself saving quite a bit of cash in future.

For more information, visit Meryle in Shipley indoor market, beneath the clocktower in the town centre, or ring (01274) 588522 or visit tuliptoppers.co.uk for hints and tips.