Sending Some Love

by Deanna 

Another holiday, another opportunity to create greeting cards using your photos. With Valentine's Day in less than a week, what an opportunity to bring some of your  photography skills into the mailboxes of your friends and family.

 

First, let’s talk product.  What product will you use to present your greetings, i.e, blank greeting cards, envelopes, postcards.  I purchased a Canon Pro 9000 wide printer last fall because I enjoy printing my own cards but you don't have to purchase one like this, any good printer will do.  Prior to purchasing my new printer I was using an old Canon Pixma that was at least 5 years old but still did a bang-up job.  I always like to print out one image and then make the appropriate adjustments in color, lightness etc before printing a batch.  When I print my greeting cards, I like using a beautiful metallic finish paper, Polar Pearl Metallic Plus from Red RiverPaper, an easy on-line company to deal with along with fast delivery.  After printing my image I attach them to plain white cards.  I prefer Strathmore Blank Cards, Ivory with Deckle Edge or Fluorescent White with Deckle Edge.  They have a nice texture and weight.  You can purchase these cards at a local Dick Blick or order them on-line from Dick Blick.  I am sure you can find these elsewhere, I just happen to have a Dick Blick's very close to me.  I use the 10% off student discount at Dick Blick's, I consider myself a student since I am always taking some kind of on-line photography class, so if you have a Blick's close to you, just ask for that discount card.

At Christmas, I decided to send postcards instead of greeting cards. I never would have thought of doing this prior to participating in Kat's Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap in 2012. What fun to receive postcards from fellow artists all over the world. If you are interested in joining this year, registration is now in progress here. What fun to receive postcards from fellow artists all over the world. If you are interested in joining this year, registration is now in  progress here. Again, I printed my own, this time using Red River Paper 96 lb 4x6 Pecos Magna Gloss, perfect for postcards and you can print right on the glossy side and utilize the matte back for addressing and stamping. You can find them here. Red River Paper even has a template for  the postcards.

I love using my $4.99 white board from Hobby Lobby as a backdrop for many of my "cards". It is simply a piece of foam core that comes in a variety of sizes. It provides a wonderful base, especially when you want to add some "verbage" to your photos.

When I was a rubber stamper, I called myself a paper whore because I loved scrapbook paper and would buy it, and buy it and buy it. I still have tons left in my basement. I should never have to buy a piece of scrapbook paper ever again in  my entire life. Now I am a font whore (you know I am using these terms loosely, right??!!)  I gather fonts like I gathered the scrapbook papers, only now it is much easier to store. I find a good variety of them on Pinterest, all usually free. If you are on Pinterest, just go to my boards and then find my board titled "fonts". Have fun!! And with all of these wonderful font finds it is easy to add just the right text to a card.

I hope that I have given you some inspiration and  information on making your own greeting cards. We would love to see some of your Valentine love in our Flickr group.