Making the blanks is quite easy with a sharp knife and a good, thick straightedge. Position the straightedge to where you want the cut, and score along the edge with the knife. You'll want to be careful both when 'ripping' (cutting with the grain) and 'cross cutting' (cutting across the grain).



If the grain's not perfectly in line with your rip cut, the blade can get caught following the grain, not the straightedge. Splitting wood is seductively easy- don't go too fast, or you might deviate from the cut. You should also align the straightedge so the grain will push the blade towards the guide, not away. I like to keep the knife up at a relatively sharp angle, and cut clean through in one pass. Quite easy, once you get the hang of it. Use these rip cuts to split the wood into long 2 inch strips, which can then be split into individual cards.



When cutting across the grain (or on burled/figured wood, where the grain is wonky), you need to beware applying too much pressure and cracking or breaking the wood. I like to hold the knife blade relatively flat (small angle against the wood), and try to score the surface once or twice. Since you're only cutting two inches across, it's then quite easy to snap through the remaining material cleanly.