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The Efffect of September
11th on Christmas Cards
By: Debby Sibert, Tue Jul 11th, 2006
The morning of September 11th, 2001, was sunny and warm, and
it started out like other mornings which had come before it
- people hurried to work, kids rushed off to school, and
people boarded airplanes. But, September 11th, soon became
the day that changed a nation and forced the world to
recognize the threat of terrorism. It was a day when 2,986
lives were brutally ended, as the rest of America watched in
helpless horror.
The effects of 9/11 have dramatically changed our country
and our world; a casual trip to the airport is now a
strictly regulated activity, aware citizens are now our
first line of defense, and our nation's borders have been
tightly sealed.
On the fourth anniversary or this event, we are realizing
that not only has this tragedy changed how our nation
functions, but it has even trickled down to influence such
things as a person's selection of a Chrismas greeting card.
Design Crafters, has been selling Chirstmas and holiday
greeting cards since 1996. Debby Sibert, the president of
that company said, "Before September 11th, no one seemed to
offer patriotic holiday cards. Patriotism seemed a sentiment
reserved for holidays like Memorial Day or Independence Day.
All this changed in the aftermath of September 11th, and we
began to receive calls from customers asking if we sold
patriotic Chrismas cards."
The tragedy of 9/11 caused great pain, but it also birthed a
new sense of unity to a nation filled with people of
different origins and beliefs. People began to see that,
like Christmas cheer, patriotism should be celebrated the
whole year through. Other custom card companies soon began
to receive inquiries about patriotic Chrismas cards. Many
in this business thought that this trend would end after one
or two years, but September 2005 will mark the four year
anniversary of the tragedy - and our Patriotic cards
continue to be in popular demand.
Choosing a patriotic card does not mean that Christmas, as
its own special Holday, is lessened. Card designers have
created clever ways to show both one's love of Chrismas and
one's patriotism. Cards featuring ornaments decorated with
the stars and stripes, a snowman proudly holding a flag, or
a wintry wonderland overshadowed by a waving flag high on a
pole, are all ways that this is accomplished. Many of these
cards still feature traditional verses which speak of love,
peace, and gratitude - but some have added language which
lends more to a patriotic nature. Some examples of these
verses are seen below:
At this holiday season we remember and honor those who are
no longer with us and cherish those who are. We wish you a
world of peace.
May Peace fill the hearts of people everywhere and join all
nations of the world in brotherhood
May the Spirit of the Holidays remind you of the strength
and perseverance of our nation and its people
These verses are only a highlight of the changes which have
been seen in the Christmas card selections available since
after 9/11. As our nation enters yet another Chrismas
season we are thankful for the blessings we have received,
the great liberties we are privileged to, and, most
especially, for the lives that have been sacrificed so that
we may celebrate the Holdays in peace and love. Visit
www.DesignCrafters.com for an example of these patriotic
Christmas cards and a wider range of holiday cards.
About the author: Debby Sibert is the president of
http://www.DesignCrafters.com,
a thriving internet business since 1996. Her specialty is
customizing Christmas cards for businesses and has a huge
following of clients. Go to
http://www.designcrafters.com
for a free report on the importance of communication through
greeting cards & the power of words in general.
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Christmas E-cards, Christmas
Greeting Cards on LavaCards.com
By: Leela Poonawalha, Wed Apr 26th, 2006
(LavaCards.com) New York.
It's Christmas again ! Love, fellowship and togetherness
make the Chrismas season all the more special. Christmas
also means spreading the warmth of our heart into the lives
of others and bringing in joy and cheers. So this Chrismas,
let these special Christmas ecards show how much you cherish
the presence of your loved ones in your life. Wishing you a
Merry Christmas from all of us !
LavaCards.com ( http://www.lavacards.com ) today released
Christmas e-cards and Greetings made in Flash and animated
with colors, music and quotes for the coming holiday season.
Free Chrismas e-cards includes viz. Santa Claus, Christmas
wishes, Christmas Carols, Family and Corporate greetings.
These Chrismas e-cards are available aboslutely free.
Unlike other greeting card websites charing $$$,
LavaCards.com lets the users send the e-cards free.
So this season, celebrate it with your friends and family by
send ing free Chirstmas e-cards from
http://www.lavacards.com
About LavaCards.com LavaCards.com is a free online
electronic greeting cards service provider. Ecards on
birthday, love, friendship, romance are provided for the
users to send.
For more information visit:
http://www.lavacards.com
LavaCards.com
About the author: Leela Poonawalha, PRO, LavaCards.com
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Card Making - Unique Ideas
To Create Lasting Memories
By: Vera Raposo, Fri Feb 24th, 2006
Card making is the perfect way to express your feelings for
others in a unique, creative way. Holdays, birthdays, and
special occasions are preserved in our memories forever
through cards and photos.
Purchasing greeting cards has traditionally been the way to
express affection, excitement, sadness, and any other number
of emotions. With a little creativity and thought you can
create personalized cards that will leave lasting
impressions on your friends and family.
Photos, textured paper, and your personal sentiments can be
used to make greeting cards for all occasions. With the
technology that is now available, it is easy to scan and
print copies of your favorite photos and mementos and
include them in your hand made greeting cards.
For holidays, you may want to create cards in unique shapes
such as Christmas stockings, turkeys, hearts, pumpkins, and
flags. You can include photos of previous Holdays, printed
clip art from free online sources, and small reminders of
any other traditions or events that are special to you and
your family.
Colored paper and fabrics can be used as a unique background
for your cards. It is simple to attach textured paper and
printed photos to greeting cards with two-sided tape or
glue. Your card making efforts may include the use of
scented oils, glitter, dried flowers, and stickers in
holiday shapes.
Birthday cards can become treasured gifts through the use of
a photo collage, clippings from newspapers from the day the
person was born, and pictures of activities or hobbies that
are of interest such as sporting or musical equipment.
Your card making efforts can be as simple or as complex as
you desire and you are sure to leave those who receive your
handmade cards with a wonderful memory that will endure for
a lifetime.
About the author: Vera Raposo has been scrapbooking since
her oldest child was 5. With tons of scrapbooking tips and
ideas, Vera is now sharing some of her best scrapbooking
ideas for your new baby in her newsletter
http://www.baby-scrapbooking.com
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Greeting Cards as Client
Gifts
By: Meredith Gossland of lastingImpressions2.com, Sun Jun
11th, 2006
The act of giving a greeting card instead of simply sending
an advertisement to a client is a very powerful tool in
creating a bond between customer and business. Too often
this tool is wasted by missuses, and if not done correctly
it can actually breakdown the relationship.
Choosing the right card is the most important factor! This
is an opportunity to make a real impression on your client.
This is an opportunity to make them feel valued and
appreciated. Sending a card with a picture of a rustic
looking home to someone who just purchased a contemporary
split level house is a wasted opportunity. Chances are the
card will be glanced at and then tossed aside.
A better choice for this client might be a postcard from a
modern art museum slipped into a photo frame. This turns the
card into an actual gift that can be displayed or even
framed and hung on the wall.
This kind of customization is time consuming but the effect
on your client will pay off in referrals. The key is
database segmentation and carefully compiled client records.
Treating each client with care, as individuals, will help
you grow your business. There are hundreds of ideas for
creating "gifts" for your clients. Here are just a few
examples to get your creative juices flowing.
Vets, pet groomers - Photograph your client's pet and put it
in a photo frame to be sent at Cristmas.
Send greeting cards to the pet directly with a coupon for
dog treats or other pet supplies from a local pet supply
store.
Real Estate Agents - Photograph your clients new home. Make
20 copies, put them in photo frame cards and give them to
your client as "we've moved" cards to send to their friends.
(not recommended for fixer upper homes)
If your client lives at the beach send cards with ocean
motifs.
Go to mapquest or yahoo maps print out the map of the
immediate area of your clients new home make copies and slip
into a photo frame. Mark their house's location with a happy
face.
Auto Repair or custom shop Take before and after photos,
slip the "before" photo into a photo card and attach the
"after" picture to the inside of the card when you ask for
referrals.
These are just a few examples of the power of greeting cards
in making a real connection with your clients. The cost
$5-$10, but the result is a card that has real meaning to
the client. This kind of greeting card will generate
conversation and referrals. A word of caution...be sure the
photographs are close ups with the pet (no red eye please),
house or car clearly visible.
About the author: Owner, Lasting Impressions 2 unique
corporate gifts and greetings
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Greeting cards are great to
give and to receive
By: Michael Sanford, Mon Aug 21st, 2006
A greeting card is an illustrated, folded card usually
featuring a message of greeting or other sentiment. Although
greeting cards are usually given on special occasions such
as birthdays, Chirstmas or other Holidys, they are also
sent on 'non-occasions' to say 'hello' or 'thank you'.
Greeting cards, usually packaged with an envelope, come in a
variety of styles, are manufactured and/or hand-made by
hundreds of companies big and small.
Cards are great to give and to receive. Children's eyes
brighten, and wives and husbands feel a great warmth when a
card is received for a special occasion or just for fun.
Running down to the corner market or local gift shop to find
that perfect card, you scan the racks for the card. You
check your watch - time is running out, because you've
waited till the last minute. You pick one up and the saying
is too syrupy or the card has an inappropriate picture but
perfect saying. You scratch your head, thinking this isn't
working, and then you notice the perfect card. You
anticipate the verse inside, knowing it is going to be just
what you wanted. You eagerly pick up the card. You just know
it is the right one. Once opened, your anticipation is dealt
a heavy blow. There isn't anything in the card. It's blank!
Now you've got to work over time trying to think of the
appropriate words. Usually you'll settle with something
light and polite.
Cards are great to give and to receive. Children's eyes
brighten, and wives and husbands feel a great warmth when a
card is received for a special occasion or just for fun.
Running down to the corner market or local gift shop to find
that perfect card, you scan the racks for the card. You
check your watch - time is running out, because you've
waited till the last minute. You pick one up and the saying
is too syrupy or the card has an inappropriate picture but
perfect saying. You scratch your head, thinking this isn't
working, and then you notice the perfect card. You
anticipate the verse inside, knowing it is going to be just
what you wanted. You eagerly pick up the card. You just know
it is the right one. Once opened, your anticipation is dealt
a heavy blow. There isn't anything in the card. It's blank!
Now you've got to work over time trying to think of the
appropriate words. Usually you'll settle with something
light and polite. With a computer and computer crafting
programs you can eliminate the rush, anticipation and the
disappointment. There are plenty of ready-made cards to
choose from with graphics and verses. You can even change
them around if you like. Also, you can search the Internet
for sayings and clip-art from clip-art sites. You can
personalize your own card in the privacy of your own home,
with the waste of gas, long lines and over-paying for a card
that "just isn't right."
Cardmakers say the Internet hasn't been a significant force.
"Despite what everybody anticipated in the beginning,
e-cards haven't made that much difference," Miller said.
"It's a very transient type of communication." Her group
says people tend to send e-greetings to acquaintances, but
once they morph into true friends, "people seem to solidify
that kind of relationship with paper cards."
As with other items, the bulk of card sales has shifted to
mass-market merchandisers. That, in turn, has kept sales
dollars flat as those stores increasingly discount products.
But cards are also growing into new venues. Bordow said Palm
has found that its cards are carried by a range of
nontraditional outlets: health clubs, coffee shops, delis,
veterinarians, sporting-goods stores and even car washes.
The greeting card industry is fighting its way out of a
long-term slump as card makers compete with deep discounts
and a variety of new competitors. Major card makers have
been forced to begin selling inexpensive lines in recent
years as consumers began turning their backs on $4 cards.
The price of cards has increased in part because of the
higher costs of paper and labor. Also, greeting cards have
become more intricate during the past few years, Albertson
said. Things such as specialty papers and computer chips
have been employed by many card makers to enhance sales.
In 1999 Hallmark released its Warm Wishes line of cards,
which sells for 99 cents. American Greetings soon followed
with similar prices. Still, according to Hallmark, the
less-expensive cards are not the biggest sellers. "We did
extensive research to find out what customers wanted, and we
found that while customers wanted low-priced cards to be an
option, they did not want the other cards to disappear,"
said Rachel Bolton of Hallmark. Hallmark and American
Greetings -- both companies sell 85 percent of the nation's
greeting cards -- recently launched advertising campaigns in
newspapers and on television to lure customers to their
retail stores. Experts said most consumers don't value-shop
during holidays such as Cristmas, Valentine's Day and
Mother's Day. But price-conscious parents often find
themselves shopping for more inexpensive cards or making
their own for children who attend several birthday parties a
month. Software programs and plain construction paper often
help parents save money on such materials.
Today, there are cards for nearly every relationship,
occasion, ethnicity, age group, gender and l interest. The
expanding Christmas card market includes cards for
motorcycle enthusiasts, depicting Santa on a Harley, instead
of a sleigh; dogs and cats with reindeer antlers to appeal
to pet lovers; and even a meditating Santa for those who
take a more holistic approach to the Holidys. But the
fastest-growing segment of the Cristmas card market are
cards associated with Chirstmas but reflect cultural
differences, such as cards for Ramadan, Hanukkah and
Kwanzaa, said Marianne McDermott, executive vice president
of the Washington-based Greeting Card Association.
For more information on ecards art please visit the
ecards art resource center
at ecards art Resource Center.
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How to Save Money with Great
Gift Ideas
By: Ispas Marin, Tue Oct 18th, 2005
Want to save $1000 this year for very little effort? Gift
giving is an area where impulse buying is a frequent
occurrence. I was amazed to discover I was spending over
$1500 or more per year for gifts. What have you spent for
gifts in the last 12 months?
In my experience, gifts were last minute purchases for which
money was no object. I now spend less than $500 per year for
gifts. Take two hours of your life and save yourself $1000
or more per year on gift giving.
Get Prepared
Label 12 manila folders January - December. On the front of
each monthly folder, write the days of the month. Next to
the appropriate date on the folder, write in the occasion
for which a gift and/or a card will need to be purchased.
Then, write the amount of money you will spend on that gift.
Inevitably, a wedding or birthday will come up that you
didn't know about, so be sure you leave a little money left
for these unexpected occasions.
The key is, don't exceed what you budgeted for each gift.
For example, for Mother's Day, I will write $15 next to the
holiday. I only allocate $400 for the known holidays and set
aside $100 for the unexpected gifts such as a wedding or
birth of a child. You may find that you are unable to budget
$500 a year for gift giving. Just determine what you can
afford and STICK WITH IT. Don't deviate from your budget.
Advance Planning
There are very real benefits to planning your gift-giving in
advance. And, with a little creativity, you can bring your
overall cost down substantially. Because you're prepared,
you can actually enjoy the holidays. You won't feel
financially strapped since you've budgeted for the gifts in
advance. Since you've anticipated the gift-giving occasion,
you will undoubtedly find the gifts on sale. It goes without
saying, but the ideas is, NEVER PAY RETAIL - EVER!
Frugal Gift Ideas
Buy gift-wrap and greeting cards on sale, or better yet,
make them yourself.
Shop for gifts all year long to get the best price. This may
mean you could be buying Cristmas cards in January.
Plant an herb garden for a friend. And, while you're at it,
make one for yourself too.
Treat your partner/spouse to a homemade spa. Give him/her a
gift certificate announcing a full one-hour body massage and
facial. This gift is easily worth over $75!
Organize personal negatives and photographs for a friend or
family member. Create a scrapbook, photo books, or even
Photo CDs.
Make some creative hand puppets for a child if you have
mismatched socks and buttons lying around your home.
Create a care package for a friend who recently got a new
job. In a box or basket put some instant coffee, tea bags,
aspirin, bandages, travel size toothpaste and toothbrush,
along with a coffee cup.
If the friend is a female, add some trial size products such
as perfume and hair spray. If you want to increase the value
of the gift, give a portable umbrella.
Design a similar package for a recent high-school graduate
student who will be entering college. You may want to even
provide a $5 phone card instead of an umbrella.
Buy movie tickets... a gift where one size fits all. When
movie tickets are purchased in advance from movie theatres,
you can usually get them at half price!
Offer to make dinner for your friends if you're a good cook.
Give a single friend or elderly family member freshly frozen
dinners for a week.
Mail out holiday cards for an elderly family member. if
you're computer literate, put their address book into a
database so the information can easily be updated.
Make a year's worth of greeting cards and personalized
stationery for someone if you're a bit crafty.
Make enough birthday cards, anniversary cards, and blank
cards for a year's worth of holidays. The thoughtfulness
will go a long way throughout the year.
Help someone else get organized. If the person you need to
give a gift to is an entrepreneur or extremely disorganized,
make a filing system for the upcoming tax year.
Purchase gift-with-purchase cosmetic/perfume specials and
split the gifts. Usually the gift is nicely wrapped,
generic, and valuable enough to give away for an upcoming
gift in your tickler file.
Getting Organized
In a drawer or closet, place the gift giving manila files,
the greeting cards, gift-wrap and purchased gifts in
chronological order. This is now your tickler file and
shopping list to remind you what holiday is coming up.
About the author: Gadgets, innovative products, gift ideas
and unique gifts, an array of gadgets aimed at benefiting
those that demand convenience, from
http://www.cgets.com
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How to Make Sure Holiday
Card Writing is Not a Chore
By: Patty Gale, Sun Jul 30th, 2006
Sending holiday cards does not have to be a tedious chore. I
remember when I was little, my mom would tape all the pretty
cards around a special doorframe in our house and I would
love to see where they all came from. The pretty trees,
stars, snowmen made it fun to see what the mail carrier
would bring that day.
There is nothing more special than the smile created at the
mailbox from a friend or loved one when they receive your
card. It should be something that we want to do in showing
those we care about that we are thinking of them, not
something we feel obligated to do just because it s that
time of year again.
To make sure that your holiday card writing doesn t become a
chore starts with some very basic planning.
Let s face it; December is a very busy month, so the time to
plan your holiday card writing can be as early as September
depending on your schedule. The first thing to decide is on
the list. Who do you really want to send cards to? Family,
friends, close acquaintances? There are a number of
Christmas card organizers available, but making your list
can be as simple as going through your address book and
writing the names and addresses on a plain sheet of paper.
Once you have your list together, and you know who you will
be sending them to, it s time to buy holiday cards. If you
didn t purchase any on sale from last year, that s o.k. just
make a note that you ll do some after-Cristmas shopping
this year. Holiday cards can be found for as much as 70% off
the pre-Chirstmas price, so this will be a great time to
stock up for next year. Keep an extra box on hand just in
case there are a few last minute cards to sent.
Of course, you will also need stamps. Now that you know the
number of recipients on your card list, you will know how
many stamps to buy. Each year, the USPS presents a few
different holiday designs to choose from. Buying them early
will assure that you will be able to get the ones you like.
The next thing to ask yourself is when you want to mail your
cards. This way, you can plan a day where you can take a
couple of hours to sit down and write out and address your
cards. I know this can be challenging, so why not do it as
early as possible? There s absolutely nothing wrong with
addressing holiday cards as early as October so that they
are ready for you to mail.
Pick a day or an evening when it s quiet in the house. Make
your favorite beverage, put on some relaxing music or even
Cristmas music to gather your thoughts. It s time to gather
what you need, your card list, cards, and stamps, return
address labels, envelope stickers and your favorite pen.
Wear something comfortable like your favorite pajamas, grab
your favorite beverage and just have a nice, relaxing time.
You ll get your cards and signed and ready to go and you ll
enjoy a nice quiet evening at the same time.
There is nothing more special than sending a card personally
signed by you to bring a smile to those you care about. It
can be fun and relaxing if you plan ahead and get organized.
About the author: Patty Gale is a successful entrepreneur
who specializes in personalization and customer care for all
of her clients. She exchanged her suits, hose and heels to
work from home in her "jammies" and is on a mission to
empower others to do the same.
She can be reached at:
http://www.PattysPrettyPaper.com
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