Swirls of Christmas: Photo Christmas Card

This was a custom order from today that I thought I would share.  I've been wanting to design something like this for awhile now, just haven't had the time.  So I was thrilled when Jill came to me with her request.  I love how it turned out and look forward to creating a few more variations in different layouts and colours.

Warmth Variation: Photo Christmas Card

I thought I would post this variation of the "warmth" design.  Originally the design is red and brown but Amanda wanted something with blue.  I love how this one turned out!  Great family photos too!

Nature Retro Style: Photo Christmas Card

Jen liked the "Nature" design but wanted it to include some red.  So I had some fun with the design and sent a couple of variations to her. This was her favourite.  I love its fun and almost retro style. If you're interested in ordering this version just order the nature design and make a note of it in the order form.

Free 8x10 Birth Announcement JPEG AND Free 8x10's at Costco

I love sharing deals, having promotions and giving away free stuff!  So here's another great one available until December 6th (this is when the Costco special is over).

With any birth announcement order (printed or digital), I will include a FREE 8x10 digital image of your birth announcement.  This is a perfect keepsake for the album and/ or to put on the wall in your baby's bedroom.

As if this wasn't good enough...

Costco.ca is having a promotion where they are giving away four FREE 8x10 images.  You will need to click the link
http://www.costco.ca/PhotoCenter/PhotoCenter.aspx?cat=2781&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Right_Nav2-_-Top_photo&lang=en-CA or just go to costco.ca.  Enter the coupon code CWFE1123.  If you are opening a new account with the online photo centre you will also be able to get 25 free 4x6 prints.

I would love it if you left a comment to tell me if this tip was useful to you.  Thanks.

Calvin: Photo Birth Announcement

Creating Calvin's birth announcement helped me understand why so many people say to me that they have such a hard time choosing their child's birth announcement design.  I love elements from so many, but if I actually used all those elements in the design there would be no room for my baby's photo.  So I came up with this.  Simple, sweet and classic looking.

I will be adding Calvin's design to the announcement design gallery shortly.

Photo Christmas Cards

I thought I would post a couple Christmas cards from the last couple of days.  The above card is the "snowscape" design but with a red background and white snowflakes.  It's amazing how when you change the main colour and add a little something extra the card design looks totally different.  What a cutie this little girl is!

The card image below was a custom design request from a friend of mine, can't believe how big her little girl is already.

Both cards have one simple background colour with added snowflakes. I thought these two cards were good examples of how to use props (santa hats, gifts, Christmas tree, etc) in photos. When using Christmas themed props in your photos it's a good idea to keep the actual card pretty simple. More elaborate cards are best with photos with plain backgrounds. When deciding on what kind of Christmas card you want, it's a good idea to think about whether you want a themed card or themed photos. If you choose to have both you will often be left with a card that's too busy looking.  Just a little tip to help you have the best photo Christmas card yet.

Kelly and Nigel: Photo Wedding Thank You Card

Kelly was originally looking to have a thank you card created in the style of the "Brayden" birth announcement.  With less photos to work with, this was the result.  I really like how it turned out.  However, it wasn't quite what Kelly had in mind so we went back to the drawing board.

The following card was the end result.  She e-mailed a photo of her bridesmaids so that I could get the aqua colour just right.  Sending in a photo of your wedding party is always a great idea in order to get the exact colour you're looking for.  Kelly ordered scored fold over cards with a chocolate brown backing and the same colour writing inside the card.  I love custom orders like this one, as they allow me to be fully creative and come up with new ideas.  You can now find the above design in our design gallery.

Congratulations Kelly and Nigel!

Madeline: Photo Birthday Card

Madeline is turning six!  I thought I would post this variation on our site to give you another idea of how a card can be customized.  Madeline loves pink and poka dots, so this seemed like a good choice for her birthday invitation.

Lovely Photo Christmas Card

For the past couple of days I have found myself wondering what will be the most popular holiday card of the season.  The "love" design has already proven itself to be a favourite.  The other day I was working on an order for the "love" design, however the client wanted three photos instead of two.  After playing with the card I came up with this and really liked the final product.  So I've called this design "lovely" and posted it as a new ordering option.  Thanks for the inspiration Danielle!

Tip: Address Labels

I have long been a fan of address labels, for many reasons.  They are much neater looking than my own writing, I never have to look for an address, and addressing envelopes is a snap!  My suggestion to the newly engaged or anyone who hasn't done so yet, is to purchase a pack of labels (about $15.00), make a label sheet on the computer and type out the addresses that you would typically send Christmas cards to, announcements, etc.  This will save you so much time this Christmas and every one after!

Sweet Baby Boy

I thought I would post a couple of photos of our newest addition.  Baby Calvin is such a content little guy!  Amazingly, Calvin and big sister Sarah seem to be napping at the same times.  I doubt it will last for long, but I'm thankful for the quiet in the meantime.  We've been big fans of family nap time these days.  I can't believe Calvin is 2 weeks old already, time sure does fly by!