Bespoke Christmas Cards

I know Christmas cards are becoming a thing of the past. However I refuse to give up on them. I dislike these mass emails, or even worse the Facebook posts to the world and their dogs. I love choosing a subject and then create the Christmas cards. Over the past few years they have been printed. Before that I used to make them by hand.

Most common family Christmas cards are the ones with a group shot either from the past vacation, or an image from the yearly Christmas card photo session. But with so many people being connected with each other on social media, a family photo may not be most unique subject for a card anymore.

 

Your Own Artwork

This watercolour painting is one I created. It shows ornaments we own, mixed with some decorations from a Christopher Radko magazine ad probably from 1994. I still have the ad. It’s in my Christmas idea scrapbook from back in the day when there was no Internet…

 

 

Children’s Drawings

Start digging in the box with drawings from your early school years or if you have children, chose one of their artwork. Children draw with no inhibitions, just imaginations. Unfortunately something most of us lose as we grow older.

 

 

I created these three drawings in Kindergarten.

 

Production

There’s different ways to have your personalized Christmas cards done. There’s many online shops with all kinds of options from paper, size, frames, vignettes, and all you have to do is choose the layout and upload the photo(s). You need to supply a sharp big enough file for printing. Online printing takes about 2 weeks from upload to your mailbox.

I prefer to use a local printer. You go and visit them in their shop, choose the paper and envelopes. They will help you get your cards done they way you envisioned them without the limitations of online software. If you don’t have a scanner, bring the original artwork and have your printer scan it for you. Make sure they email you a copy as well. You also need to supply them with the wording if you like to have printed text on the cards. And whatever quantity you figured you need, add a few more. I always like to keep a sample of past Christmas cards. Once you are ready to send your Christmas cards, take the time and go to the post office and buy some lovely stamps. It’s just a lovely final touch.

2020