Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Look Back Series – 2010 Winning Entry Transformation

In today’s entry for our Scholarship Look Back Series, we wanted to give you a better look into some of the additions that were made to the 2010 Scholarship Winning entry that was submitted by Dawnee Burson. In the below image, you’ll see some of the enhancements that were made to the beautiful winter scene that Dawnee painted in order to really transform it into an amazing card.

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If you look at the below slideshow, which is zoomed in on the cottage on the left side of the painting, you really begin to notice some of the details that were added in. You can see that the trees in the background as well as the garland on the fence have been covered in gold foil in the form of glitter to really help give them a snow covered feel. You can even see that the window in the cottage has been filled with little ice skates. We look at every detail when we transform entries into cards!

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Below you can get a better view of the little enhancements that were made to the trees with the addition of the gold foil to really make the snow pop on the final card design!

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In the end, the entry only needed a few little touch ups to become the final image you see in the Log Cabin Greetings Holiday Card you see in our line today. That is a true testament to the amazing skill and creativity of Dawnee Burson. Come back next week as we continue to give you a behind the scenes look at our $10,000 Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest.

An Unexpected Turkey Day Treat – Business Christmas Cards For Thanksgiving

Business Christmas cards are standard practice when it comes to the business world. If you have clients, if you have employees, there should not be a Christmas that goes by where you do not show your appreciation with a card. There is no more personal of a message than one you wrote and signed yourself. There is also no more of a commercial than a card that says your company name that sits right on your client’s desk for a month or two. But there may be something you are overlooking. There is another opportunity to share your message of appreciation.

Thanksgiving Cards

There is nothing more American than eating turkey on Thanksgiving. The Detroit Lions have just finished up losing to whoever they are playing and the wife is ready for you to carve up the bird. The stuffing has filled up everyone’s nostrils and you cannot wait to see how that turkey injection you did for the first time tastes. Now what is more personal than that? Thanksgiving Cards can be a way to entrench your brand along with this American standard. It will not hurt that for an extra month your company name will be sitting on former, current, and potential client’s desks. So keep sending those Christmas Cards, but do not forget to go the extra mile and celebrate turkey day. Don’t forget the Thanksgiving Cards.

Business Birthday Cards – What A Great Concept

One day on my way to my office, I was trying to think of a way to boost the morale of my co-workers, as well as try to find a way to improve the way we interact with our clients. As I approached the elevator, I noticed someone was holding a birthday card they had received. “That’s it!” I said to myself. “I’ll send out business birthday cards!” I headed to my desk and went online to The Gallery Collection. They had such a wonderful selection of birthday cards I was bound to find a few I liked. Well, I not only found birthday cards, they also had assortment boxes for all occasions. I was having a ball ordering everything I needed to fill my needs. And I couldn’t believe how easy it was.

Business Birthday Cards

After I ordered my birthday cards and all occasion cards, I went in search of lists for birthdays and anniversaries of co-workers and clients. Wow, I can’t believe how many are coming up so fast. I made my list, and once I received the cards I got started on signing and sending them all out. I was thanked by the people I work with and business seems to have picked up. All from a birthday card. What a concept!

Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Look Back Series – 2010 Winning Entry

In our first installment of the 2010 Scholarship Contest Look Back Series, we wanted to give you a behind the scenes look into the very interesting and creative idea behind 2010 Scholarship Winner Dawnee Burson’s winning entry.

As Dawnee explained it in her letter that she submitted along with the entry, “I wanted to do a Christmas calendar card with four layers, one for each season that could be pulled off the front of the card as the seasons change”.

In order to accomplish this, Dawnee started with a base farm scene illustrating the fall season. She then provided us with acetate overlays (sheet of clear plastic laid over a background) which depicted different seasons for the same farm scene. Each overlay would have its own painted details which we would then use to lay on top of the base painting in order to change the seasons. In the slideshow below, you can look through Dawnee’s interpretation of the four seasons. Look at the differences in the details between each version from tire swings in the summer version to a scarecrow in the fall version. We think Dawnee came up with an amazingly creative way to show off different seasons all while using the same painting as the base!

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Below is the summer overlay which Dawnee provided. As you can see, the empty areas allow for the details from the original painting such as the mountains and forest to show through while also being overlaid with the new additions such as the tire swing and roof.

Acetate Overlay Depicting summer season.
Acetate Overlay depicting Summer season.

We hope you enjoyed this behind the scenes look into just how creative Dawnee’s winning entry really was. We hope you come back next week as we continue to reveal even more about the 2010 Scholarship Contest!

An Assorted Birthday Cards Bonanza

I’m not talking about that crazy TV western that spanned the 60s and 70s starring Lorne Greene, Michael Landon and Pernell Roberts. (By the way, did you know that Bonanza is the second longest running western series of all time? You’ll have to go look up what number one is, or perhaps you’ve already guessed it.) I’m talking about birthday cards. The Gallery Collection has so many birthday designs that it is a literal bonanza of cards. Offering everything you can imagine…balloons, cupcakes, presents, corporate cards that highlight your company name and so much more.

Assorted Birthday Cards

You can’t go wrong keeping assorted birthday cards on hand. The assortment gives you everything you need to stay on top of all the family, friend and office birthdays that you want to be sure to celebrate. Nothing makes a person feel more special than receiving a birthday card. They may say they don’t want any fuss or muss on their birthday but deep down, it gives them a warm fuzzy feeling to know that you thought of them on the anniversary of their birth. So be sure to pick out your favorite amongst the bonanza of birthday cards available. You’ll be sure to find something you like as much as that western TV show that so many of us enjoyed growing up. Whoops, I think I may have just inadvertently revealed my age!

Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Look Back Series – Religious Card Designs

For the final post of our 2011 Scholarship segment of the Scholarship Look Back Series, we wanted showcase the beauty and elegance of our Religious Card lineup that Whitney Fuertes’ amazing 2011 Scholarship winning design has been added to. Her wonderfully depicted Nativity Scene and was an amazing addition to an already exquisite lineup.

You can browse through the gallery below to see a sampling of cards that we have from our Religious Christmas Cards Section depicting the Nativity Scene. Click on each image to get a more detailed description of the cards and their designs.

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It’s always amazing to see how many different styles and designs can be used to depict the same scene. In Whitney’s case, she chose to depict the three wise men as they surround the holy family with gifts in what was originally a beautifully detailed hand drawn image.

Expressing Condolences with Sympathy Cards

It is a natural reaction to avoid anything to do with death or funerals. The unfortunate result is that we are often unprepared and overwhelmed with the proper approach to take when a colleague, business associate or co-worker has a sudden loss in their family. The first step should be to send a sympathy card. Sympathy cards offer an appropriate sign that you are sensitive to the person’s loss.

Elegant Sympathy Cards

When we think about a loss of a loved one, we remember the people we received sympathy cards from. Business associates will certainly feel the same way. It seems a prudent practice to be prepared for the possibility that business sympathy cards would be needed at any given time. The world is becoming a smaller place and businesses are no longer behaving in a cold and detached manner. The trend toward a warmer approach has shown that people respond better when the businesses they deal with care about them.

There is no reason to limit your involvement to a sympathy card. When my father-in-law passed away, there were many people who came to the wake that were business associates. I cannot tell you how that impressed and comforted my mother-in-law. The capacity to show sympathy is not something to be underestimated.

When we are vulnerable all kindness is appreciated. Many times we ask ourselves what should we do. What are the proper words to say? Should we send a card or send flowers or visit. Ask yourself what would you like if you lost a loved one and you will have your answer. A flower, a card or a visit encourages us to remember we are not alone in our grief. Who among us would not rather do business with people who are caring and thoughtful? Keeping a supply of business sympathy cards will help prepare you to express that caring to others.