Tag: christmas cards

Personalized Christmas Cards Make Life a Little Easier

The holiday season is fraught with tasks that seem to never get done. Whether it is in the business world or one’s personal life, the holidays are, without a doubt, the most hectic time of the year! Although we all enjoy receiving Christmas cards, preparing and sending them to clients, family, or friends can be quite a tedious undertaking. Signing the cards, addressing envelopes, and applying postage stamps to each one are not only time consuming tasks but can often prove to be very frustrating. A way to eliminate one of these jobs is rather simple.

Personalized Christmas cards can do away with the chore of signing each and every card you send. Stuffing, addressing, and applying postage to the envelopes are jobs that still remain to be done but the elimination of signing each card is not only a time saver, but an impressive way to indicate from whom these holiday greeting cards were sent. Along with your personalization you might consider adding a line such as “Happy Holidays,” “Have a Wonderful New Year,” or “Merry Christmas.” Use your imagination to convey that little extra expression of your feelings toward those who are important to you.

I’d bet if you try it once you’ll send these custom personalized Holiday cards year after year.

Custom Holiday Cards and Puppies Go Paw in Hand

I have to say, people have gotten pretty creative with their holiday cards and messages over the years but how many people have gotten creative with who delivers those holiday messages? I always look forward to the variety of custom holiday cards I receive as the holidays approach, with one favorite in particular.

For over 10 years, I received a holiday card from Ben, one of my favorite creatures. You might be thinking “creature” is an odd word to describe a close friend or relative but Ben was my cousin’s dog and I always playfully referred to him as her first born, considering how much he was babied over the years. What can I say, I babied him too since I was the go-to person for dog-sitting Ben while I was in high school. We were all attached! Every year as I received holiday cards from friends and family, this unique holiday card would arrive with his info in the return address and a paw print signature. Enclosed in the holiday card would be a detailed newsletter describing the happenings of his favorite “pets” from the past year, my cousin Sheila and her husband Greg, and in later years his “kid pets,” Anna and Danny.

Now you and I both know that Ben was not writing the letters but it made his greeting cards stand out amongst the other holiday cards. This tradition was something the entire family looked forward to every year. Ben’s perspective had a spin to it that everyone enjoyed reading. However, 2007 was a very difficult year for my cousin’s family and the unpleasant and emotional decision of putting their 13-year-old adored pet to sleep had to be made. It is not easy putting your pet’s pain and suffering to an end knowing it is going to be the beginning of your own.

It was difficult for the couple who had spoiled a dog for the nine years of marriage prior to the arrival of their first child. The kids had taken over the focus of attention for four years but Ben was always a beloved member of the family and his loss was deeply felt. The house was quieter, free of the black dog hair and the endless trail of chew toys and stuffed animals. Everyone felt something was missing. The most trying moment came when it was time to send out that year’s holiday cards. Who was going to account the happenings of the family this Christmas? Ben was definitely missed.

One day when I got home from doing some Christmas shopping, I casually rifled through the day’s mail, which included some Christmas cards. I noticed a greeting card envelope with two small paw prints on the front. Curious, I opened the greeting card to see a great photo of our Ben and additional photos of my cousins’ family (the kids were cute too!) Enclosed was a newsletter similar to what I had received for all those years but with a slightly different perspective. This holiday card was from Jackson and Sawyer, two lab puppies (one chocolate, one black) being given to the “kid pets” on Christmas Day. The letter ended simply: “With love from Jackson and Sawyer, in loving memory of Gentle Ben 1994-2007.” I had a good cry after reading the letter. A new pet can never replace a pet that is no longer with you, but it can be a great way to honor their memory. Well, that and the tattoos but we’ll save that story for another day!

Spread Some Joy with Holiday Card Design 086CS

GalleryCollection.com has recently introduced a new design to our already extensive Christmas cards line-up – 086CS Frosted Merry Christmas Die-Cut Holiday Card. It is the sixteenth addition to our ever popular Die-Cut Christmas Cards line extension.

086CS Merry Christmas from All of Us

The friendly card design is sure to put a smile on any recipient’s face. It features nine giddy snowmen holding up a banner that reads “Merry Christmas from All of Us.” Beneath the snowmen is a die cut window that will showcase your company name, leaving a lasting impression in the minds of your customers, vendors, and employees.

Design 086CS is embossed on environmentally-friendly, white matte paper. The paper stock is not only made from windpower energy, but it is also FSC certified (SW-COC-002530). Additionally, the paper stock is Green-e certified, which means that renewable energy has been verified and approved for use in the manufacturing process.

If you’re looking to spread some joy this holiday season, what better way to do so than with design 086CS. This premium quality die cut holiday card will speak highly of your company, your taste level, and your eco-consciousness.

Buying Personalized Holiday Cards – It’s Just the First Step

You know the old saying “The cobbler’s son has no shoes?” Strangely enough, since I work for a company that makes personalized holiday cards, it actually applies to me. I heard that saying a lot as I was growing up. Why? Well first there was my uncle. We lived in an apartment in his building and of course he would be the one to call whenever there was a plumbing problem because not only was he the landlord, he also owned his own plumbing business. Yet he would come and replace our faucet with old pieces he could find laying around and sometimes use duct tape to seal a leaky pipe, always saying he would be back to fix it later. And of course, later could mean 6 months, or even a year!

Then of course there is my grandfather, who after he retired from the fire department, started his own house painting business. Yet the outside of my grandparents’ house remained unpainted for about 27 years. In fact, it didn’t get painted until after he retired from that business and handed it down to my uncle who decided to surprise them and paint their house while they were away on vacation.

Now there’s me. My company, The Gallery Collection, specializes in personalized holiday cards. I’m able to order a custom holiday card imprinted with my family’s names and a holiday message. In addition, we can have the mailing envelopes printed with our return address. I pick out my personalized holiday cards in March for goodness sake! All I have to do come December is address the envelope, stick a stamp on it and mail it! Yet there I am every December 21st or 22nd, hurriedly going through my collection of old envelopes with return addresses as I send out my Christmas cards. No, I don’t have an address book. I simply have a collection of envelopes from greeting cards that I have received over the years. If you send me holiday cards with your return address on it, you’re sure to get greeting cards back. If you don’t, hopefully I can look up your address online. If you’re not listed, you’re probably out of luck and hopefully you will learn your lesson and include your address next time! That is…if there is a next time.

Peace on Earth Expressed With Greeting Cards

A close but cynical friend, in thanking me for the Christmas cards I sent in 2001, asked me why and how I had come to choose Peace on Earth holiday cards at such a sorry time. Our grief, never forgotten, was still very raw from the senseless and insane acts of hatred that had taken so many innocent lives. I did my best to explain my thoughts, feelings and reasoning for sending Christmas cards with this theme. I have since found other examples of peaceful greetings throughout history, whose simple statements are eloquent on the necessity for all of us to achieve peace on Earth through our thoughts and actions.

“A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety.”
– Aesop

“Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy.”
– Thomas Jefferson

“The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.”
– Abraham Lincoln

“Peace is not a relationship of nations. It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of soul. Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is also a state of mind. Lasting peace can come only to peaceful people.”
– Jawaharlal Nehru

“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.”
– Calvin Coolidge

“Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
– Mahatma Gandhi

“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”
– Neil Armstrong

“The journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step. So we must never neglect any work of peace within our reach, however small.”
– Adlai E. Stevenson

These benevolent words can inspire us to seek peace on Earth through everyday actions. Each of the Christmas cards I send expressing peaceful greetings is one small step that I can take toward making this world a better place.

Sending Christmas Cards that Actually Say Merry Christmas

I recently started a side job working in a neighborhood doctor’s office. I’ve worked in many different jobs over the years and the skills used are all pretty similar. Typing letters and transcribing notes is all the same except for the terminology used. However, after a few months it became very apparent that this job was very different from others. The doctor sends out Christmas cards to his patients…ALL of his patients, whether they celebrate Christmas or not! You may be saying to yourself, “So what? Our office sends out holiday cards too.” You may be right, but the difference is that our doctor sends out company Christmas cards.

There is a distinction. In this day and age of everyone being politically correct, we actually pick out Christmas cards that wish everyone a “Merry Christmas.” Not holiday cards that wish “Season’s Greetings” or “Happy Holidays,” but Christmas cards that say the often forbidden words “MERRY CHRISTMAS.”

The doctor’s philosophy, which I happen to agree with, is that there is nothing wrong with sending Christmas cards wishing people a Merry Christmas, whether they are Christian, Jewish or Muslim. He feels that he is sharing his holiday joy with everyone he comes in contact with and how can expressing his thoughtful message with Christmas cards be construed as wrong.

So if you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, our office wishes you the best of the holiday season, peace and the love of family. And may you receive plenty of Christmas cards yourself!

My Dad’s Favorite Holiday Cards Inspired by Mother Nature

Once the Christmas season rolls around, we all come across plenty of holiday cards in stores or our own mailboxes. Some greeting cards are beautiful, others are funny, and then there are some holiday cards that bring back memories and truly hit home. Whenever I see winter scene cards, I’m reminded of my dad.

My dad was a real nature lover, preferring to be outdoors whenever he could. Growing up on a dairy farm in a small town in Pennsylvania, he spent his boyhood days taking care of the barnyard animals, fishing, swimming, and just enjoying the countryside. On snowy winter days, he would put on his skis and set out for school, trekking across the meadows to a one-room schoolhouse. My dad had an endless assortment of stories about growing up on the farm with nine brothers and sisters. When he spoke of those long ago days, it brought to mind the beautiful Currier & Ives paintings of winter scenes and I thought about how nice it must have been to grow up in such a place, surrounded by so much natural beauty.

My dad left the Pennsylvania mountains when he married my Mom. They moved to New York City, where my mom was from, and then to the suburbs when they started raising a family. I could tell that he missed country life. He lived in the suburbs, but his heart remained in the mountains of Pennsylvania, a place that would always be home to him.

One Christmas while shopping for holiday cards to send to family members, I came across some really wonderful Christmas cards. I picked out one of these pretty holiday cards for my dad, a greeting card with beautiful snow-covered mountains, a babbling brook and a family of deer in the foreground. He never mentioned the greeting card to me, but after the holidays I stopped by his house to take him out to breakfast at his favorite place, IHOP. He was crazy about their buckwheat pancakes! Anyway, I noticed that on his bedroom dresser was the holiday card I had sent him. The Christmas card was propped up in front of all his other stuff, so he could see it each time he passed by. He saw me looking at the holiday card, came over and picked it up. “You know,” he said, “This is the best greeting card anybody ever sent me. It reminds me of home. “

My dad’s been gone quite a few years now and I’ll always miss him, but I smile each time I think of that one little Christmas card and how happy it made him.

Christmas Cards and their Lasting Beauty

It’s February and I just put away the Christmas cards that were sent to me this past holiday. You may wonder why it took me this long. Yes, I know it’s been a month and a half since Christmas but I was enjoying the artistry of the holiday cards and didn’t feel the need to take them down immediately. Or maybe I’m just lazy!

During the Christmas season, I display all of the holiday cards that my husband and I receive on the back of our front door. With a little tape and strategic positioning, the door quickly turns into a collective masterpiece of Christmas trees, ornaments, snowmen, and landscapes. Photo cards showcase the smiling faces of our nieces, nephews, and friends’ children, who all seem to grow up faster and faster every year. Also included are business Christmas cards extending season’s greetings from our employers and colleagues. It’s nice to pass by the colorful display and admire all of the well wishes sent to us by friends and family.

All good things must come to an end though, so I relented and decided it was time to take down the holiday cards. I don’t throw them out because I like to reuse the designs in creative and eco-friendly ways. Greeting cards are perfect for making decorations or adding some style when wrapping gifts. Keeping our Christmas cards also ensures that we include each sender on next year’s mailing list. I look forward to seeing new cards next Christmas!

For the Love of Sending Greeting Cards

My friends will all tell you how much I love sending greeting cards. I’m the type of person who has been known to read half the cards in the store before selecting the perfect one (which is why nobody I know will go to a card store with me). I don’t just send birthday cards or Christmas cards; I love sending thinking of you cards or even “Today is Wednesday” cards. Whatever the occasion, I’ll buy cards in advance so I have them on hand when needed. Naturally, when I started working for a greeting card company, my friends laughed and said I must be in heaven now.

I am in heaven because not only are there new and beautiful cards to admire every year, I am surrounded by people who continually chat about greeting cards. “How do you like the new birthday cards?” our Creative team wonders. “Which Christmas cards are your favorites?” asks our Chief Marketing Officer. “Did you see the new assortment box?” questions a coworker. The all-things-greeting-cards atmosphere combined with the enthusiasm of our employees are surefire ways to produce a quality product that I personally love to talk about.

So when my boss asked me to write for our greeting card blog, I decided that my love of greeting cards was the perfect topic. Greeting cards are a wonderful way to connect with people, and I’ll share a tip…I save and reuse cards too. I cut up the cards with great pictures and use them as gift tags or presents. This is a terrific way to reuse a paper product, and anything friendly for the environment can’t be a bad thing.

Christmas vs. Season’s Greetings

When I set about to order my Christmas cards, I became aware that in the past, being politically correct was not an issue that affected me. I reviewed some of the cards that I received in previous years and, lo and behold, most of them wished me a Merry Christmas!

The more I think about it, the more I am starting to doubt the “correctness” of avoiding the Merry Christmas phrase. After all, do the recipients of these cards not know that the season in Season’s Greetings includes Christmas?

In my opinion, anyone who thinks about me and takes the time to contact me is obviously not trying to offend me. On the other hand, if I am aware that a friend or contact is sensitive to this issue, I will act accordingly. I think that we should take the recipients of our cards into consideration, and then choose a card that pleases us as well as it would please them. It is a well known observation that when choosing a gift, one should choose something that they would really like to keep for themselves!

Should we no longer send Season’s Greetings cards altogether? Of course not; but let’s not make using “Merry Christmas” a thing of the past either.