We’re pleased to announce that 4 Monthly Finalists were chosen for May! Each monthly finalist will receive a $75 Amazon gift card. Be sure to tell us what you think of the monthly winning designs by leaving a comment below; we’d love to hear from you! **And don’t forget, even if you weren’t chosen as a Monthly Finalist you may still be in the running for the $10,000 scholarship.
As an employee at The Gallery Collection, I am an avid contributor to our greeting cards blog. I would like to write something about our beautiful business birthday cards selection but cannot decide whether to write about our birthday cards for employees, our personal birthday cards, or our birthday cards that feature balloons and presents.
Should I mention the fact that sending business birthday cards is a great idea because remembering a business associate at birthday time can help solidify a relationship, and in the long run, help a company’s business? Or perhaps I could mention how morale can be maintained by a company’s higher-ups extending a yearly birthday wish to each and every employee (which our bosses do here, by the way).
The Gallery Collection’s personal birthday cards are also perfect for sending out to relatives and friends to convey that special thought during their special time of year. Or maybe I should just describe the wonderful detailing on the fronts of the cards that colorfully illustrate presents, balloons, hats, streamers, cakes, and other festive birthday symbols. Or the many different (and free) greetings from which customers may choose to have printed for the inside of their birthday cards. Or the pretty colors available for imprinting – shades that wonderfully accent the bright colors used for the front designs on the cards.
Design #082CS, City Glow Holiday Card, is one of my personal favorites. I love it so much I selected it as my personalized Christmas cards to send to family and friends. I am partial to city scenes and while the scene itself could certainly be in a small town, you do get the sense of a city park during the holiday season with the tree all decked out in lights standing out beautifully against the newly fallen snow. Many people equate big cities with big buildings and pollution. Perhaps they forget that you can find beauty there as well or just haven’t been to the big city during the holiday season. While I certainly appreciate the quaintness of the small towns and the simplicity of the suburbs, this city girl is glad to send a little bit of the big city to all on her holiday cards list with these beautifully personalized holiday cards.
Business greeting cards have been a wonderfully light-handed way to keep my business in the minds of clients and potential clients. Sometimes, however, I’ve wanted to present a crisper look that focused more on my message than on an attractive card design. Finally…I found a perfect solution with correspondence note cards.
As a kid, reading books and watching movies set in somewhat earlier (and to me, more refined) times, I was strongly impressed with mentions of calling cards and hand-delivered missives thoughtfully scripted on quality stationery. In these stories, it was clear that a person’s character was often judged on their mastery of these social graces. My aspiration to this sort of sophistication seemed thwarted by ever more casual attitudes in everyday life; even in business the attitude of “whatever…” seemed to be replacing “service-with-a-smile” and common courtesy.
Lately, and with greater frequency, I’ve been hearing that the bright side of the current economic recession is that careless businesses will fold and only the strong will survive, making for a stronger economy with better products and services. If that viewpoint makes you cry “ouch,” it may be time to refine your business practices, to work harder and smarter. It has had that effect on me.
A phone call may interrupt a client’s workday at an inconvenient time, if you even find that person in. An email is easily deleted, if it’s even read at all. Mailed ads are hard-sell, easily tossed aside. The same can be said for the form letters I receive, where my name and address is clearly just an insert. Why waste my time and attention on these when the sender couldn’t be bothered to invest time and attention to communicate specifically to my needs?
These new correspondence note cards from The Gallery Collection have such a classy look and feel! I keep them right on my desk top so I can jot my notes immediately as the thought occurs to me. They have my name professionally printed at the top so I can sign my notes with just my first name for a more personal touch. My name and handwritten note can be seen as soon as the note card is lifted from its fine quality envelope. I know it’s being looked at when the recipient is ready and open to my message. I know it’s subliminally telling the recipient that I value their relationship enough to communicate, on a one-on-one basis, a thought or plan or offer that is specifically for them. The presentation of my message tells them that it is worthy of their attention. And I’ll bet it doesn’t wind up in their waste basket!
I love the joy of design #340AY, Sparkling Stars Anniversary Card. Anniversaries mean so much to people. Of course we all think of wedding anniversaries, but there are many business anniversaries to be celebrated as well.
The absolute happiness that this embossed star exudes is intensified by the beautiful rose hued gold foil with overtones of bronze. The liberally sprinkled “star dust” adds a delicacy that offsets the bold and brilliant star.
Business anniversary cards can serve a few purposes. You can honor individuals for their loyal service or you can announce the fact that you have been in business for so many years. Either way you are able to remind workers, or customers, and to announce to prospects that you have been here for them and are always ready to fulfill needs.
Design #340AY - Sparkling Stars Anniversary Card
This card is an eye-catcher. The person who receives it – a customer, worker, vendor or friend – will appreciate your thoughtful gesture.
This year marks my 10th anniversary here at The Gallery Collection. TEN YEARS! As the wonderfully-emotive actor Keanu Reeves might say: “Whoa.” I almost can’t believe it. Where did the time go? I was completely unfamiliar with the world of corporate greeting cards when I first started working at this company. Maybe I occasionally saw them at my dad’s office or displayed at restaurants or other businesses during the holidays, when companies often extend seasonal greetings to one another. But c’mon, how complicated could greeting cards be? You pick out a nice design, sign your name, address the envelope, and throw it in the mail, right? Oh, little did I know.
So my transition from the comfy bubble of college into “the real world” started with learning the ins and outs of greeting cards for business. To follow the path of greeting cards is to experience a veritable potpourri of artistry, skill, and action. Artists are commissioned to create original greeting card designs and a team of vendors helps manufacture the cards; catalogs are printed and our products are marketed to potential customers; orders are processed, printed, and shipped. Of course, there are many pieces throughout that must come together to make this operation successful. Each stop on the way is full of details to consider, challenges to tackle, and decisions to be made.
Corporate greeting cards have complexities not only behind-the-scenes, but also on the “public” side when assisting customers. Many customization options are available when ordering cards. Customers are able to choose from a wide variety of greeting cards for all occasions and personalize them in different ways by choosing the printing color, writing their own greetings, or even having their company logos printed or signatures reproduced inside of the cards. The possibilities are endless.
I could likely spend my entire career in the greeting card industry and still not know everything. This has been my only job since graduating from college and quite a learning experience so far. And let me again express disbelief that my company anniversary also means that I graduated from college ten years ago! “Whoa.”
When our 3rd Annual Create-a-Greeting-Card Scholarship winner Lauren Ondreko was announced, it was met with much celebration and a little bit of controversy as well. Lauren created a beautiful line drawing that features all the things that make the Christmas season great – snowmen, presents, ornaments, holly, and even stars. The drawing will make a perfect personalized Christmas cards design, but it was submitted on a piece of loose-leaf. That fact caused quite a buzz after the winner was announced. However, her design was graceful and truly in the spirit of the season. Lauren’s artwork really knocked it out of the park.
Lauren is a senior at Friendswood High School in Friendswood, Texas. She is the first high school student to win the scholarship contest. Past winners have all been college students, so Lauren is breaking new ground! Her Christmas card creation made her a winner, but she also is planning on pursuing a degree in Elementary Education/Special Needs, so it looks like her future students are going to be winners as well!
Lauren isn’t just a wonderful artist; she is also incredibly gracious. When Lauren discovered that she had won the scholarship, she created handmade, customized thank you cards. She sent these lovely pieces of art to our company, and everyone was thrilled by just how talented Lauren truly is. These thank you cards feature the same type of beautiful line work that won her the scholarship in the first place. They also showcase what a thoughtful and determined young woman Lauren is. Getting the chance to see some of her designs on those thank you cards also made everyone very excited for the Christmas card she designed.
Lauren Ondreko, the 3rd annual greeting card scholarship winner, designed this thank you note.
Lauren also wrote a gracious personalized message on the inside of her thank you card.
The Create-a-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest has many rewards. Lauren received a $10,000 scholarship, and Friendswood High School also received $1,000. But more than that, Lauren’s artwork will be made into gorgeous Christmas cards that people all over the world will be sending to their friends and family. The chance to have your artwork produced for people across the globe to see is a thrill for any artist. Lauren’s holiday cards will spread cheer to everyone, and that prize is just as important and exciting as the scholarship itself.
The Create-a-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest gives young artists the chance to have their artwork produced on beautiful, finely crafted greeting cards as well as a chance to further their education. Lauren Ondreko’s design will be made into stunning personalized Christmas cards, and some of the burden of paying for college will be lifted. We couldn’t be more pleased with our choice, and Lauren couldn’t be more pleased either. So if you are thinking about entering the scholarship contest, go for it! Lauren is certainly happy that she did.
Whenever I think of the dentist I cringe in terror. There is something about going to the dentist that just makes my skin crawl. The needles, the drills, the noise…its awful! I never connect anything positive with a trip to the dentist, even though I do love having nice pearly white choppers. I begrudgingly make my yearly trip to the dentist because I have to, certainly not because I want to. So imagine my pleasant surprise when I received business birthday cards from my dentist.
My dentist has taken on epic proportions in my mind. He is like an evil tyrant who rules over all he surveys. In actuality he is a very nice and mild mannered gentleman. He always tries to make my visits as comfortable as possible, and he’s always ready with a joke and a smile. But while I’m sitting in his chair, he may as well be Attila the Hun. When he comes near me, whether he is holding a drill or just a small cup of mouthwash, I involuntarily flinch. There is nothing he can do to dissuade me of my fear of him. I’m pretty sure he dreads my visits as much as I do as he knows just what lies ahead of him when I arrive. So sending me birthday greeting cards was actually a brilliant idea.
Receiving a birthday card from my dentist was a nice surprise. When I opened the card and saw who it was from I let out a giant laugh. I couldn’t believe that my dentist was so thoughtful. I couldn’t believe he didn’t hate me! Getting a birthday card from my dentist showed me that he values my business even though I am probably one of the most difficult patients he has. It made me feel like he knows each and every one of his patients, and that we are all important to his practice. It’s nice to be remembered on your birthday, and I think that birthday greeting cards are the best part about getting older. My dentist thought of me on my special day, just like all of my friends and family.
I have since made a promise to myself that on my next visit to the dentist I will try to behave like someone who isn’t terribly frightened by every move he makes. The birthday card was such a nice gesture that I’m starting to see him in a different light (well, I’m trying to anyway). He’s a good dentist, and he sends me cards. That’s a pretty good combo for me.
I’ve experienced many unusual events as a result of the death of a business coworker, the passing of a friend, or the “going home” of a family member. Deep within there is an earnest desire to convey love and friendship to those closely connected, or a sincere sense of gratitude and respect for the privilege of working with a recently passed, fellow employee. At least there are many comforting business sympathy cards to choose from to express thoughts from the heart, especially when some might feel uncomfortable or awkward around the subject.
There was once the tragic accidental death of an Indian coworker, struck down in the prime of life as a result of a local train accident as she headed to work one morning. The whole company was in shock. The executives did not know how to continue with day-to-day business, how to act, what to say. Her damaged briefcase was recovered from the scene and delivered to the office. A grief counselor was brought in to assist warehouse and office employees. There was a Hindi funeral service that followed where people wore white instead of black, then a cremation ceremony. You see, it’s not all about business, it’s about people.
At another job, a catalog phone rep lost her husband in a matter of hours with what started off as a simple headache after their children’s softball game. Dad was the coach. The profound sadness on her face when she returned to work will forever be etched in my memory. Before her husband’s death her everyday joy of life was so incredibly cheerful and energetic. Her smile radiated beneath a full head of blonde curls. I thought she must have been the luckiest lady in the world with the best husband, family, and marriage. Now her grief was so vast that no one could approach her; no one knew what to say as she sat alone at her workstation. Beautiful company sympathy cards came her way to ease her heart, if only to quietly read how respected and loved her husband was, and that there were people she worked with who cared even though they may not have known how to say it face to face.
The cards were a means of offering her active, conscious support. She knew she was still loved and accepted on the job even though her personal grief would have to take months and years to process.
Take Your Child to Work Day was originally founded by Gloria Steinem and the Ms. Foundation as the Take Our Daughters to Work program in 1993. Originally, the intent of the program was to address the self-esteem issues that face young women and the foundation resisted the inclusion of young men. The Ms. Foundation provided materials to schools so teachers could incorporate “choosing a career” activities the day before or after the event to reinforce the experience with the participating girls.
Schools began to resist the program because of the exclusion of boys and the program was changed to Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day in 2003. Although most individuals who bring a child to their job for the day bring their own child or a relative, the program originally encouraged participants to bring a child from a residential program or shelter who may not have access to adults with careers in skilled professions.
Hannah busy at work on Bring Your Child to Work Day at Prudent Publishing.
Although, I don’t have children myself I know that children can become passionate about a future career early in life, and giving them working knowledge of the ins and outs of a particular position or industry can help them discover what they do and do not want in a future career. This can be the first step on the path to their future. Not every child is afforded the opportunity to visit a company. Some parents are self employed, others have returned to school to continue their education, and others work in highly confidential or dangerous fields that don’t allow for children to come to work for the day. I brought Hannah, the child of a family friend with me for the day. In this case, Hannah’s family owns a restaurant that she helps out at several times a week. Although this is certainly a career option for her in the future, she is already well aware of what is involved in the restaurant business and wouldn’t be gaining a new experience by spending the day there.
She couldn’t have been more excited to spend the day at the Prudent Publishing offices. She loved seeing the process of designing a greeting card from start to finish and getting the opportunity to design and photograph her own card creation. She was thrilled to meet the other staff members and enjoyed seeing how many career opportunities there were within one company. She listened in on several live phone calls and assisted with small tasks throughout the day. I enjoyed seeing how much she has matured and that she felt comfortable asking questions about the tasks she was seeing and participating in. Hannah even took our typing test and was able to type 59 wpm with 99% accuracy – not a small feat for such a young woman! Hannah was very fascinated with our electronic typewriter. Since she has grown up in the computer age, she thought it was amazing to hear how much we used typewriters as little as 15 years ago and the increased efficiencies we’ve seen with the introduction of computers.
Overall it was a great experience for all the kids who were able to spend the day with us and a very rewarding experience for the adults. It was very refreshing to see our careers through their eyes as we too often take for granted what we see and do everyday.
