It seems like smart phones and various other mobile devices are taking over the world. Everyone seems to have one. These phones and devices are for so much more than making simple calls. Between texting, facebook, photos, games and apps, there is nothing you can’t do when you are on the go, or just sitting at home on your couch! And now, this technology is making it easier than ever to get the greeting cards you want, directly from The Gallery Collection. How so, you might ask. The Gallery Collection is proud to introduce QR Codes for your mobile devices.

QR Codes are like bar codes for your smart phones and other devices. You simply install a QR Code reader app, which are generally available on the website of your service provider. Then you simply take a photo of the QR code wherever you find it, be it in a catalog, a mailing, or even a poster. Once you’ve scanned the code this will take you directly to the destination set by the QR Code.

The Gallery Collection is proud to be on the forefront of this technology. When you receive a mailing that has this code, just scan away and you’ll be linked up with the most beautiful greeting cards around. Just imagine, personalized Christmas cards, business birthday cards, thank you cards and much more, all available at the click of your device. Isn’t technology grand!

Every year as autumn approaches we begin to think about the holiday season that is fast upon us.  They begin with Halloween, then comes Thanksgiving, then Christmas.  And with the holidays comes the annual selection of personalized holiday cards.  Recently I came across a specific card, Design 732CS – Christmas Eve Holiday Card, that immediately caught my attention.  It is a bright, cheery design that catches the eye and brings a smile to your face.  Colorful buildings are set in a rural country village featuring horse drawn sleighs while carolers in the Village Square sing in front of an evergreen tree decorated for the holidays.

Design 732CS – Christmas Eve Holiday Card

The cartoon like artwork of Design 732CS – Christmas Eve Holiday Card, has a whimsical feel with farm animals peeking from behind barn doors and windows, wreaths hung everywhere and Christmas trees prominently displayed in some of the homes.  And as smoke wafts from chimneys a bright full moon teams up with seemingly endless stars that fill the night sky to illuminate the snow covered village below.  Santa Claus is ready for a landing as he descends from the sky with his famous reindeer and gift laden big red sleigh to deliver presents to the joyful townsfolk. This design will be something fun for everyone who receives it.

Design 735CS – The Northern Cardinal Holiday Card, depicts a male cardinal perched on a snowy pine branch. We know that this cardinal is a male by its bright red color; a shade of red you can’t take your eyes off and the red is so striking against the white snow. This photo works well for personalized Christmas cards because it seems to illustrate the holidays and give one a cozy, familiar feeling. According to National Geographic the male Northern Cardinal is perhaps responsible for getting more people to open up a field guide than any other bird due to its vibrant color.

Design 735CS - The Northern Cardinal
Holiday Card

The Northern Cardinal is a songbird; they sing about two dozen songs. You can almost hear the cardinal singing the card’s message of Season’s Greetings. The Northern Cardinal design would also make an appropriate  business holiday card because the image and message are non-denominational.

Design 735CS – The Northern Cardinal Holiday Card, is printed on a glossy paper called kromekote. Kromekote is now FSC certified so not only would you be choosing a beautiful Season’s Greeting card but you would also be helping to preserve our forests; the FSC logo is printed on the back of the card. The cardinal photograph is bordered in green to accent the green in the pine branches and the red drop shadow panel is embossed to give the card more character. The shimmering silver foil sprinkled on the tree giving the illusion of sparkling snow.

Being an artist and loving to paint, I have a bit of pressure every year to send out the perfect personalized Christmas cards. I am very interested in watercolors so when I saw Design 154CX – Watercolor Poinsettia Holiday Card, I knew I finally found the perfect card for me.

One of the unique features of this Christmas card is the colors of the flowers and ivy on the front of the card.  With its beautiful splash of colors, it actually looks like an artist brush stroked each and every card personally. The poinsettias are delicately placed on thick matte, buff colored paper which allows you to choose personalizing inside of the card, of either ink or foil printing, with ease. You can choose either the red or green ink to match the flower and ivy accents, or if you prefer your personalized Christmas card a bit more elegant looking , you can emboss the inside of the card in beautiful gold foil to match the gold flakes of shimmering snow falling around the poinsettia flowers. Each flake on the front of the card is bursting with an array of different colors depending on how the light hits the snow flake. I personally love how the gold foil looks when you open up this card and see how it glistens in the light.

Design 154CX - Watercolor Poinsettia
Holiday Card

With the poinsettia being a symbol of the Christmas season, when your clients, friends and family receive Design 154CX – Watercolor Poinsettia Holiday Card, they will immediately identify that the Christmas season is upon us once again.

When companies send personalized holiday cards there are always different thoughts behind them. Should it be informal, should it be formal, should I do foil, should I do ink? This paralysis of analysis can sometimes slow you down so much you don’t bother even sending cards out.

It may not seem like a big deal but getting personalized Christmas cards out to your clientele is truly significant. In these trying times it is nice to know someone remembers you spent money there. The card puts you back on the mind of your valued customer.

I found a fool proof way of doing cards each year. I sell heavy equipment parts. So each year I take a picture of my dog Frank and pose him on a new construction vehicle as the driver. So when I make my Christmas cards, I throw in the added bonus of a picture of Frank inside.

You cannot even imagine the reception this gets each year. There isn’t a returning customer who doesn’t ask about Frank when he or she comes through the door. And the key to that statement is, “when he or she comes through the door.” I want my customers to return, I hope if you are a business owner you would want the same. I guess the only exception would be a funeral home. I suppose there is not much return business when it comes to that.

In most businesses you need to go that extra mile for your customers. The moral of the story is take time to put together a personalized Christmas card and have fun with it. It does not have to be something you worry about doing each year, you can make it exciting!

The old family Woody! Design 725CS – Vintage Holiday Greetings Card, is the perfect image for personalized holiday cards. Most people love to see that old automobile in photos or drawings; it may bring back fond memories of times past, a reminder of friends and family and holiday traditions that you still pass on to this day. What a great way to put a smile on the face of everyone who receives this treasured holiday classic!

Design 725CS – Vintage Holiday Greetings Card, is a beautiful watercolor of the woody wagon automobile all dressed up for the season, carrying home the beloved family Christmas tree and all decked out with a wreath pinned to the grill of the car. The bright Christmas red of the automobile against the green tree makes this card a true stand out. It is finished off with a hint of silver foil to add a little bit of sparkle. This holiday card is so beautiful it can be framed and displayed, and bring joy to all who see it, all year long.

Design 725CS - Vintage Holiday Greetings Card

Design 826CX – Holly Berry Season’s Greetings, is a design that truly invokes the beauty of nature during the holiday season. The simplicity of nature has always shown me beauty which enables me to decorate my home for the holidays with style and grace. Gathering holly and berries is an annual event for my family. We go to our place in the country for a weekend every year in early December. Bright and early after a pancake breakfast we visit the local Christmas tree farm and cut down the perfect tree and amidst friendly teasing we tie it to the top of our car. Saturday afternoon finds us out in the woods gathering all the holly and berries we will need for the season. It’s always a wonderful family memory that lingers long after the holidays are over. Every year I try to find personalized Christmas cards for my office that match the wonderful holiday feelings that trip to the country gives me.

Design 826CX - Holly Berry Season’s Greetings

Design 826CX – Holly Berry Season’s Greetings, is a lovely hunter green card embossed with gentle swirls. The gold frame in the center appears to have a mesh screen of gold with a perfect gathering of gold foil holly branches highlighted by red foil berries. These are gathered together with a brighter green foil ribbon and bow with the simple message of “Season’s Greetings” printed below. A perfectly elegant holiday card with good thoughts sent from a firm of people who love the simple pleasures of life.

Whether this scene is on an island in the Caribbean or somewhere along the coast of Florida, Design 709CS – Greetings From Paradise, certainly does look like paradise to me!  There aren’t many people in the country this year who weren’t suffering through one of the coldest, snowiest winter seasons in a long while.  Just think what a breath of fresh air it will be for them as they gear up for another snowy winter this upcoming Christmas and then receive  sunny personalized Christmas cards!

Design 709CS – Greetings From Paradise, is perfect for just about anyone…those that live in a sunny, warm climate or those that just wish they did!  I love how the light foil accents really make it look like the Christmas lights on the trees and boat are twinkling! The embossing really makes this card come to life.  Your “warm” holiday greetings conveyed by this card will be welcomed by all on your Christmas list.

Design 709CS - Greetings from Paradise
Holiday Card

Design 705CS – Wishing you a Merry Christmas, features a lively group of carolers that are sure to get you in the Christmas spirit! The deep embossing on these personalized Christmas cards seems to bring this merry band of snowmen to life and the shimmering foil accents and lettering are a perfect touch. This festive troupe is just having too much fun and even the dog and cat are along for the entertainment as well! This is a fun holiday card that anyone would love to receive in the mail and put on display for everyone to see. It’s a real celebration of Christmas spirit!

Design 705CS - Wishing you a Merry Christmas

The message on the front is simple, yet sincere. The snowman sing along will put everyone who sees it in the holiday spirit. You and everyone on your Christmas card list will want to join in the fun and sing along too! Design 705CS is a perfect choice for those that want to send a touch of whimsy along with their holiday greetings!

Every year the vast majority of us struggle to find the perfect Christmas cards to send out for the holidays. It can be a difficult decision. I personally like to send out Merry Christmas cards to all of the people on my holiday card list.

Personalized Christmas cards should be reflective of the person or company that is sending them. I am a Merry Christmas person all the way. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and I sing Christmas carols. I think it’s great to send out cards that show people what you celebrate, and that you are also wishing them a merry and joyous time of year.

Season’s Greetings cards are very popular, and I certainly understand why. They cover all the bases for your holiday needs. The holiday season truly is for everyone, no matter what you celebrate. It’s all about the joy and the spirit of the season…whether you celebrate Christmas, or Hanukkah, or just enjoy the general feeling of the time of year. But don’t be afraid to send a specific card. It’s the meaning of your Christmas cards that is the most important thing this time of year.

If you celebrate Christmas you can share that with everyone. Even if people don’t celebrate the same holiday, the shared spirit of goodwill is apparent in your Christmas cards and the thought that you put in to sending them. I certainly don’t mind getting cards from people of all different faiths and beliefs. I’m pleased that friends and co-workers have thought of me during the holidays and wish me well. Every card I receive is a Christmas card to me. The joy I get in both giving and receiving cards is immeasurable.

So next time you are considering what to do for your personalized Christmas cards, feel free to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Remember, it’s the thought that counts!