Some Questions for You...

[dedavis]

OK, so the cards I had printed this summer are doing pretty well just among my friends, so I am going to market them a little further afield. And I'm thinking of printing some Christmas card designs. Here's where I need your input:

1. Do you send Christmas cards?

2. What sorts of Christmas/winter images appeal to you? What about Hanukkah, Kwaanza, or New Year's?

3. Do you like the card to say something inside? Like what? (This is where I get stuck, and write my own greeting or note.)


Thanks for any ideas or opinions you're willing to share.

Deb

[greenoak]

i try and send cards....and i like something simple and not too sentimental inside.... ann

[Memmey]

I would love to get to buy a little bundel of cards for the holidays. I prefer to write my own words in them.
Thanksgiving, Christmas would be really nice.
Can you mass produce the ones you sent me? They look so detailed. I used the black background card with the swift on a wedding gift. They are getting married in Estes Park Col. I thought it would be card they might save.
I love your cards. I almost hate giving them away.

[gigiG]

Cards: One of the nice gifts I received last year was a box of handmade cards from a friend. The assortment were holiday, b-day, get well, etc...

I personally love it when a card doesn't have a message so I can write my own.

Nothing is more personally than writing a note in a card. We forget sometimes the "little" things is life are most memorable.

Yes Christmas, winter appeal to me. As do: animals, nature, flowers, artist designs are also good.

I hope this helps...can I put an order in? My box of cards is down to two cards left (from 30-last year)....:o

Can you post a pic of some of your cards, or designs? I hope so.

[Memmey]

Geeg look at these Deb sent at the first swap. The card stock is thick and the designs are so nice. A real quality card. Deb did a beautiful job on these.


http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o243/memmey/July07052.jpg




Note: Look at the price of the baby's breath seeds. Lol..15 cents..LOL. That is a piece of cloth on the red bandana card. The ornaments stand up in relief on some of them. Very nice.

[pacificstar]

Deb,

Thanks for asking our opinion. I do sent Christmas cards each year. I try to send something personal. I hate those long letters telling us what the person did every month. I always keep the cards with pictures of their kids or family. I like to send a card with our pictures to show friends and family (mostly the ones I never see all year) what is going on in our family. I do love cards with our name imprinted, saves me lots of time but I still add a personal message. I go for simple sayings, like the classic Merrry Christmas etc. short and sweet. I keep the interesting cards and maybe use them in a craft design later.

I loved the cards you made and would love to see more samples. The black and white swallow was amazing. Please post some pictures.

[cheapdiva]

I send cards but I try to find something that isn't Christmas specific but holiday specific. We have Jewish and African American friends who celebrate the other holidays and I don't want to have to buy cards for every December holiday. I usually send them out right around 12/1 so everyone gets their card "on time" for their holiday. I love winter scenes - houses in snow, villages, a forest in white - you get the idea.

[dedavis]

Thanks for all the input! You are helping me clarify my thinking about which direction to go with the cards. Actually there are two directions right now. I've always made "artist" cards, one-of-a-kind using art papers, vintage stuff, watercolors, etc. That's what I sent Memmey. The other direction is designs that I'm having commercially printed. I'm going to take some holiday designs to the printer, and was wondering whether to have a message printed on the inside (it will cost more).

The swallow is a linoleum block print 2 inches square. I make those one at a time. I'd like to dream up some other birds or animals and start a series.

As soon as it gets light enough (dark and rainy today), I'll take a photo of more cards.

Deb

[Lisa S]

Deb,

You're selling your beautiful and artistic cards to people who appreciate something special. I'm betting people would rather write their own message than have one pre-printed in a card. Cards without a pre-printed note can be used for all kinds of different reasons and I think folks would be willing to spend more money for them.

[RoseMary]

Your cards are beautiful, Deb. Like most of the others, I like to write my own message. That is always why I have so much trouble picking out cards~I don't like the message inside. I don't have so much trouble with Christmas cards--I can usually find some I like of them, but birthday, anniversary, etc. are the hardest to find.

I finally started making a lot of my own cards just for that reason. I think a lot of people prefer handmade cards, anyway.

[dedavis]

Thank you for participating in my market research, and saying nice things. Because of your encouragement, I drove the 80 miles to the Big Town yesterday, and am trying a new printer. I am using three designs I made using vintage paper and stickers, and one design based on a painting. I'm waiting for cost estimates, then I will decide how many to print.

This is a little bit scary. My graphic design skills predate the digital era, and I resisted learning computer design for a long time. Every time I get into Photoshop, I learn from my mistakes. Also, I would rather just make stuff, and am not interested in marketing. But I'm going to do it anyway, by signing up for holiday craft shows and having an open studio after Thanksgiving. I want to sell on the Internet, but that's still overwhelming.

For years I have imagined that the "Notecard Empire" would help me escape from my day job, but never thought much about the nuts and bolts of bringing it into being. Now I'm figuring it out. It's kind of fun.

Stay tuned!

Deb

P.S. Here are some of the Christmas designs.

[Lisa S]

Deb, they are beautiful! Did you do these in Photoshop?

I think you might find that you love the marketing part of it. It's not quite as scary as it seems. I didn't think I'd like that aspect of my former business, but it turned out that was what I was best at.

Good luck! You've got a great product.

[dedavis]

The cards are collaged out of actual old papers. There used to be a little shop near where I lived where the woman made and sold re-purposed stuff. I loved to prowl through there, because she would have odds and ends of gift paper, wallpaper, ribbon, etc. that I could pick up for a couple dollars. The cards came from that. I still have a stash of really neat old papers and tags--if anyone finds stuff like that while they're cleaning out attics, let me know. Used is OK.

I scanned the cards into Photoshop and cleaned up some small flaws and made color adjustments, as well as specified size. The print shop can take the files directly to the printing plate. Photoshop is amazing--it may take the rest of my life to figure out everything it can do. There's other graphics software too. I'm just getting started.

As far as marketing, my approach is to set attainable goals for the upcoming year. I'm trying to be smart and make plans but still be open to unexpected possibilities. I also work with a personal coach--a friend is in training and I'm one of her guinea pigs. She's really good about helping me cut through my own issues and move forward with what I want to do.

Deb

[gardenshed]

The cards are beautiful! I am with everyone else I would rather right my own message inside.
There are so many talented people on this forum, I do believe that I missed school the day they tought about talents! :o

[ChapterTwo]

I just loved the photo of the two sleeping angels (your grandsons) on your blog. I miss my kids being little!

[gardenshed]

Thank-you so much, I tell my husband that he is my number 1 man in my life but actually I have 3 number 1 men in my life. Even though my bedroom was a MESS I just had to take the picture.

[ChapterTwo]

Even though my bedroom was a MESS I just had to take the picture.


I honestly didn't look at anything but those sweet grandsons! :D

[cheapdiva]

G. Shed -

What sweet babies! Now I need to go find "An Affair with a House" - it looks like it is right up my alley.

[Memmey]

Garden S. my son spent the night with me Saturday. He rarely comes by, he's 22. I told him if I could make him little again I would. He laughed that I would want him to be a little boy again. Those little sweet sleeping babies are the age I dream about. I loved my little boy, he was so much fun . Now he is grown and ...busy. He loves me and occasionally stops by and helps me out but that "little" boy was my greatest little pal.
He called my name incessantly...Mom, Mama, hey Mom and look Mom Mom Mom look.....LOL
Those babies are beautiful...... congratulations:)

[Lisa S]

I know what you're talking about. I have a 14 year old son who sometimes leans against the door jam, talks to me and give me a glimpse of his little boy smile. But usually he's off to play his guitar or to a dance or to talk with his friends. Then I've got a 6 year old son who will talk to me until my ears fall off. When I have all the talking I can take, I ask him to call me Fred just so I don't have to hear "Mom, mommy, mom, mom, mom".

I live everyday in the middle of two worlds. I yearn for the little one I had and I need to take a nap from the little one I still have. I appreciate it all!

And then there's my sweet little girl... Life is good, huh?

(Very, very adorable grandbabies. I want to kiss that chubby arm!)

[gardenshed]

I had my only child at the age of 17 and a single mom so I truly didn't value the time like I wish I did. So I am making up for it with these two guy's. My step son and his wife are having a little girl due the first week of Nov. Thank-you everyone for your kind words.
Oh and Cheapdiva the book An Affair with a House I don't have it but looked at it at the book store it is truly one of the most beautiful books I have looked at in a long time. I am saving my pennies to buy it, maybe after christmas.
Have a blessed day