Making Photo Greeting Cards
Create cards they'll keep using photos and leftover scraps.
Sep 11, 2007
As summer drifts away and fall begins, take a moment to cherish summer by creating some fun photo cards. Statistics from camera retailers say more cameras are purchased and used in the summer time than any other time of year except December. The natural light available in summer often allows for great photos too.
All-Occasions
Whether you’re using digital cameras or film, there is now great accessibility to copies of prints. Sift through a few recent photos and create cards to send to:
--Relatives who don’t get to see you or your kids very often
--Old friends and new that you saw this summer
--Family and friends that you didn’t see this summer to tell them you missed them
--People who might appreciate a thank you note—even if it’s late
--Someone that needs cheering up now
By now you realize that just about anyone you can send a regular card to would enjoy receiving a photo card.
Many card makers say they won’t send handmade cards to certain people because they just get tossed away and not appreciated. Since your therapist may not have covered the giving for the joy of giving and not controlling the recipient stuff yet, I’ll just tell you that a card with photos on it stays around much longer. Photos of people we know are psychologically harder to toss away than a card.
Design Ideas
There are lots of specific design ideas for photo cards and scads more if you look closely at rubber stamped cards and use your imagination. Just substitute a photo where you see a stamped image and the card is ready.
The simplest photo card to create follows a basic formula:
-rectangular card front
-photo at top layered onto patterned paper
-quote or message stamp sticker at the bottom
This style can be repeated without boredom by simply changing the colors, papers, and word/quote area to fit the design and compliment the photo. The same formula can be used on rectangular tags which can then be adhered to a card front of any size. Tags offer a smaller work surface, but with the cropping tools and digital sizing techniques available resizing is a breeze.
Some of your current tools and supplies lend themselves easily to photo card making. Be sure and check your inventory of photo corners whether you use punches, die cuts, pre-made photo corners, or stickers—these really jazz up a card. Word art is an easy design element to add as well. Almost all the stamp companies have wonderful one or two word stamps plus there are stickers and rub ons galore on the market. Use your leftovers to give yourself that wonderful feeling of efficiency and economy.
Photo cards are a great way to show you care. Whether you make several different ones from “leftovers” generated by scrapbooking and collage or whip up a batch as invitations or thank-you notes—this style of card will always please the recipient.
