Do You Send Christmas Cards?

[marcy]

I am setting here writing my annual Christmas poem which is the form letter I put in all my Christmas cards. So many people don't send cards anymore. I was just wondering what other people do. I send out about 70 cards each year. They go to relatives and friends. I like hearing from everyone but sure don't enjoy getting that many cards ready to go. This year I ordered personalized cards that included our names so I won't have to sign the cards this year.

 

[Enerchi]

I used to... and I sure love getting them! ... but I don't send them any longer. I know - its pathetic and I shouldn't hope to receive any if I'm not putting out the effort to SEND any, but ... ya... I don't. (hangs head in shame)

 

[zoebartlett]

I don't send cards out regularly. Sometimes I feel guilty because friends and family send us cards and I don't always reciprocate. I do call to let them know we've received their cards, and we usually chat on the phone for a bit to catch up. I consider those calls a verbal Christmas card.

That counts, right?

 

[Enerchi]

I don't send cards out regularly. Sometimes I feel guilty because friends and family send us cards and I don't always reciprocate. I do call to let them know we've received their cards, and we usually chat on the phone for a bit to catch up. I consider those calls a verbal Christmas card.

That counts, right?

YUP!! That's perfect! you have the personal touch and an immediate catch up - good solution, Zoe!!!

 

[VapidLapid]

I send about 100-150 cards a year to family, friends, client, and business contacts. I print the card myself. The image is chosen from my photo work that year. In the 90s I printed gelatin silver on homemade paper. After 2000 I switched to cyanotype. A few years ago I got a tiny intaglio press and have been printing the card as a copper plate dry point. All my other projects come to a halt so I can get the card done. I am always tempted to stop because it is too much work, but I think that it is a relatively inexpensive way to touch a lot of people, some of whom I may not have seen or even spoken to that year but who are nevertheless in my thoughts. After 9/11 I kept going because I felt people needed a caring hello and to see consistency. As the economy tanked I wanted to stop, but instead increased the number of people I sent cards to. Nearly everyone I send cards to keeps them. They have them framed and on the walls they go. Someday I think I may do a show of all the cards, and the original images behind them.





THis last one is the color photo original that I printed as a cyanotype for the card.

 

[VapidLapid]

This is the copper plate I am working on right now and a photoshoped idea of one way it might render in the print.

 

[Dee*Jay]

I send about 100-150 cards a year to family, friends, client, and business contacts. I print the card myself. The image is chosen from my photo work that year. In the 90s I printed gelatin silver on homemade paper. After 2000 I switched to cyanotype. A few years ago I got a tiny intaglio press and have been printing the card as a copper plate dry point. All my other projects come to a halt so I can get the card done. I am always tempted to stop because it is too much work, but I think that it is a relatively inexpensive way to touch a lot of people, some of whom I may not have seen or even spoken to that year but who are nevertheless in my thoughts. After 9/11 I kept going because I felt people needed a caring hello and to see consistency. As the economy tanked I wanted to stop, but instead increased the number of people I sent cards to. Nearly everyone I send cards to keeps them. They have them framed and on the walls they go. Someday I think I may do a show of all the cards, and the original images behind them.





THis last one is the color photo original that I printed as a cyanotype for the card.

Dee slinks out of this this thread, tail between her legs, feeling inadequate for the store bought (from Costco, no less!) cards that I send every year...


VL, you're my holiday card hero!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Very cool VL!

I do and will send out cards. We don't get the numbers in return that we once did, but that is OK. I am a sucker for those pretty things that come in the mail with my name on it!

cheers--Sharon

 

[VRBeauty]

VL - what an incredibly lovely and thoughtful tradition! I'm sure your recipients look forward to receiving your Holiday offering each year!

As for me - Christmas cards are a tradition I haven't quite gotten rid of but also haven't carried out for awhile. I love sending but tend to forget to budget the time needed to send them ( ), so for the past several years I've sent only a handful of cards to my family and very closest friends. Of course that means fewer people are sending me cards too...

I have at least one and probably two years' worth of cards - religious for friends and family, secular for co-workers - that I purchased and didn't send out, so I'm set for awhile.

 

[movie zombie]

yes, but i think its now down to 40 or less.....and the list keeps shrinking.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

I don't send cards anymore. When I was 16 or so, the thought occurred to me that the only people that I didn't see should be the ones who got a card. Friends and family were always around on the holiday. But i sent them, as that was the tradition. I used to decorate my house with them. I l;oved getting them. But one yr after great sadness, I stopped, never to restart.

I enjoy getting the cards with small babies and children to watch them grow through their young yrs. Then I'm for stopping sending them. I get one card every yr with college age children, taken at a photographers studio. which I am always puzzled that they can't think of another card to send.

My ex SIL paints her cards and I love to get those. We await her cards. VL i would love your card. I do appreciate the work that some put into it.

So Merry Christmas Everyone,

Annette

 

[kenny]

No.

 

[LJL]

We did last year but won't this year. Taking the picture(s) is a pain in the butt with 2 dogs and its our last Christmas with exams so I dont feel like I have the time (its already kind of too late). Of course I dont think we will do it next year since we will be in the throws of wedding planning/invites...but maybe in 2014

I dont know that I really "get anything" out of giving or receiving holiday cards. oops!

 

[rubybeth]

I loooove sending out holiday cards. We've done a postcard from Zazzle.com, last year's from Minted.com and a couple years ago and this year I used TinyPints.com. We have a lot of out of town family and friends we don't see often, and even those we do see regularly like to have a nice photo of us. It's just DH and me, so getting a photo isn't too difficult. We sent 52 cards this year. I enjoy picking out stamps to match the cards and formally addressing the envelopes, too. We finally ordered a custom address stamp, so I won't ever have to write our return address again.

I will admit that I ordered our cards in October this year, because I got a coupon code and free shipping, so why not? I also Christmas shop year round, so I can actually enjoy the holiday season doing fun things like visiting friends, making/eating sweet things, and listening to Christmas music while I wrap my presents.

 

[february2003bride]

Normally we send out 70+ cards to family, friends and neighbors. But this year, I don't know if it's maturity, a different perspective due to a falling out with a close friend, time constraints or all of the above and then some, we've decided on a simpler Christmas this year, one that focuses on less STUFF and more quality family time.

We put up 75% of our indoor decorations but kept the outdoor decor to bows on our lamppost and lights and a wreath on the door. Instead of the 8 foot tree, we got a 5 foot one (but still put every strand of lights on it so it glows like star ). The kids gifts are purchased, wrapped and hidden already. Today I did holiday cards. Normally I get the photo holiday cards and be done with it. However a few years back I had bought a box of beautiful cards but I hadn't used them because you couldn't add a photo to it. I decided today that only family, close friends and a couple of neighbors would get cards with a photo of our children included that they could keep if they wish, instead of thrown away because it had the year/holiday/etc decor on it. So instead of 70+ cards, I'm sending out 24. It took less than an hour, we included a handwritten note in each one, my DH and all 3 kids signed each card, and once I add the photo, they'll be sent out! It felt really good to look at the cards as something doable and fun as opposed to a chore simply because of the shear size of the address list.

I do, however, LOVE getting cards and enjoy seeing how much our friends/family children have grown over the past year!

 

[jstarfireb]

I don't send cards or do any holiday decorations, but that may change once my husband and I are no longer long-distance. It doesn't feel right to decorate and send cards alone, since that's something I've always done with my family.

 

[Maisie]

I do send a few but not as many as I used to. I don't even know why I stopped....

 

[isaku5]

We used to send out many Christmas cards with a personal hand written message for each. It was a lot of work that I certainly didn't enjoy. DH and I had a deal: He did the outside decorating ( not his favourite chore) while I did the cards For the past two years we've had no outside lights at all (lack of energy due to his radiation therapy), but I sent the cards anyway.

This year cancer is chasing me. I decided that I would do a few by hand, but others will be e-cards. . If I know for certain that someone on our list doesn't have a computer, they'll get hand written. Those with one, will get an e-card.

Close family members all get individually selected cards, of course.

If anyone objects, next year they'll get nothing.

 

[Tuckins1]

Yes I do. I just finished writing them all while I watched the Lions game. I send a nice card and a picture of the baby.

 

[marcy]

I loved reading all of your stories. We mostly all agree it is wonderful to receive Christmas cards which of course makes me realize it's is worth my effort to send them out.

VL, your special, handmade Christmas cards would certainly be cherished by everyone who receives them. That is very thoughtful of you.

I liked Zoe's idea of calling the person you receive a card from just to say hi and acknowledge the card.

There are a few people I always set their card aside so I can write them a personal note.

We are closing on a new house on December 20th and moving starting the 21st so I don't think we'll do much in the way of Christmas decorations this year. I did have DH get out our 2 foot fiber optics Christmas tree so we'd have something set up in the house.

Off to print out my labels.

 

[zoebartlett]

Marcy, a new house?! That's great news!

 

[artdecogirl]

love receiving holiday cards and do send them also, I just bought a couple boxes a few weeks ago and have vacation time this week so I will work on them, I buy only one seperate for a dear friend that I do not see as much as I would like and I always get her one of the thomas kinkade cards with all the glitter and pop ups because I know she loves them, it makes me happy to send it. I really enjoy getting a card from my grandmother in law, she is in her 90s and believes you should never send a card without a note in it so in her lovely script on a piece of holiday stationary folded in the card is always a lovely letter asking about everyone and telling us how she has been, it is always so elegant.

 

[vc10um]

Congrats on the new home marcy! Good luck with your move!

We'll be sending holiday cards this year, as soon as I can get the picture taken for it. We send them every year, but last year was a "short list" year due to time constraints. This year, I think we're going back to the whole list, as we purchased our first home and moved in July, and I'm not sure everyone has our new address yet. So this will serve as a holiday card/change of address announcement.

ETA: Lovely cards, VL! I bow to your awesomeness!

 

[stargurl78]

Yes, I still send them but the list seems to get smaller every year. We probably send them out to less than 20 people...

 

[marcy]

Marcy, a new house?! That's great news!

Thanks, Zoe! We are very excited.

 

[marcy]

love receiving holiday cards and do send them also, I just bought a couple boxes a few weeks ago and have vacation time this week so I will work on them, I buy only one seperate for a dear friend that I do not see as much as I would like and I always get her one of the thomas kinkade cards with all the glitter and pop ups because I know she loves them, it makes me happy to send it. I really enjoy getting a card from my grandmother in law, she is in her 90s and believes you should never send a card without a note in it so in her lovely script on a piece of holiday stationary folded in the card is always a lovely letter asking about everyone and telling us how she has been, it is always so elegant.

Artdecogirl, I loved hearing about getting a Kinkade card for a dear friend and how very cool your grandmother in law writes a personal note in all of her cards. That has inspired me to write more personal notes than I was planning. Thanks!

 

[marcy]

Congrats on the new home marcy! Good luck with your move!

We'll be sending holiday cards this year, as soon as I can get the picture taken for it. We send them every year, but last year was a "short list" year due to time constraints. This year, I think we're going back to the whole list, as we purchased our first home and moved in July, and I'm not sure everyone has our new address yet. So this will serve as a holiday card/change of address announcement.

ETA: Lovely cards, VL! I bow to your awesomeness!

VC10um, thanks for the congrats. Congratulations to you on your first home. We've been in our current home for 17 years and are moving to a bigger place. DH works out of our home now and wants an office in the basement and a walkout basement. Good idea to get your new address out to your entire list.

 

[marcy]

It's nice to see so many of us still send out some cards. I am printing my letter right now. DH is out of town soon for work so I think I'll take over the dining room table and actually write some personal notes on my cards.

 

[iLander]

We used to send out many Christmas cards with a personal hand written message for each. It was a lot of work that I certainly didn't enjoy. DH and I had a deal: He did the outside decorating ( not his favourite chore) while I did the cards For the past two years we've had no outside lights at all (lack of energy due to his radiation therapy), but I sent the cards anyway.

This year cancer is chasing me. I decided that I would do a few by hand, but others will be e-cards. . If I know for certain that someone on our list doesn't have a computer, they'll get hand written. Those with one, will get an e-card.

Close family members all get individually selected cards, of course.

If anyone objects, next year they'll get nothing.

Honey, anybody that knows and loves you wants you to feel better. That is more important and meaningful than any card you could ever send.

I know that's what I want for you. You can forget my card.

 

[iLander]

This is the copper plate I am working on right now and a photoshoped idea of one way it might render in the print.

I WANT ONE! Those are awesome. I love abstract expressionism, small press editions, and copper etchings! These are all things that I have all over the house (actually more zinc than copper) and fully appreciate. Way to go, VL!