 Annual Christmas Letter 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
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 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 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 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  Free Card 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 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.  Holiday Photo Card 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 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 If you are a business owner you are always concerned with keeping the customers you already have and adding new ones. One great way to do this is to keep your company name front and center so it is just too easy for them to think of you the next time they need the goods or services you provide. And CardsDirect has the perfect way to do just that. We’re talking calendar cards! Calendar cards are a great way to send season’s greetings that will last all year long. These thoughtful three panel cards include calendar grids for easy reference and will be posted in a prominent place for all to see. The cards include your personalization so your company name is on display throughout the year ahead.  Calendar Card Easy to order online and affordably priced, your customers will look forward to receiving their updated calendar from you every year! As many companies are already making plans well into the new year ahead, you don’t have to wait until December to send your holiday cards. Go ahead and surprise them early by sending them your personalized calendar cards early! Tags: Calendar Cards, CardsDirect, Christmas Cards, Holiday Cards, personalized calendar cards, personalized holiday cards  How To Get Ur Love Back ” />Holiday Photo Card Good question! I’m admittedly biased but let me give you a number of reasons why it does make sense to send holiday cards to your friends, family, customers and business associates every year. 1) In this age of digital communication, a traditional greeting card received in the mail is a special and unexpected surprise. This highly personal form of communication is sincere and meaningful. And they’re fun to ooh and ah over too! 2) Remembering someone with a “real” card that is stuffed in an envelope with a stamp on it and mailed shows you care about them and value their friendship or business. 3) Cards sent during the holiday season are usually displayed and enjoyed for several weeks. For businesses, that means your company name is on display for all to see. In effect, you are advertising your company and showing you care about those you do business with. 4) Holiday cards sent once a year give you an opportunity to stay connected and build loyalty so that friends and business associates you don’t see all that often won’t forget about you! And let’s be honest, isn’t it fun to see those family photo cards from afar? 5) If you are looking for a way to stand out, consider sending Thanksgiving cards in advance of the traditional Christmas card rush or New Year cards that will get the New Year off to a great start. Annual holiday cards are fun to send and to receive. There is a reason Christmas cards have been popular for over 150 years. Why do you send them? Tags: Business Christmas Cards, business holiday cards, CardsDirect, Christmas Cards, Greeting Cards, Holiday Cards, New Years Cards, personalized greeting cards, Photo Cards, thanksgiving cards
The American Red Cross is one of the first responders in times of need so don’t wait, volunteer now. Contact your local chapter if you are interested so that you can be trained and ready to go when needed. There is always a need for doctors, nurses, paramedics and medical technicians but there are plenty of opportunities for others as well. Their site includes a thorough presentation on how you can get involved. During a natural disaster local television stations are a good source for quick news updates and immediate information. You can find a local network affiliate with a quick online search. Often they will let you know where or what help is needed and how to donate your time or energy. As you can imagine, local churches, corporations and community centers will do whatever they can during a crisis but they are called into action immediately and won’t have time to answer your individual questions. Rather than contact them, wait to see what needs they put out a call for and then fill those needs as directed. Often websites are put together immediately by someone local. They may be resources for those who are affected with suggestions on where to go for immediate help or how to contact family members. Or they may be asking for donations or volunteers. An online search will uncover these sites but please remember that just about anyone can create a website these days so do a bit of research to make sure it is a legitimate source of information. And never give out your credit card number or send money until you are certain you know where it is going and how it will be used! There is always someone in need of help somewhere so don’t wait. Take a class that will prepare you to help others, like CPR training, or offer your skills by teaching a water safety course, for example. Begin a local drive now to gather resources that might be needed elsewhere later. And remember blood donations are always needed. Donating and volunteering doesn’t have to happen just around natural disasters. At CardsDirect we support many organizations and people in need. From receiving unused greeting cards and donating them to non-profits as well as sponsoring charitable organizations through partnerships, it always feels good to help others when we can and I’m sure you would agree! To find current volunteer opportunities in your area, consult the VolunteerMatch.org website that lists needs in your zip code and close by. Nothing feels better than helping others! Tags: CardsDirect, charity, disasters, donating, Greeting Cards, red cross, volunteering Paper comes in all sorts of colors, weights and finishes. At CardsDirect we give you the opportunity to select the paper stock you prefer when ordering many of our Photo Cards, Invitations and Digitally printed card designs. Not sure what the different terminology means when it comes to paper weights and finishes? Here are some pointers.  Recycled Matte White Paper Stock Weight Opacity Finish Here is a list of the papers CardsDirect offers on many of our card and invitation designs. You will also want to look for the “Designer Recommended” selection offered under each card design. 70 lb. Coated Photo Paper- Our 70 lb. coated 110 lb. Value Satin Finish- Our 110 lb. value satin finish is a lighter version of our standard 130 lb. paper. It has a smooth coated satin finish on the outside, and is uncoated on the inside, making it ideal for signing with a felt tip or ink pen. 130 lb. Premium Satin Finish- The CardsDirect standard, our 130 lb. premium satin finish is an exceptionally heavy stock ideal for any type of card. It has a smooth coated satin finish on the outside, and is uncoated on the inside, making it ideal for signing with a felt tip or ink pen. 100 lb. Recycled Matte White- Our 100 lb. white recycled card stock is made from 100% post-consumer fibers. We carefully tested dozens of papers to find a recycled card stock that contains the fewest visible impurities while producing clean, crisp images. We are happy to be able to offer this recycled option. 130 lb. Premium High-Gloss Finish- Our 130 lb. high gloss finish is ideal when you require a smooth high-gloss finish. This is an exceptional heavy card stock and is uncoated on the inside and ideal for signing with a felt tip or ink pen. 90 lb. Premium Textured Linen- Our 90 lb. white linen is a premium card stock and features the rich, distinctive look and feel of natural linen. This fine linen paper is uncoated on both sides, adding a subtle elegance to any card. 150 lb. Premium Matte Coated- Our flagship card stock, this 150 lb. premium paper is extraordinarily heavy and exceeds the quality standards of many of our competitors. It features a silky smooth finish and is ideal for photo cards and stationery when you demand the very best. 100 lb. Premium Textured Felt- Our 100 lb. white textured felt is a premium stock with the vintage look and feel of textured fabric. This exquisite card stock is often preferred by professional photographers for photo cards to replicate the look of canvas. 110 lb. Ice Pearl Metallic- Our 110 lb. ice pearl card stock is a premium specialty paper that features a distinctive metallic shimmer. This heavy card stock adds a dramatic luminous effect to any card. It is coated on both sides so please note that felt-tip or similar pens may smudge when signing. If you are ever in doubt on what paper to use, we will be glad to send a sample for you to preview. And remember to select envelopes to match! Tags: card stock, CardsDirect, Greeting Cards, Invitations, paper stock, Photo Cards |
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