and the winner is… (Part I)

Each year, at our church, the teens do what they call a Christmas card distribution. It’s a system where church members bring in Christmas cards for other church members and then on a given night the teens sort them by families, bundle them and each family is able to pick up their bundle, take them home and enjoy seeing all the beautiful cards and greetings from friends. It’s a great postage saver too 🙂

This year was no exception and I thoroughly enjoy opening the envelopes, going through the cards one by one and picking my favorites. I decided to publish my favorites here. If you didn’t make the cut, not to worry, I appreciate your card too, they just can’t all be favorites you understand.

First of all, let me just say that I’m kind of partial to glittery cards. I don’t know why, maybe it’s because they remind me of snow and snow men and I’m kind of partial to them too.

thank you to Ricky & Cindy
and Berry, Paula, Leigh & Zach Davis
for the “glittery” cards

That being said (that I’m also partial to snow and snow men) we have the following favorites:

thank you to the McDowell family
(whose card is not only snowmanish but glittery as well– KUDOS!),
Shirley
and Stephen & Shirley (I REALLY like this one!)

As a graphic designer I’m really into fonts and text art so these immediately grabbed my attention. I’ll have to say though that the first really captured my attention for all the wrong reasons. It took a second look before I realized that “M” was really a “M”– looked like a “H” to me. Not good design or maybe it’s just my old eyes.

thank you to The Dixon’s, David, Sheila, Derk, Megan & Desirae,
Bob & Ann Hartman
and Darlene Williams

It’s always fun when I get cards with my friend’s names on them. I have a friend named Noel and a friend named Joy. Oh what fun they must have with their names at this time of year.

thank you to Myrtle Joiner & Francis Matthews for the Noel card
and Wright & Carole Garbutt for the Joy card
(I may have to do something fun with these)

I got two cards exactly alike– this almost always happens. But I like them so I’m posting them here too.

thank you to Larry & Lynn, David, Sarah & Rebekah
and Jim, Margaret & Elisabeth Conley
(again– snowflakes and I LOVE the message too, “Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.”)

This one is a favorite because of the message as well, “Jesus What a wonderful name… What a perfect Savior… What a reason to celebrate!” AND, it’s made by the same designer that our own Christmas cards were made by. Walmart, right Helena?

thank you to Helena & Ryan Kurucar

I liked this one for it’s rustic appeal. Oh yeah, and there’s the snow thing again. LOL

thank you to the Blacks

Now for the awards:

If I had to give an award for year after year performance it would have to go to Terri English and her father Billy. Terri always gives LANG type cards. Sometimes they are really LANG, sometimes something similar. This year’s is made by Saltbox Illustrations. I want to say that’s a division of LANG but I’m not quite sure about that. The cards as well as the envelopes they come in are equally special. She may get them 1/2 price after Christmas, I don’t know, but no doubt she still spends a lot of moo-la on her cards and it’s shows — much appreciated Terri.

thank you to Billy, Terri English
(you should note that the envelope comes complete with snowman)

And for this year’s RUNNER UP, that award goes to my dear friend Sherri Carter for her cute, square (love the shape) card that glitters, has a snowman and embellishments– how COOL!

thank you to Mike, Sherri, Blake & Megan Carter
(the artwork kind of looks like my own)

And the winner is: Jerry & Jane Hendon for their uniquely shaped glittery snowman Christmas card– a Hallmark card. You pushed all the right buttons and rang all the right bells and whistles. I LOVE YOUR CARD!

thank you to Jerry & Jane Hendon

I don’t know why anyone would write an entire blog post about Christmas cards, maybe it’s just that I appreciate them all so much and appreciate the fact that we have so many loving and caring friends that would spend the money and their precious time to send us a Christmas card, even if they didn’t have to put postage on it. Thank you all!