Hey it’s Christmas Card time again. My Christmas cards and I have a love/hate relationship. I love to send out something cute and fun to wish our friends and family a Merry Christmas, but man…it takes some work, wouldn’t you say? Being a photographer and one who likes to design, I’m always feelin’ the pressure come September to get the ball rolling. I must do it each year though because it’s really been a fun way to display some of our favorite pics of the year and to write our annual Christmas LETTER, as you will see down below. Here are some fun Christmas Card ideas from three of us crafting chicks:Â Jamie, Kirsten & Brooke.
1. 2007, this is when Jamie had just two little ones…twins. I love the blue and red on this one. Jamie has no idea that I am giving her family’s history. If you are wondering if Jamie is supermom, she is.
A handful of us chicks print our Christmas Cards as double-sided postcards. This is fun because you can add pictures on the back or a Christmas letter, my favorite.
2. I love the pictures on this one. This is 2008 when they grew up just a tad. Jamie always delivers simple, yet lovely designs. This one would be easy to duplicate on Photoshop. All you need is a couple of cute pattern papers, a few digi elements and some cute kid pics. Aren’t her twins to die for.
3. The lovely thing about having babies within a couple months before Christmas is that you can kill two birds with one stone. Christmas Cards & Birth Announcements go well together, and it saves time and money. I about died when Jamie sent us this last year. I love her colors choices and photos. Are you kidding me?? I love Jamie’s pictures, they are so fresh and bright.
CHRISTMAS CARD
(flip side) BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
4. You can make Christmas Cards even if you don’t use a family picture on the front. Large postcards are great because you can write a family letter on the back, as you will see on this one below. Every year on the back I like to share a Christmas message, then share what each of the kids have been up to. This is the year we had 3 kids, 3 and under….I’m not sure how we even survived.
FRONT 2007
BACK (letter)Â Photoshop is lovely for this because you can really shrink that type down and write a whole bunch of nonsense.
5. CHRISTMAS CARD/BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT 2008 (patterned papers & ribbon from Damask & Dots kit from Shabby Princess)
BACK-If you don’t choose to do a Christmas letter on the back, more pictures are always fun.
6. 2009 Family Photo & Individual Pics on front. You wonder how we got them all to smile at the same time? Head switching.
BACK-more pics & a Christmas letter. This one took a lot of time, but I love how it turned out.
7. So Brooke is my cousin. I lovingly refer to her as Cousin Brooke. She is our webmaster, and a smart cookie with a photographic memory, she’s going to die when she reads that last part ;). She won a contest with this one, are you surprised.
8. Brooke’s designs are also clean and simple.
9. Here’s another example of Family photo mixed with individual photos. She always is designing crazy cute things like her 2009 Christmas card.
Thanks for checking out our Christmas cards. Leave a link in the comments if you have some favorites from the Internet or ones you designed yourself. We always love seeing YOUR work. Happy Holidays.
xo
Kirsten
Angela Gifford says
How do you make these? Is there a photo card template in Photoshop?
Nikkala says
Hi Angela. Each of these cards are original designs by the chicks–but in Monday’s post Jamie has 5 free downloadable templates to help you get started!
Tonya says
I make my cards each year in PS and this year I plan to do the double sided one so your post is timely! Where do you print yours?
Kirsten says
vistaprint.com
Mauri says
I also would like to know where you print your double sided postcards. I would love to use this idea for my christmas cards this year. Loved all the cute designs you showed!
Brooke says
Some of us Crafting Chicks like to print front/back cards at Vistaprint.com. They usually have some sort of deal going on and the prints turn out wonderfully. I also print the 6×7.5 inch at Costco–they usually have a pretty good deal with Christmas cards where you get envelopes too. I always design my own and upload it there and choose “custom” and I was happy with them last year. I’ve also used Winkflash for my 4×8 in. cards. Hope this helps! 🙂
Monika Wright says
YOu chicks are amazing. Do you know that? Wow, I love my visits here. Would there be a head-switching tutorial in PSE8 in plans? I have three kids and it is extremely difficult to get them all looking good in the same shot.
Please help a girl out!
Kirsten says
I have a tutorial written up. I will post it sometime soon. E-mail if you need it sooner 🙂 I loved your post by the way!!!
kristin says
LOVE the cute cards. My fave is #6. I adore all the old vintage looking elements, frames, papers etc. Could you share where those things came from? Thanks!
Ginger says
Thanks so much for sharing these cards and the earlier post on PSE templates. One question though, where do you get the background “papers/prints” for your cards. I noticed there was one link above, http://www.theshabbyshoppe.com but are there other places? Do you know of any that offer free downloads or are they all only for purchase?
Thanks so much!
Adri says
Kirsten…a walk down memory lane seeing all your Christmas cards past! Can’t wait to see what 2010 brings to my mailbox!
katherine says
Thanks for the great ideas! Like Ginger, I am wondering on places to purchase digi-elements. Would love to have some suggestions! Thanks! 🙂
Brooke says
I love http://www.ggdigitaldesigns.com, http://www.theshabbyshoppe.com, http://www.shabbymissjenndesigns.com, Crystal Wilkerson at http://www.jessicasprague.com, http://www.digitalscrapbookmemories.com, http://www.designerdigitals.com, to name a few. 🙂
Dezi A says
I love the postcard idea! But I have a question, that may be real dumb… can you really send them out like postcards? It doesn’t look like you have any room to address them or put the stamp? Maybe by saying ‘postcard’, it’s really just in reference to the size…?
Kirsten says
No we send them in envelopes 🙂 That’s a really great questions 🙂 You could send them without, but they would be bent and worn and by darn it, those things are kinda my baby 🙂
terrah says
I love the idea of a double-sided postcard…. where do you get them done?
Jody says
You girls are so cute!!! Thanks for sharing!! When you print with Vista do you have to pay a fee for uploading the first time or am I looking at the wrong post cards on Vista
Nikkala says
Vistaprint does charge for your uploads but if you use this link: http://www.vistaprint.com/postcards-splash.aspx?GP=11%2f8%2f2010+12%3a22%3a05+AM&GPS=1359216199&GNF=0
your postcards will start out free. I find the upload fee annoying but can’t find a cheaper deal. Usually, I print the standard sized cards, with black and white printing on the back (b&w is free on back but you still have to pay for the image upload), and order 100 envelopes with the cards. Including shipping its around $17! If you order earlier enough you can pick the slow shipping (21–day although it is usually much faster) and save on shipping.
ewa osinska says
Hi,
The post card with girls are really lovely, good idea. Such unusual postcard always meets unusual receipt.
I have a challenge to compose my own electronic” postcard with animation
Does anybody know what to start with?
Ewa
Heather Smith says
LOVE all of the cards and thanks for templates! Shipping is free today at Vistaprint, if that helps. 🙂
HonestNiceWoman says
Your Cards made it into my first Random Goodness Tuesday weekly post! Great work on these!
Stacy says
Kristen, LOVE your site and LOVE your Christmas card with the baby announcement on the back. Mind sharing how you did this? I would love to do this as a gift for my bff.
Heather says
I LOVE your Christmas cards!!! I was just on the Costco site and could not find the option of double sided…do you print your double sided cards through Costco, or just through Vistaprint?
top toys for kids says
In the case of gift ideas, stay clear of just issuing them cash.
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