the cards.

Posted on 22 December 2016 by what sandra thinks

xmas | what sandra thinks

Although it is, in fact, 2016, I still mail holiday cards every year. I design them, I print them, I send them to people I haven’t seen or spoken to in years. And I send them to family (some of whom I haven’t seen or spoken to in years). Everyone has come to expect a self-made creation including, of course, a picture of my kids.

At 9 and nearly 12, I’m not sure how much longer the kids are going to let me do this. For the last 3 years, our holiday photo-taking session as turned into our biggest gigglefest all year. The girl makes weird faces. The boy laughs hysterically. I am not helpful since I end up making jokes the whole time… making them laugh even harder. It quickly becomes impossible to get them to both look ‘normal‘ in the same photo.

I take nearly 100 shots in about 15 minutes. Then I give up. I look through the pictures about 30 times and eventually choose a few finalists. I ask the kids and the husband which of the finalists they prefer. But, I confess, I’ve already made a decision by then. More than anything, I’m curious who, if anyone, picks the one I’ve already chosen.

Usually, by the time I try to take the picture, the card is already designed. But sometimes I work around the picture. This year, card designed first… picture struggle later.

I did a quick second card this year… just for fun. I only sent that to a few people as a ‘bonus card‘… they got the ‘real‘ one, too.

My possibly irrational paranoia stops me from showing the actual photo of the kids… but here are the cards. First the ‘real‘ one… then the silly one.

xmas | what sandra thinks

xmas | what sandra thinks

xmas | what sandra thinks

xmas | what sandra thinks

Maybe someday I will post pictures of my cards from previous years… and my fancy party invitations… and wedding invitations… and baby announcements. I’ve done it all… pretty much always for family or for myself. I’m not getting paid. I know I should look into it… but I never thought I’d get much for my work anyway. And I have no idea how to sell myself…

Hope you all have a lovely holiday, however you may or may not celebrate. Thanks for being here and putting up with my craziness. You’re the best.

Stay frosty, my friends.

divider dots. red.

©2016 what sandra thinks

About what sandra thinks

Sandra is a writer, sometimes blogger, poet, artist, emotional disaster. She thinks far too much and sleeps far too little. Sandra lives in the Northeastern U.S. but dreams of an oceanfront home in Italy, but she would settle for a non-oceanfront home in Italy. She loves books, brutal honesty, coffee, and the color black. She hates insincerity, beer, whipped cream, and facebook. And she is uncomfortable talking about herself in the third person.
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59 Responses to the cards.

  1. Kay says:
    22 December 2016 at 11:07 am

    Those are great! People have Etsy stores for everything!! Whenever I want something handmade that I can’t do myself, I look there.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • what sandra thinks says:
      22 December 2016 at 12:01 pm

      Thanks, Kay.

      (Also to Meg…) Etsy… yeah, I’ve heard it a thousand times. Of course, there are literally millions of people selling stuff similar to mine… lots of it is WAY better. And like I said in the post, I don’t know how to sell myself. I won’t use crap paper… the good stuff and the ink are kind of pricey so there’s the upfront cost… And I have no idea what to charge for stuff and for delivery. If I want any profit, by the time I’m done, they will be, like, minimum $35 – $40 for about 10 cards. That seems crazy… who the hell would pay that??

      See how I overwhelm myself? I have a serious issue with trying to do things like this. I have no idea why, to be honest. Even things that wouldn’t cost me anything… I hesitate and talk myself out of it. I have no support system… and I can’t totally blame that… it’s me!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. Meg Sorick says:
    22 December 2016 at 11:08 am

    That’s awesome! And Kay beat me to the Etsy suggestion. You should totally look into it. I shop for handmade stuff there all the time, too. You rock, lady!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Peter's pondering says:
    22 December 2016 at 11:19 am

    CRUMBS! Lovely…..and yes, Etsy seems to be growing by the day.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. Simon says:
    22 December 2016 at 11:32 am

    I like that. Maybe i should make my own cards…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. sonofabeach96 says:
    22 December 2016 at 12:20 pm

    I’ve found that when a woman asks a question or for advice, she already knows the answer and/or what she’s going to do anyway. This is just further proof. 😃😃

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  6. amanda (Just in Queso) says:
    22 December 2016 at 1:38 pm

    Those turned out great! I’m sure it’s a lot of work to come up with the design and then print them all nicely. I bet they’ll put a smile on a lot of faces 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. VictoryInTrouble says:
    22 December 2016 at 3:38 pm

    Those are awesome! Look around on Etsy to see what others do and what they charge. And you can sell just the design for people to print their own too. That might be a place to start. There is also this site called red bubble (I think) where artists put their designs on tshirts etc. That might be fun for you.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. Al Lane says:
    22 December 2016 at 5:52 pm

    These cards are great! Merry Christmas 🎄 🎅 B-)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. Inspire the Best You says:
    22 December 2016 at 6:48 pm

    That’s a wonderful thing to do and adds such a personal touch to holiday cards. I try to add something unique or personal to mine even though they’re store bought. This year, I barely got the cards signed, addressed, and in the mail, let alone something super personalized. Hopefully next year I will be more organized and on top of things!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. ladieswholunchreviews says:
    23 December 2016 at 5:50 am

    You are so clever and those cards are adorable! Please do this and try Etsy or something like that (is there something else?) I know my DDIL gets her birthday invites for grandson’s party there all the time.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. Miriam says:
    23 December 2016 at 6:30 am

    These are so cool. I love hand made cards. I used to make my own as well but not as good as these. There’s no doubt you’re one hell of a creative minx! Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and especially hope next year is a super one for you. Big warm hugs from across the ocean. 😎🎄

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  12. sirensong1208 says:
    23 December 2016 at 7:43 am

    Those are wonderful! You are incredibly creative!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  13. gigglingfattie says:
    23 December 2016 at 9:53 am

    Oooo I still send cards too!! Not this year since my life was a little up in the air but I will start again soon. I love Christmas cards! Your cards are super cute! If you’re interested in selling them, check out Etsy – it’s a great site for selling things! I’ve considered using it to sell cross stitch/knitting from time to time but have yet to set up an account.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  14. Lennon Carlyle says:
    23 December 2016 at 3:35 pm

    Lovely work! So talented!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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