CardsDirect Blog

Posted by admin at 25 January , 2012

Many times we are asked how to send greeting cards or invitations to someone who may be living somewhere other than their main address. The term “c/o” comes in handy in these instances. This familiar collection of letters is short for in “care of”. It lets the post office know that the address is correct and that you know that person is not the main recipient at that particular street address.

It comes in handy when sending mail to someone who may be visiting someone else. You are sending their mail “in care of” another person’s address. For example, this is how you would address an envelope to Mary Smith when she is visiting Jane Doe.

Mary Smith
c/o Jane Doe
123 Main Street
City, State 00000

You can use this also when you are sending correspondence to someone at their office address. Here is an example:

Mr. John Doe
c/o ABC Business
123 Main Street
City, State 00000

And always include your return address on any letters or cards mailed so the post office can easily return them to you if they need to for any reason.

Tags: envelope addressing, etiquette, Greeting Cards, Invitations
Posted in: Miscellaneous Fun , Uncategorized | No Comments »

Posted by Linda at 27 December , 2011

Now that the presents have been unwrapped, remember to say thanks! Writing a simple thank you card isn’t hard to do and means much to the person who went to the effort to pick out something special with you in mind. So maybe it wasn’t exactly what you had hoped for, but a sincere show of appreciation in the form of written thank you cards is just plain nice and shows you have manners.

Here are quick tips to help you compose a thoughtful note of thanks:

Intro. Begin by writing Dear… and the person’s name. It gives your note that personal touch.

Just the facts. Name the specific present with a simple sentence that says something like, “Thank you for the lovely fluffy slippers.”

Fluff. Add another sentence or two about how you plan to use the present or what it means to you. Make it as sincere as possible. “I’ll enjoy wearing them on cold days to keep my tootsies warm.”

Closing. Just wrap it up with a simple something like, “Thanks again for your thoughtfulness.”

Thank you notes don’t have to be long and involved, but the simple show of appreciation in written form lets the person know that their gift was received and their thoughtfulness was appreciated. Set a good example by writing them yourself and helping your kids write them too!

Tags: Thank You Cards, Thank-you-notes
Posted in: Thank You Cards | No Comments »

Posted by admin at 13 December , 2011

We love helping people with their holiday photo cards and wanted to share a few of the more interesting ones with you!

Happy Holiday to all from CardsDirect!

Tags: Christmas Cards, Holiday Cards, holiday-photo-cards, Photo Cards
Posted in: Christmas Cards , Holiday Cards , Photo Cards , Photo Holiday Cards | No Comments »

Posted by Linda at 6 December , 2011

Holiday cards can be the only time during the year that you communicate with many distant friends or family members. Although many may poo-poo the idea, the annual Christmas letter is really a great way to update everyone on what you and your family have been up to during the year. Here are some tips to consider when composing that annual update.

1. Keep it brief. People are especially busy during the holiday season and don’t really have time to read a novel, even if your family experienced a truly novel year! Simply share the highlights and follow-up later with a more complete explanation of happenings if someone asks for the details.

2. Tell the truth. We’d all like to say we’ve traveled the world, seriously upgraded our lifestyle and won the lottery, but often that simply isn’t the case. Be truthful when letting everyone know what you experienced this past year. What may seem boring to you may be quite interesting to others.

3. Make it fun. Be creative when sharing your tale. Speak to your audience and add a bit of humor and your annual Christmas letter will bring a smile to many and become something they look forward to reading each year.

4. Keep your voice. Write as if you were speaking to a friend. Keep your “voice” consistent with the way you might speak to someone in person. If you don’t use big words on a regular basis, don’t start now. An easy flowing narrative is much more genuine and sure to be appreciated as authentic.

5. Review and edit. Once you’re happy with your creation, read it out loud and edit as necessary. One final going-over will help you catch minor errors and misspellings.

Colorful or unique holiday cards or Christmas cards with a letter from you included inside are fun to send and to receive. Photo holiday cards help add visual appeal as well. Make it an annual event and you’ll never lose touch with those whose friendships you value most.

Tags: CardsDirect, Christmas Cards, Christmas letters, Holiday Cards, Photo Cards
Posted in: Christmas Cards , Holiday Cards , Photo Cards | No Comments »

Posted by admin at 8 November , 2011

For a bit of fun, consider sending your Holiday Cards from a Post Office with a Christmas related name and postmark! A fun holiday postmark is sure to surprise those on your holiday card list as they look to see where their card is from.

Just pick a post office from the authorized list shown below. Stamp and address your cards then package them all up and send them to:

Christmas Re-mailing
Postmaster
City, State, Zip (choose from one listed below)

Your cards will be individually postmarked and mailed from there. Although there is no charge for this service, it is best to mail them by December 10 to allow enough time for the postmarking, re-mailing and delivery.

Angels Camp CA 95222
Bethlehem KY 21609
Bethlehem NH 03574
Bethlehem PA 18016
Chestnut IL 62518
Evergreen Co 80439
Evergreen LA 71333
Frost MN 56033
Garland PA 16416
Garland TX 75040
Holly MI 48442
Hope KS 67451
Hope MI 48628
Hope MN 56046
Hope NM 88250
Hope ND 58046
Joseph OR 97846
Joy IL 61260
Nazareth KY 40048
Nazareth MI 49074
Nazareth PA 18064
Noel MO 64854
Patridge KY 40862
Rudolph OH 43462
Rudolph WI 54475
Saint Joseph IL 61873
Saint Joseph MI 49085
Saint Joseph MN 56374
Saint Mary’s PA 15857
Saint Mary’s WV 26170
Santa ID 83866
Snowflake AZ 85937
Spruce MI 48762
Star NC 27356

Wouldn’t it be fun to get Holiday Cards from Santa, Photo Cards from Rudolph or Christmas Cards from Bethlehem?

Tags: CardsDirect, Christmas Cards, Holiday Cards, holiday postmarks, Photo Cards
Posted in: Christmas Cards , Holiday Cards , Miscellaneous Fun , Photo Holiday Cards , Postage Stamps | No Comments »

Posted by admin at 27 October , 2011

Now is a great time to go ahead and order your holiday cards! Beat the rush by ordering early so you can get them all signed, addressed, and ready to mail before the holiday shopping, cooking and decorating madness begins. And to make them extra special, stick a 1st Class US Postage Stamp on them that will complement the card design itself and entice the recipient to look inside that special envelope.

Here are the holiday stamps available for the 2011 holiday season. No licking necessary anymore, the designs are chosen especially to fill the bill on religious Christmas cards to contemporary Holiday cards, Hanukkah Cards and Kwanzaa cards too. It currently costs $.44 to mail a card but the price will increase to $.45 in January. You’ll be money ahead though as these are all Forever Stamps so you can use them… forever, thus avoiding price increases.

Perfect for anyone on your holiday card list, each of these colorful stamps features a colorful ornament in bold colors and designs topped with fanciful bows. The illustrator, Linda Fountain, from Hilton Head Island, SC, sketched the images based on styles from the 1950s, then used cut paper to complete the designs. Fun and festive, these Holiday Baubles add a touch of excitement to any holiday card envelope.

Religious Christmas Cards celebrate the reason for the season and this illustration of the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus was painted in oil by the Italian master, Raphael in or around 1513. Entitled “Madonna of the Candelabra”, the painting is now in the collection of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. The image on the stamp is just a portion of a larger painting.

The bold colors of this Kwanzaa stamp clearly show the celebration that takes place over seven days beginning on December 26 each year. The first Kwanzaa commemorative stamp was issued in 1997 with new designs issued in 2004 and 2009, making this the fourth stamp in this series. The design by Daniel Minter was first carved into a linoleum block, then scanned into a computer and colorized. The stamp celebrates family and the colors of Kwanzaa.

The Jewish Festival of Lights is commemorated with this Hanukkah stamp for 2011. The fourth stamp in the series, this one was created by Suzanne Kleinwaks of Falls Church, Virginia. The bold and colorful shapes symbolize the eight days and nights of the Hanukkah celebration with one designed to look like a spinning dreidel, a familiar toy children traditionally play with during the holidays.

Sticking a real postage stamp on holiday cards is much more personal than running them through a postage meter. And wouldn’t you agree that you tend to open mail with stamps on them first when sifting through everything that appears in your mailbox?

Tags: business holiday cards, CardsDirect, Christmas Cards, Greeting Cards, hanukkah cards, Holiday Cards, kwanzaa cards, personalized holiday cards, Postage Stamps
Posted in: Christmas Cards , Holiday Cards , Postage Stamps | No Comments »

Posted by admin at 13 October , 2011

Would you like a free greeting card to send to anyone you want? CardsDirect will send you a free card and envelope just for Liking us on Facebook! It’s easy to visit Facebook.com/CardsDirect, click “Like” and the “Free Card” app at left to order the card of your choice for free!

You can pick from pretty lime green Thank You Cards or bright balloon Happy Birthday cards or beautifully designed Congratulations cards. Everyone knows someone who would enjoy receiving an unexpected greeting card from you and now you can get one to share absolutely free! We’re talking FREE Card, FREE Envelope, and FREE Shipping, just for Liking CardsDirect on Facebook.

Being a Facebook fan also gives you an opportunity to receive special Promotional Discounts and offers for all the wonderful personalized greeting cards CardsDirect has to offer. With over 4,000 card designs, you’ll find the perfect Holiday Cards, Christmas Cards, Photo Cards and more!

Hurry as this is a limited time offer. No purchase necessary. Please allow 2 -3 weeks for delivery. Limit one card per address while supplies last.

Tags: Birthday Cards, CardsDirect, Christmas Cards, congratulations cards, facebook, free cards, free offer, Holiday Cards, Photo Cards, Thank You Cards
Posted in: Birthday Cards , CardsDirect , Congratulations Cards , Holiday Cards , Miscellaneous Fun , Photo Cards , Thank You Cards , Uncategorized | No Comments »

Posted by admin at 5 October , 2011

Did you know that the holiday season has already started! Yes, the phones are ringing and orders are flooding in for this years personalized holiday cards. Christmas may be in December but now is a great time to order your Christmas cards online. To help you know what to look for in a supplier, consider these 5 tips.

1. Super Selection- Make sure you have more than enough card designs to choose from. For professional season’s greetings for your business clients and partners, to photo holiday cards for friends and family, you don’t want to be limited in design selections.

2. Creative Customization- You should be able to pick a verse that lets you say what you want to say. The best online holiday card suppliers will give you verses to choose from and/or allow you to create your very own. There should be plenty of space available for your text and you should get to pick the type styles and colors printed so your card is uniquely yours.

3. Price and Performance- Many card companies will offer discounts and promo codes but make sure the bottom line is no surprise. Watch out for those that show what looks like a low price but then add on costs for such things as personalization, uploading photos, proofs, envelopes and outrageous shipping charges. And make sure they offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee before you click that Order button.

4. Quality you can Trust- It is often difficult to tell just what card quality you may end up with when ordering online. Make sure you are pleasantly surprised with your final order by reading online reviews. Also look to see if the company will provide free samples for you to review before placing your order. A trusted company like CardsDirect.com will have been successfully in business for over 10 years.

5. Easy Online Ordering- A card that looks great and is affordable is fantastic but if you can’t easily place your order, it matters not! Look for a site that lets you put in all of your details and easily walks you through the order entry process. And if you can’t find someone to help via email, phone, fax or live chat, keep looking until you find a company who is there to help you if you have any questions along the way.

Ordering your holiday cards is a once-a-year experience and should be something you have fun doing! The goal is to be proud of the cards you send so that those who receive them will appreciate you and enjoy a happy holiday season!

Tags: business holiday cards, cards, CardsDirect, cardsdirect.com, Christmas Cards, corporate-holiday-cards, Greeting Cards, Holiday Cards, personalized holiday cards, Photo Cards, Photo Holiday Cards
Posted in: Christmas Cards , Holiday Cards , Photo Holiday Cards | No Comments »

Posted by admin at 20 September , 2011

Everyone works out of their home from time to time. Maybe just to pay bills or when you’re involved in volunteer work. Or maybe you have a part-time or even a full time job that requires you to work at home. Whatever the circumstance, here are some suggestions for setting up a work environment that is less stressful and more organized.

1. Find a clean counter space or unused table that can be considered your desk. Do your best to keep this area clutter free. If you have a computer, make this your computer’s home and arrange it so that it is easy to sit at and type at comfortably.

2. Keep a pencil box handy or an empty drawer nearby to house a few necessities like paper, pen, ruler and basic office supplies. Let the family know that this is hands off space for you and you alone.

3. Learn not to save! Read and toss immediately any paperwork that doesn’t need to be saved. Be vigilant about tossing as much as is possible. If you can, scan important documents. For very important papers, they should be in a fire safe or lockbox. And special keepsakes like holiday photo cards can be placed in memory books. Also try very hard not to print items that are already on your computer!

4. Use a storage bin or small file cabinet for those items that you simply must keep and access regularly. Organize them in file folders so you can grab what you need quickly. At least once a month, shift through any files and/or paperwork you may have set aside and toss that which won’t be missed.

5. Make your workspace one you’ll enjoy spending time in. Make sure you have adequate lighting and add a family picture or potted plant to spiff it up a bit and help you feel comfortable.

A workplace that is readily available and pleasing will not only help you get the job done quicker, but will take less stress and produce better results. A home office can be a corner of the kitchen, a table in the basement or room all its’ own. Whatever the square footage, the more organized it is, the better!

Tags: CardsDirect, holiday-photo-cards, home office
Posted in: Photo Holiday Cards , Uncategorized | No Comments »

Posted by admin at 8 September , 2011

Did you know that those born after 1980 actually text almost as much as they talk. And as for the art of handwriting, forget about it! They’ve never really seen the need to put pen, or even pencil to paper! Sadly, we are witnessing the death of handwriting, not because it was never learned, but rather because no one is ever asked to use this skill past the third grade.

Don’t you miss seeing lovely cursive penmanship with curly, slightly leaning letters? The Coca-Cola logo is a great example of just simple cursive letters that identify a brand.
It isn’t just computers that sucked the life or ink out of handwriting, standardized tests contributed as well. Teachers have limited time to teach so are forced to concentrate on the skills needed for these tests and handwriting isn’t a part of them so attention to that part of the daily classroom learning was been sadly pushed aside.

Think back to your elementary years. Learning how to write in cursive was exciting and something you looked forward to learning. It meant you were more grown up! It is now up to each and every one of us to work with the younger generations to keep this art alive. What can you do to help? Consider these suggestions:

1) Sit down together and write thank you cards. Children learn by example so set a good one! They can be simple thanks for just about anything, not just gifts.

2) Make your shopping list out in cursive. Ask each family member to add whatever they need in cursive as well. Bet you won’t end up having to buy nearing as many unnecessary items!

3) Write to someone you’ve not contacted in a while. Have children add a line or two to a note you’ve started, in cursive of course.

4) Have everyone add their weekly activities to a monthly calendar in cursive. Bet appointments won’t be forgotten!

5) Stuff a happy note in a backpack, purse or briefcase and make someone’s day!

There is really no end to the opportunities to dust off your handwriting skills if you slow down and take a few minutes. You may actually find that it is fun too! Do you have suggestions for helping to keep this art alive?

Tags: cursive, Greeting Cards, handwriting, note cards, notecards, Thank You Cards
Posted in: Greeting Cards , Note Cards , Thank You Cards | No Comments »