Greeting cards are a billion dollar industry. Most of them are flat, but a recent trend has been to create three dimensional cards called box cards.

One Pearl River County resident has taken up the hobby of making these unique methods to show people they are loved. Lenore Core, 72-years young, makes personalized greeting cards of all varieties. And her creations are becoming increasingly popular in the community.

Core moved to Picayune from Slidell two years ago. She’s a retired teacher and curriculum coordinator, and has had a long lasting interest in art that began with scrapbooking with her daughter. But a request from her sister to make greeting cards for a party is how the public became interested in her talents.

Soon thereafter she received more requests for greeting cards.

One day while browsing the craft website Pinterest she saw tutorials for making box cards, which piqued her interest in the three dimensional form of cards.

Her passion for the new hobby grew to the point that Core dedicated a room in her home to store the materials used to make the complex cards.

When the response to her homemade cards grew, her niece suggested selling them at the Picayune Farmers Market. The response that followed was more than she ever expected.

Now, requests for her box cards have overshadowed the two dimensional versions and are requested for graduations, greetings and any other occasion.

She said it was initially difficult to get the dimensions of the intricate cards correct, but through practice she’s mastered the craft.

A box card is made using a 100-pound card stock that is scored so it can be folded in to the shape of a box. It’s then taped together and decorated to suit the theme of the occasion.

To design the cards she uses software called Cricut which has a number of patterns for various themes. Once the designs are printed, they are glued to the card using tweezers.

Core said she likes to employ creative designs by experimenting with a combination of colors, materials and patterns that suit the occasion.

Each box card requires about two to two and half hours of labor, depending on how intricate the design is, Core said. She said what began as a hobby and a form of therapy has become full-time job.

Besides making cards, Core enjoys gardening and even started a fruit orchard in her backyard. She also grows shiitake mushrooms and makes drinking glasses and wind chimes from old wine bottles.

Core also makes gift tags, picture frames and banners and is considering making signs.

Core sells her flat cards for between $3-$5. Box cards cost between $9-$10. She can be reached at 985-640-6229.