Month: August 2013

Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Look Back Series – 2008 Winning Design

Welcome back to another installment of our Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest Look Back Series. The 2008 scholarship was our second run and we were all excited and ready to get going. Clearly there was alot of excitement from our first scholarship contest and boy was it evident in the final number of submissions which totaled over 11,000! There were so many beautiful entries to choose from and in the end, George Humeston was selected as the winner for his beautiful painting depicting a stunning winter night scene with snow covered tree branches.

After the entry was selected as the winner, our artists turned it into the stunning Full Moon Winter Night Christmas Card.

[m-vslider id=”11″]

There wasn’t much that had to be done to the entry itself for it to be turned into the card but we did add some enhancements. The card was stamped with silver refractive foil and enhanced with some embossing (raising some details of the image to give it a three dimensional effect). Falling snow was added in with the use of silver foil dots to really drive home the winter scene feeling. A white frame was also added around the image to give it the framed painting feel. It was a beautiful entry which easily became a beautiful card in our line.

The Subtle Advantage of Corporate Birthday Cards

Everyone knows how great it feels to be remembered on his or her birthday. Cards, gifts and well wishes make a special day even more so, and we tend to remember those who take a moment out of their day to brighten ours. But there’s a not-so-secret bonus found in the practice of sending corporate birthday cards.

Corporate Birthday Cards

When a company sends a valued client or business associate a birthday card, they’re taking advantage of a terrific opportunity to stand out from others as one that goes above and beyond. And in the same vein as sending a thank you note after an interview, it offers the chance to bring you and your business back to mind in a positive, meaningful way. It’s a physical reminder of a connection, and its presence conveys thoughtfulness, consideration and, let’s faces it, a level of class. That card becomes a visual link to your company, one that carries with it all the positive impressions you expect to be associated with your business, not to mention bringing your name to mind time and again like a not-so-subtle whisper in their ear.

Having a selection of assorted birthday cards at the ready means you’ll never miss this professionally personal opportunity to showcase your company in a positive light. It’s a small gesture that ensures yours is the name that comes to mind long after the card has been tucked away and it’s back to business.

Thank You Cards Are Not Passé

I have a pet peeve. I really get annoyed when I go to a store to make a purchase and the clerk acts like I’m not even there! No eye contact. No “how are you today?” Not even a thank you. It really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I’m also not fond of not receiving thank you cards. Is it too much to ask? Has saying thank you become passé?

Thank You Cards

Don’t get me wrong. There are plenty of people that haven’t forgotten the old ways. I do run into people that say thank you and I do get thank you cards from some. But all too often we take manners for granted and do not realize the importance they hold in our lives.

Being in customer service, I am on the phone and interacting with our customers daily. In order to assure them that I appreciate their order and the opportunity to serve them, I must convey with my voice. I do this by smiling and being helpful. No, it can’t be seen, but they can hear in my voice that I truly care. When I am dealing with an individual on a more personal level, I convey my thanks not only in person, when I can, but I follow it up with a thank you card.

Whenever I purchase my all occasion cards, I make sure that they include thank you cards. When the occasion arises, I have it at the ready. Whether in business or personally, and under appreciated person is an unhappy person. Either way, it’s a recipe for disaster. I don’t want to be the person responsible for that!

Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Look Back Series – 2009 Finalist Showcase

Welcome back to the 2009 version of the Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest Look-Back series. In today’s entry, we wanted to show off a couple of the finalists designs that, even though they were not turned into cards, we still thought should be seen by everyone. You can browse through the full collection of finalists from the 2009 contest in the 2009 Scholarship Finalists slideshow, but below are some of our favorites from the group. We would also love to hear your opinions on which design you liked so don’t forget to vote in our poll underneath the images!

 


[polldaddy poll=”7342299″]

Sympathy Cards – The Perfect Response In A Difficult Situation

It was a really nice day out, and it was a Friday. Everyone in the office was anxious and excited. Finally, the end of a long work week! But just as everyone was settling down, we noticed our co-worker wasn’t at her desk. Then we got the horrible news. Her mother had sadly passed away the night before, suddenly and without warning. It seems like right in that instant, all our hearts broke for our beloved co-worker. I couldn’t help but want to run to her and give her a big hug. Then I realized that maybe she didn’t want to be around people at this moment and that maybe she needed some time to collect herself and bring herself together. We would of course respect her space during this difficult time, but we certainly wanted to let her know that we were all thinking of her and her family. That’s where sympathy cards come in. With a sympathy card, you can hand it to the person without getting emotional face to face, which some people are uncomfortable about. Naturally not everyone likes getting teary eyed in front of others. This way the person going through this hard time can keep the sentiment, read it in their own comfort and on their own time, and feel free to get emotional without the worry that someone may be looking. I like writing a paragraph of support and ending it with a good quote fitting for the situation. The one I chose for my co-workers sympathy card was: “For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity.” – William Penn.

sympathy cards

Everyone in our office had something nice to say, and wanted to reach out to our friend, so it’s very convenient and smart that our company has business sympathy cards on hand all year round. We got one of our cards and all signed it, including our boss, who was equally devastated that our friend was going through this loss. It was a while before our co-worker was able to come back to the normal routine of life but when she did she expressed how much the card we sent meant to her. She said that even though she needed her space, our sympathy card made her feel like she wasn’t alone at all. And that’s the most important message we wanted to convey.

The Magic of Business Birthday Cards

As a small business owner, I realized early on the importance of ‘the personal touch’ when it came to clients and employees alike. No one wants to feel like a number or a cog, and it was when I approached every connection on a more individual level that I saw the most amazing things happen. Remembering a child’s name or asking after a spouse (and paying attention to the reply!) goes a long way towards building a strong, loyal relationship. But the most positive reaction was always in response to receiving business birthday cards. It seems simple, but this outwardly small gesture always had the biggest impact. I could see the sense of worth and importance in their eyes as an employee would read the slew of well-wishes from co-workers, knowing they were valued and, let’s face it, well-liked. And I could hear in the voice of a client their genuine appreciation at being remembered on their birthday, knowing that time was taken out of a busy business day to make sure they knew the relationship was an important one. In the space of a short, meaningful birthday wish, a wealth of value and gratitude was shared.

Business Birthday Cards
I always keep a box of assorted birthday cards on hand and keep careful tabs on upcoming birthdays for all of my employees and clients. It doesn’t take long to pick the perfect card, and this personal, thoughtful gesture can flourish into an enthusiastic, dedicated staff, committed clients and a highly regarded business.

Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Look Back Series – 2009 Finalist Designs

In today’s entry for our Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Look Back series, we wanted to put the spotlight on a couple of finalist entries which were selected to be made into cards. Every year we receive thousands upon thousands of entries for our scholarship and while there can only be one Scholarship Winner, the amount of amazing artwork that we receive is so great that we always like to pick out a few finalists and add them to our line of cards as well. In the case of the 2009 Scholarship, two finalists designs were chosen to be made into cards.

The first design was submitted by Daniel Romlein of Potsdam, NY. Daniel painted a beautiful winter scene featuring Birch trees in a snow covered forest. When we first saw this entry, everyone in the room loved it. It brought to mind the holiday season at it’s most relaxing moment. This design was transformed into the “Shimmering Birches Holiday Card” after some additions like foil glitter depicting snow and a beautiful frame to center this amazing image and provide a background for the “Season’s Greetings” front sentiment.

[m-vslider id=”9″]

The second design was submitted by Katie Maupin of Jacksonville, North Carolina. Katie submitted an amazing painting of a snow covered home with a snowman in the front and the words “Seasons Greetings” written on the bottom. This design had such a warm and inviting feel to it that we knew that we had to add it to our line Season’s Greetings Cards. It was officially transformed into the “Warm Winter Welcome Christmas Card“. You can see some of the changes that were made to enhance this beautiful image such as a frame covered in snowflakes and glitter to represent the falling snow.

[m-vslider id=”10″]

Even though the above entries did not win, they deserved to be added to our line of cards. It truly is a testament to the quality of entries that we receive each year and we are always looking out for new designs to add to our ever expanding line. We hope you enjoyed this look into two great entries from the 2009 scholarship contest and we look forward to seeing you here next week for our next entry into the Create-A-Greeting-Card Look Back series!

Buying Birthday Cards – Exasperating or Enjoyable?

The pain! The agony! Can’t I put it off for another day? What is this dreadful task, you want to know? Shopping for birthday cards! (insert horror music here). Sorry for being so dramatic, but I really can’t stand this time-consuming, tedious chore. Now let’s make it clear – I think sending birthday cards are wonderful. My clients are so appreciative and look forward to receiving them each year. But the process of going to the store to buy them just annoys me!

birthday cards

We’ve all gone through it. The monotony of reading every category on those tiny little label things that stick out behind each slot of cards to find what you’re looking for. Fast forward 20 minutes later: you’re still pacing up and down the card aisle with different designs in hand. Is that sparkly one TOO sparkly? Does this greeting sound business-like enough? Finally, you make a decision. Just when you think you’re done, you notice there’s no matching envelope! You end up stealing an envelope from another card and hope it fits (we’ve all done it). You walk up to the register and the clerk mutters “$4.99”, without blinking an eye. What?! For a card?! You have no choice – if you don’t send the card now, it will get there late.

Does this sound all too familiar? Well, fear not, my fellow birthday card buyers! I’ve found a solution that saves time and money: The Gallery Collection. They have beautiful, high-quality corporate birthday cards (with matching envelopes, of course) for fantastic prices. The ordering process is actually enjoyable and it takes a fraction of the time. Sayonara, local card store!

Stress, Planning and Christmas Cards

One of the biggest lessons I have learned in my life so far is that a vast majority of the things that stress you out are avoidable. Most of the time, what stresses us is caused by no one other than your own self. I can’t think of a better time that displays this lesson than Christmas. The amount of people I see scrambling around the stores sweating, hyperventilating and, when I’m lucky, crying is incredible. Had these people just planned better, they could be taking it as easy as I am and actually enjoying the season. I have most of my gifts bought by October. I buy Christmas decorations in January when they are all on sale. Most importantly, I have my Christmas cards planned out by early November. If I didn’t have to put a photo on my cards, I would have them bought before my vacation in July. Buying my Christmas cards early has gotten rid of so much stress and left me with a little more cash in my pocket. When Christmas actually rolls around, I am calm as a cucumber.

Christmas Bows and Beads Card

Imagine my dismay when during my first Christmas season at my new job. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was December 14th…a cold, sunny day. I am going about my business, doing my work like any other day when my boss nonchalantly walks over to me and asks me to send out our business Christmas cards. Assuming they had been written out, addressed, and stamped, I asked him where they were. He said they weren’t ordered yet and that was my job. I almost fainted. My heart rate went up, palms got sweaty and I am pretty sure a thunderstorm formed inside of our office. It was a year’s worth of stress packaged up into one moment. While I was able to order and send out the cards in time, my enjoyment for that holiday season was crushed. Until I confirmed that people got their cards before the 25th, I was a mess. I made sure we ordered our business Christmas cards very, very early the next year. It did go to serve as another example, though, of how much stress we create for ourselves.

Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Look Back Series – 2009 Winning Entry Transformation

In our current entry into the Look Back Series for the 3rd Annual Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest, we are going to take a look into the transformation of Lauren Ondreko’s winning entry into the final card that we have on sale today.

The process begins with Lauren’s entry being scanned into the computer to create a Hi-Res version of it for editing. Below is the original artwork that Lauren Submitted to the scholarship contest.

Lauren's Original Entry

This is what Lauren’s entry looked like after it was scanned into the system for editing.

Scanned in Version

The next step after scanning in the artwork is to clean up the image and sharpen the edges so that the production person, or Imager, can get to work. At this point the front sentiment is also added to the card and the card design begins to take shape!

Revised Art

Once the image is cleaned up and the front sentiment is added, the card is ready to go through the separation process. The imager determines the different colors and finishing techniques to be used on this Christmas card design. There are all kinds of options to choose from such as including ink color choices, die cutting, foil-stamping and foil embossing.

The creative team will get together and go over all of these choices to test out and find the best one to use. There are many different colors of paper stock, and some of these colored stocks will be tested with different types of inks or foils, depending on the design. Once the team narrows down the combinations, the card is sent to production so that the creative team can actually see all of the different choices and decide which will be the final one. Take a look below to see what these test designs look like.

[m-vslider id=”8″]

After much discussion and back and forth, the final design was chosen and added to our line as the Snowman Surprise Christmas Card.

Snowman Surprise Christmas Card

Once again, we want to thank you for stopping by and taking a behind the scenes look into the transformation of Lauren Ondreko’s entry into the beautiful card it is today. We hope you come back next week for another entry it our Look-Back Series!