Santa's Little Helpers

Now that we've got some good ideas for photo themes and infinite possibilities for the type of photo that can work for holiday cards (hint-there are no rules) let's talk the next step; the card itself. Yet another can of worms. I personally am into simple. And if clever works, I opt for that. Oh, and heartwarming is a plus. Funny is cool too. So one of those (or a combination of them) is what I strive for every year. Oh, the pressure. When people start saying, "I can't wait to get your card" it can be a little stressful BUT, no one reading this blog is going to let that happen, RIGHT?? No stress this year. Zero. At least about our cards. Sometimes to achieve this state of card calm, we must call in the big guns. I call them Santa's little helpers. Mine will be Shutterfly this year. They've got tons of new collage options which work perfectly for a series of pix I took 2 weeks ago in Lake Arrowhead. And I swear, I was just shooting with NO intention of using the pix. For God sakes, the kids looked like little ragamuffins in their hodge-podge mountain clothes. Seriously. But, since they came out cute regardless the street urchin wardrobe, I'm using them. I just made them black and white and they don't look nearly as mismatched as they really were. The best part is that my husband loved them. That alone is reason enough to use them.

Did I say I like simple?? Yep, I do. That goes for photos, designs, and captions. And like I said a few posts ago, I really do let the photo guide the design and the caption. I've incorporated a word within the photo, like "Wish" and "Peace". And I've used a meaningful quote in my card for the caption. My all time favorite was "Nothing is worth more than this day" by Goethe. And the beauty there is it can beautifully accompany ANY photo. Love that. And last year (as promised) I took the photo from beach, cropped it into a square, included a white border (like an old photo to match the retro coats) and popped in the definition to the word "frolic".

You could include the definition to any word. It's a unique idea. I saw someone else do it before so essentially I stole it from them. I think they used the work Holiday. Hey, all is fair in holiday card play, isn't it? Or no? Hmm. Well, you can use any of the ideas I share and feel good about it. If I didn't want to share, I wouldn't talk about it. That's why I'm here.

Now, what to do if you aren't computer/design/craft savvy or you just don't have the time this year? I've got answers. There are some amazing sites out there with super- creative people behind the scenes to help you create the card of your dreams. Doesn't that sound heavenly? Pam for instance shared some work from her card company Enduring Notions in the comments yesterday. She even designed The Mom Trap's card this year so if you choose to enlist Pam for help, you're in really good company. Check it out!

And, I am dying over the "Snow, what snow?" "from Mexico" card. Clever stuff Pam! The awesome part about using a company like hers, you're supporting another mom. Go Moms!

Speaking of cool and moms...Enduring Notions was featured over at Cool Mom Picks. Gotta love that. She even offers a discount when you mention seeing her over there. Yeehaw! You can also go poke around and see other mom run card companies have been featured in the archives. Um, lots. All totally cool, of course! Search under paper goods. And, there are other photo things too...like great photo gift ideas -wink, wink. nudge, nudge, Christmas is coming. I'll probably highlight a few of them and more in future posts. I mean, who wants to go hunting around for brilliant ideas when you've got a site like Cool Mom Picks to do it for you? Simple simple, simple. Just the way I like it.

Comments

[Kristen]

Thanks Tracey -- and we're giving away NINE free shirts today -- very nice ones, may I add.

So, hop on over people!

[Pam]

Thanks Tracey! I love your stuff and thanks so much for the kind words. I second the advice to head on over to coolmompicks.com for help with holiday shopping - it's one of the best shopping sites ever and you're guaranteed to find cool things you never knew you needed!

[Michelle]

I love the idea of defining a word! I think that is a keeper for this year’s card. :)