Congratulations to the winners from the Sixth Round of voting in the Gallery Collection Scholarship Contest!
10 Designs moved on to the finalist round as a result of them finishing in the top 10 in voting, plus, our scholarship team also used our 1 save available to us on the design submitted by Madeline Andrews. A beautiful pumpkin themed entry which clearly has great technique and took a lot of time to finish.
Check out the top 10 vote getters and the saved design that are moving onto the finalist round in the gallery below.
I think of myself as a religious person; I go to Church on Sunday and always try my best to turn the other cheek. It dawned on me while I was choosing my yearly Christmas card that I should be sending religious Christmas cards, after all Jesus is the reason for the season. I decided on a Nativity scene and narrowed it down to these:
Peace Joy Love Christmas Card – Design 773CX
• Gilded Nativity (Design 79PCX) – This card is all foil so it is very dramatic and it is also the Gallery Collection Scholarship winner. Hard to believe a young student has so much talent. • Peace Joy Love (Design 773CX) – This triptych illustration is so peaceful and joyful it really lives up to its name. Depictions of the three wise men, the shepherds with their flock and in the center Mary and Baby Jesus make this design a beautiful Nativity. • Song of the Angels (Design 657CX) – This painting is a masterpiece by Adolphe-William Bouguereau and I love the way it is bordered with gold foil setting off the golden hair of the angels • Stained Glass Nativity (Design 133CX) – This design is very cleverly put together-each one of the wise men are set in their own stained glass panel with Mary and Jesus facing them in the last panel. • Madonna Adoring the Christ Child (Design 74MCW) – Madonna Adoring the Christ Child is a painting by Correggio framed with an ornate pattern of gold foil.
It is so difficult to choose from such a wide variety I am getting three different designs; Song of the Angels, Madonna adoring the Christ Child, and Gilded Nativity!
Throwing a party doesn’t have to break your budget. There are lots of simple things you can do that don’t cost a lot, but make a great impression.
Keep decorations simple. There are probably things that you already have that can be used to decorate your space. Some ideas:
1. Fill a glass bowl with red ornaments to use as a centerpiece.
2. Hang Christmas tree ornaments around the house or space. Christmas tree ornaments can be hung on just about anything, not just the tree.
3. Holiday table cloths or runners can be used to decorate the mantel, end tables.
4. Pull out photos from Christmas’s past and hang them around the room. They will make for great conversation as well as look great!
Keep the menu simple. Finger foods are a great way to do this. There are a variety of premade options that you can buy at the grocery store or food clubs. If you want to make your own, you’ll save even more. Try to have a variety of types of dips and chips and crudite. Try to have a variety of colors. Serve the food on colorful platters.
Another thing you can do is to ask your guests to bring their signature dish. They may enjoy showing off their dish and it will help keep your costs down, while creating a varied menu.
Most of all remember the purpose of a Holiday Party is to enjoy the season with those your care about and to be grateful for the good things we have in life. Relax and enjoy!
Thanksgiving is the time of year when we reflect on things and people we are thankful for. It’s a perfect time to show appreciation for the hard work your employees put in throughout the year. Below are five gift ideas to acknowledge the value of your employees during Thanksgiving.
Have a Great Thanksgiving Card – Design 74WCX
1. Thanksgiving Cards – Greeting cards are an inexpensive, but thoughtful way to show thanks. Personalize the cards with their names and a message wishing them and their families a Happy Thanksgiving. If you have the time, hand deliver the cards to each employee – it’s a nice way to personally communicate that you value them as individuals and opens the door to learn a little about them.
2. Wine – Depending on the nature of your business, a small bottle of wine may be appropriate. If you’re looking to go the extra mile, decorate the top of the bottle with some festive string! Whether your employees choose to enjoy it with their family or give as a gift to someone else, it is a great way to spread seasonal joy.
3. Pie – If your business is a bit too conservative for wine, perhaps you could spread thanks with holiday pies. Apple, pumpkin, pecan, blueberry – choose one, or let your employees choose! They’ll appreciate the thought and be relieved to have something to bring to their relative’s Thanksgiving dinner.
4. Gift Card – Thanksgiving and the holiday season in general tend to become expensive. A generic or supermarket gift card is a considerate gesture for an employee Thanksgiving gift. The flexibility of a gift card allows them to spend it on whatever will make their holiday more special.
5. Potluck/Banquet – Whether you choose to rent a space or coordinate employees to bring their own dishes, a spread of food is always a well-received gesture. Let employees sit, relax and socialize with one another over a good meal. Don’t be shy to have a seat yourself and join in!
Whether it’s giving a gift or sharing some words, the saying “it’s the thought that counts” carries more weight than you may think. Regardless of your budget there is always a way to show appreciation for the people who help run your business. This season, take the time to thank them.
When it comes to signing your company Christmas cards, there are a number of factors to consider.
Happy Holiday Trees Christmas Card – Design H1RCX
First off, decide whether the cards will be imprinted with a person or person’s name or just the company name. If you are printing the company name inside the Christmas card without any personal names, then here are some options for both small and larger businesses.
Smaller Businesses
• Have the entire staff sign the cards. Keep in mind, this can take awhile and usually only recommended with a staff of 6 or less.
• Owner signs each of the cards – possibly writing a little extra note to the most valued clients.
• Owner has someone else sign the cards on behalf of him or her.
Mid to Large Size Businesses
It is generally not practical to ask an entire staff or department with more than 6 people to individual hand sign cards and, typically, the result is not aesthetically pleasing either. Here are some alternatives to consider:
• Imprinting the executives’ names inside the card and having them (or designates) to hand sign above the imprinted names on smaller quantities.
• On larger quantities it is generally recommended to have a signature plate made for the order. Doing so enables each executive or department staff, to sign only once and having that signed paper turn into a special plate to reproduce the signatures on each of the cards.
• When larger groups of people are signing, the results are often best when the signatures are offset by a graphic, such as the company logo, to provide a focal point.
Remember, whomever signs the company Christmas cards, be sure they do so with a good quality pen for best results.
For the first time, I have been put in charge of this year’s holiday festivities. So the big question is – What to serve at an office Christmas party? I’ve honestly not given it much thought before. I usually just show up and the food is there. Isn’t it funny how we think that this just magically happens?
As I started my planning, I was thinking that I want it to be fun and festive. However, I don’t want it to become overly complicated. With that in mind, I began to research my options. I came up with the following ideas:
Foods that can be kept warm in chafing dishes. Baked ziti, chicken marsala, sausage with peppers, etc.
Tossed salad (I would only offer a few different dressing types)
Rolls (splurge for the individual butter portions, if budget allows)
Easy to eat treats for dessert, such as cookies and brownies.
Bottled water, coffee & tea
You can also go potluck, and ask your fellow employees if they would like to contribute. Post a sign up sheet so people can sign up and enter what they would like to bring. Otherwise you may wind up with multiples of the same thing. This will allow your fellow employees the chance to participate while showing of their favorite holiday specialty!
Ordering Christmas cards is probably not one of the most difficult things you will do. However, there are many decisions to be made. The Gallery Collection has hundreds of gorgeous designs to choose from. Then, there are many Christmas card sayings to choose from.
Depending on who you are sending your cards to, the Christmas cards can be saying ‘Thank You’, as to business associates. For example:
In the true spirit of the Holiday Season, we extend to you Our Sincerest Appreciation for Your Business
Perhaps you want to wish your recipients and their families peaceful holiday greetings. Here are some popular sayings in this category:
May Peace, Joy, Hope and Happiness be yours during this Holiday Season and throughout the New Year
Sincerest wishes for hope, happiness and peace during this Holiday Season and throughout the coming year
For a true religious Christmas saying, there is the following option:
May you have the gift of Faith, the blessing of Hope, and the peace of His Love at Christmas and always
It may be hard to choose from all of the great Christmas card sayings available, but once your choice is made, the words you have thoughtfully chosen will surely echo your Christmas wishes to all who receive them!
I absolutely love what Gallery Collection is doing with photos; how do they come up with all of these ideas? Photo mount cards are actual photos mounted on card stock with the photo framed in foil. I am totally going this way for my holiday cards this year but I have to narrow down from these:
Holiday Hearth Card – Design 86GCW
Holiday Hearth (86GCW) – This photo card is so cozy looking it is a definite contender for this year’s card. Love the black stock; very dramatic.
Miami Skyline (76CCW) – I run a business out of Miami so this would be great to send because the sky really does look like this. Wonder if it would make my Northern client jealous! I could use it as a Thank You card instead.
Glowing Holiday Pines (73MCS) – Ideal is the thought that comes to mind when I look at this card, talk about Silent Night, you can almost hear the hush of the snowflakes falling.
Autumn Vignette (73SCX) – Maybe a Thanksgiving photo card instead of a Holiday photo card? A Thanksgiving card will hang much longer than a Christmas card and will be the first to arrive!
Holiday Penguin Trio(76SCX) – I have never done cute before so maybe this year I can break the ice with these adorable penguins.
Well I narrowed down to four holiday and I definitely want the Miami scene for an All Occasion card, I just won’t put a greeting on the inside so I can use for any thing I like. I want to hurry and make my decision while I can still get great discounts!
The Gallery Collection is thrilled to have the opportunity to make a donation to Warrior Canine Connection. We created and donated 500 Thank You cards to be used to give thanks to Veterans for everything they have done for our country. Using images supplied to us by Warrior Canine Connection, we’ve created a card that speaks to both the work that the organization does, and the grateful thanks they wish to share with Veterans.
Warrior Canine Connection is a pioneering organization that utilizes clinically based Canine Connection Therapy to help wounded Warriors reconnect with life, their families, their communities, and each other. By interacting with the dogs as they move from puppyhood to training to adult service dogs, Warrior Trainers benefit from a physiological and psychological animal-human connection. As a result of their efforts, Veterans with disabilities receive the finest in trained service dogs.
If you’d like more information on Warrior Canine Connection, or if you’d like to make a donation, please visit their website: http://warriorcanineconnection.org/
