Showing posts with label Greeting Cards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greeting Cards. Show all posts

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Sayings to Write in a Get Well Card

Funny Sayings to Write in Cards
One of my personal 'crazy skills' is the ability to quickly create lists of 'sayings' - Yes It's a bit strange
If we were face to face and you gave me a 'Topic' and 5 minutes to come up with 20 quote-sayings about it, I would most likely be able to get it done. In fact, here's an entire section I've created on original sayings you use to write in cards.
So onto today's challenge:
Review a List of Things to Say in a Get Well Card
Finding just the right thing to say in a get well card can be challenging, so I've put together a collection of things to say according to the emotion you want to convey: humor, sarcasm, or inspirational. You'll find things like, 'If you're really sick, I'm sorry, if you're faking it, you're my hero!'
Yes it's always easy to get a card that has something written inside of it, and then just sign your name, however even if you select a pre-written card, it's makes for a lovely personal touch to add some words in your own handwriting.
Humorous Get Well Sayings you Can Choose from:
  1. Getting well is hard work, being well is harder work - so milk it!
  2. Don't be a baby when you're sick, I heard you do that when you're well !
  3. The world found out you were sick today, and the whole planet was given the day off !
  4. I was so upset to hear you were sick today, that I held a party in your honor (too bad you were sick)
  5. When you're sick, I'm sick - because I have to do your job!
  6. You need to get better fast, I can't take the pressure!
  7. You don't look sick, you don't sound sick, those Acting Classes are paying off
  8. You're probably the best looking sick person I've ever seen in my life
  9. You look better sick than I do well !
  10. Natural healing - it isn't fun is it
  11. So you thought getting sick would keep me away from you, well you thought wrong there pumpkin
  12. Here take these two Heal-Me Pills - possible side affects; your nose will fall off, your ears will turn green, your house may get termites, you could wake up with four flat tires on your car, and your eyeballs could end up on the side table when you're sleeping - other than that, you should feel better by 6am (OH! and you're dog might hate you)
  13. If being sick is some sort of a grand plot to get the attention of everyone at work, well congratulations you little genius it's working! In fact I think you've received a raise and a promotion while you've been off!
  14. As long as you're sick, I was wondering can I borrow $1000 bucks to buy you the best present ever!
  15. Did you get sick to just give us all a break ... well we all got together to thank you and to say that you would be happy to know that NOTHING is getting done while your sick!
  16. Don't worry, nobody is stealing your glory while you're sick, 'cause everyone refuses to do your job! (apparently your job makes people sick)
Inspirational Things You Can Say In a Card to Someone's Who Isn't Well:

If someone you know is quite ill, often times it's hard to know what to say when you want to say something nice. So below you'll find some ideas. Feel free to use them as is, or simply as an idea to expand upon with your own words.
  1. You deserve a medal for perseverance and fortitude; the way you've handled this illness is an inspiration to all of us and we're very lucky to be in your life
  2. You always carry yourself with dignity and grace no matter what challenges come your way
  3. We want you to know that you can count on us to be there for you because you've always been there for everyone else
  4. Time takes a hold of our heart and with a gentle squeeze it reminds us why we're here - to love deeply, and to live with purpose
  5. We've all signed a petition and asked God to help you through your illness because we all love you and need you here with us
  6. When we face a severe challenge, we are given an opportunity to re-evaluate ourselves, but everyone agrees you're the only exception to the rule - you've lived with honor and are a rare bird; a triple A person in every aspect of life
  7. Good health is a gift you deserve more than anyone we know
  8. When you're at your best, all of us are at our best - you're an amazing inspiration to us all
Sarcastic Funny Things to Put in a Card for Someone Who's Not Well and Appreciates a Laugh
  1. So you decided to get sick to avoid me right!
  2. You are the sunshine in my life, the reason I am who I am - what a load of garbage, just get well ok!!
  3. You're really sick right? Really right? really honestly and truly right? Darn 'cause I needed you to paint the house!
  4. Give me six reasons I shouldn't be mad 'cause you're sick, go ahead...I'm waiting...see NOTHING! I'm mad that you're sick, 'cause I miss you
  5. In order to get well you have to actually be sick, so this card is a 'stop faking you're sick card' so you can actually get sick so I can get you the right card..a get well card. Gheesh you frustrate me!
  6. There's a chance you're just faking sick to avoid responsibility right? You better puke soon or you're done!
  7. Not everyone is scared to touch a sick person - hope those people can visit you 'cause I sure the h*ell can't !
  8. You want to know why you're sick, it's because you do too much, talk too much, help too much ... the only cure is to become totally selfish and useless like me
  9. If I could find the answers to life itself, I would be able to become the kind of person who writes extremely profound diatribes in a card - aren't you glad I'm a selfish tool now!
  10. Give me three reasons you became sick...never mind allow me....(1) You needed an excuse to get some time off, (2) You're looking for payback by making me do all the work now, or (3) You're really sick and I'm an A-hole.



Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Tuesday, July 7, 2015

A Review of My Life in Greeting Cards

An Impossible Dream?

greeting cards
Some of My Favorite Greeting Card Lines
"You should make your own card line, " my friend said.

At the time I was a card buyer for Logos of Westwood, a Christian bookstore in Los Angeles, and I loved greeting cards. I loved reading them. I loved discovering new card lines I was sure my customers would love. I loved roaming the aisles at the Los Angeles Gift Show every year to find something unique, funny, lovely, warm or thought-provoking that stayed within the bounds of good taste.

Every day I when I arrived at work, I'd check first thing to see which cards were selling. I loved competing with the other card stores and departments in the rest of Westwood Village. It made my day when people came in to browse the card racks and walked to the counter with cards by the handful.

But make my own card line? I didn't see how it was possible. I couldn't draw, but I knew I could find the words to match pictures. In 1975, though, designing and printing cards was an expensive business. I didn't see how I'd ever be able to make it work.

Cards in this picture are from my Logos days. From left to right, a Fravessi card designed by Rose Shirvenian, a Marian Heath card, and a Suzy's Zoo note card published by Current and designed by Suzy Spafford.

My Kingdom

Card department of Logos of Westwood about 1975
What’s in this picture was only part of my department. It was my job to pick out each individual card that went into these racks. I did not allow the salespeople to inventory and stock them.I did it myself. When the reps came to call, I’d look at all the cards they had to offer in each line. I’d pick the ones for the store that I myself responded to or that met all the criteria I had. Cards that depended upon put-downs for their humor were rejected. I wanted cards that would promote and enhance communication between individuals.

 My target market was the people like me that liked to hang around card departments and just read cards. As we read, we’d see one we just had to get for this friend or that, or the perfect birthday card for Aunt Sue whose birthday was in two months, etc. Those who have the card browsing habit respond by buying the cards they like. In those days, email did not yet exist for the average person. Personal computers did not exist yet. So people still bought lots of greeting cards.

When people think of greeting cards, they often think first of Hallmark, at least they did back then. But we were a small independent Christian bookstore that hadn’t yet been in business for a year. Cards were supposed to be small part of our overall business. Hallmark wouldn’t even consider letting us stock their cards — not with a Hallmark store around the corner, Robinson’s across the street, and a stationery shop next door — all of whom carried Hallmark exclusively and would not appreciate the competition. So my job was to find alternatives.

Unlike many bookstores, we were a nonprofit organization, designed to be a ministry that reached out to college students searching for truth. We were also there to supply the books the Christian students at UCLA needed to grow their spiritual lives. The idea was to be within walking distance of the campus. Cards and gift items were what we called “bridge items” that were the first thing people saw as they entered the store.

Since most Christian bookstores of that day depended a lot upon selling church supplies, they tended to serve an older population of pastors and Sunday School teachers. They looked “churchy” from the moment the customer walked in. Logos stores like ours, which were always located near college campuses, did not want to look that way. The books were toward the back, and the cards and gift islands were at the front to engage the customers as they walked in.


Choosing Cards

As a card buyer, I had my personal dislikes. One of them was rhyming sentimental cards in iambic pentameter. I remember how I and the gal I was training to replace me (who left before I did) used to sit at the back with a box of these and laugh our heads off at the “syrup” that dripped from these cards. Ordinarily we didn’t carry this line except for Christmas and Valentine’s Day when we had a lot of men needing cards for their mothers and wives and other relatives. I often wondered why so many of the Christian card lines of the day were of this sentimental type and seemed geared to the tastes of the elderly — or their supposed tastes.

br /> However, I finally found some Christian lines with a contemporary look. Dayspring was one of them.  Dayspring cards often have a lovely photograph with a Scripture verse. They still have such cards, as well as other Christian cards with both contemporary and more traditional and floral designs.

We were not limited to Christian lines, however. Our criteria for choosing was based on Philippians 4: 9: “…whatever is true…,honorable…,just…,pure…,lovely…,gracious.” That did not exclude humor, but it had to be warm humor, that made the recipient feel better rather than insulted. I was after beauty, clean designs, and sentiments that would enhance communication between people. I wanted the kind of cards that made the buyer think, ” I really don’t need a card, but this is perfect to send to my friend Myra who’s going through a tough time, so I’ll get it.” We had lots of “thinking of you” type friendship cards for such buyers.

One of the first major lines (meaning gigantic) we bought was a new one called Recycled Cards. Their first artist was Sandra Boynton, whose “Hippo Birdie” card pictured above, was an instant best seller with not only the college students, but also the senior ladies who liked to window shop in Westwood. Our section of Recycled Cards expanded to the point where we needed more card racks to hold them. I was thrilled to see that Sandra Boynton has chosen to market many of her products at Zazzle now. Visit her store:Sandra Boynton



Sandra Boynton Books



After designing over 4,000 greeting cards, Boynton branched out into other products, including children's books. This set is a collection of some of them. It's not only Boynton's designs which make her work so popular, but also the way she plays with words. This boxed set contains four of Boynton's most popular board books. Toddlers love the bright colors, humorous drawings, and the short verses that beg to be read. Click the caption for a closer look. 

Suzy's Zoo


Suzy Spafford's Suzy's Zoo cards will brighten up anyone's day. She gives her animal characters very expressive personalities and paints them in bold colors. See the duck in my top photo. 

The cards above are a sampling of note cards at Amazon. There are also mugs, stickers, and many other products with her designs at Amazon. 




Leanin' Tree

Amazon has a number of Leaning Tree collections by different artists available. Susan Winget, featured below, is one of my favorites. 

Leanin' Tree is another line I have always liked. They have many styles of cards. Some are beautiful nature cards. Some are funny western style cards like the one to the right. 

Some are humorous with cute animals like the one below. You can see them all easily by following any of the caption links.


kitty about to land on a birthday cake
A Birthday is No Time to Show Restraint
From the Thoughts and Felines Package

Crocus Cards by Nancy Donohue

Designed by Nancy Donahue, Crocus Cards
One part of my job I really enjoyed was seeing what new cards the sales representatives had to offer me. I’ll never forget the day Camille, one of my favorite reps, introduced me to the D. Forer Company. She was short, and looked a bit weary. Who wouldn’t after lugging loaded display cases for several blocks? Parking in Westwood was very scarce and very expensive. When she came calling on me, she hit pay dirt. She pulled from one of her cases a line of cards called Crocus, published by The Forers, New York, and created by Nancy Donohue, about whom not much is written on the web. The only reference to her I could find was in a list of files belonging to an agent at the time of his death. Yet this woman must have brought smiles to thousands, if not millions, who read her cards.

In the card pictured here, one of the few I have left, the tissue box brand is “dripensnort facial tissues,” and the inside reads simply “and get you well soon.” I wish I had the entire collection to share with you. Born in the 1970′s, this line features the character you see here and some of her friends. It was obvious Nancy must have been a gardener, since there were so many references to plants in her greetings. I remember the punch line to one get well card was “All you need is a good mulching.” Another get well card and best seller showed our character with determined look, pointing a hose coming from a huge kettle of chicken soup. The inside read “You WILL get well.”

One of my favorite friendship cards she designed had a weary looking owl leaning on a young tree with only a couple of leaves. It said, “On occasion you must give into feeling dreadful and hope it will pass and everyone will still love you.” Inside it said simply, “It will and they do.” I still have this card, waiting for just the right time to send it.

If you think Nancy cared only about the sick, you’d be wrong. Her anniversary and wedding cards were among the most original and funny I’ve ever seen. Her Valentines were warm and wonderful and sold like hotcakes. And you couldn’t do better than one of her birthday cards. I have never yet seen any card on the market at any price I liked better than these, because they captured the depths of the human spirit, and they had an undertone of affection and kind humor. They were designed to make the reader smile.


Blue Mountain


Most of you reading this probably have always known about Blue Mountain cards and books. Many of you have probably sent their e-cards. In the 1970's though, Blue Mountain was a revolutionary step away from the gushy sentimental iambic pentameter verse that turned my generation off, to a fresh way to convey the thoughts of love and friendship many were feeling. These were the cards I sent my parents and loved ones that said just what I wanted to say, but better than I could say it. Logos of Westwood was the first in Westwood Village to feature a complete rack of these cards,and I was proud to introduce them. Unlike many of my favorite lines, these are still available today. The line of books has become very popular as well, and you can still get many of them.


Blue Mountain: Turning Dreams Into Reality

 






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Banish Summertime Boredom with Greeting Card Craft Projects!

"Hey Mom (or Dad), I'm bored! What can I do?"

 How many times have you heard those words in your lifetime? Summer is usually when those words ring out in even the busiest homes. The best advice I can give you is to have plenty of paper, glue sticks and colorful markers on hand. If you have a good public library, I suggest that you go to the "Arts and Crafts" section and look for books about greeting card making.

I recently found a delightful crafting book at my own public library.  Pop-Up Paper Structures: The Beginner's Guide to Creating 3-D Elements for Books, Cards & More is jammed packed with well-written instructions for making creative pop-up greeting cards for all kinds of occasions. The best part is that you can adapt any of the design concepts so you can use supplies that you might have on hand. Those are MY kinds of projects--the ones that reuse stuff!

pop-up paper structures book


I have a big storage box where I keep all of my hoarded paper supplies. (If you are a regular reader of this blog you might remember my post about re-using greeting cards. ) That big box is the home for the file with all those greetings card pieces. There is also a big zipper bag with my favorite tools and glues in that same big box.

I am sure your older children will be able to find a pop-up greeting in the book shown above, that they could figure out how to make. Just remember, dear parent, try not to be too critical and just go with the flow. So what if some of the cutting is not as straight as you might expect. Let your children be creative. Sometimes their ideas might just be better than yours.

If you are not in the red and green "holiday" spirit yet, you should read "How to make a Watermelon Card Invitation for Summer Parties", make the card then throw one! Not a watermelon--a party! You will still be red and green, but this card will not feature any holly or red noses!



greeting card craft projects
 "Creative Ways To Recycle Holiday Greeting Cards"
Have you saved a ton of cards, you most definitely should read Creative Ways to Recycle Holiday Greeting Cards. This page abounds with many of ideas for recycling those greetings. I particularly like the projects for a "Star Tree" and a "Woven Card" (see them above--Thank you AcornOakForest for allowing me to use your image!). You will be happy to know that there are wonderful photo tutorials to walk you through the steps for making both of these green crafty projects.

If you need a good crafting glue for paper projects, I highly recommend Elmer's Craft Bond Fabric and Paper Glue. I use it myself to repair books and make my own greeting cards.




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Sunday, May 4, 2014

Do Not Toss Your Greeting Cards--Reuse Them!

I am a hoarder! I will admit that to you, but you have to promise not to tell my friends and family.

I mostly hoard greeting cards that I cannot bear to toss into the recycle bin or trash barrel. In order to save space, I usually tear off the front of the card so I can use the artwork again in some other form (ie. gift tags -- see the image below, the stocking tag used to be the front of a greeting card).

However, the one practical use is to recycle the front of the card INTO another greeting card. That is actually very easy to do. All you need is some card stock or blank greeting cards and envelopes. You then just cut the original front to fit on the new blank card. Sometimes I find the written verse in a card to be so very good that I trim off the signature on the card and so I can "borrow" the sentiment and glue it into my "new" card.

gift bag stenciled with green tree and snowflakes

Having been the "official" Glue Gun Slinger Contributor on the now defunct website, Squidoo, I do have a few adhesives in my crafting tool kit, but my knowledge about glues for "paper" crafts is mostly limited to book repair. However, I have been know to make a paper craft project or two, and I highly recommend Elmer's Washable All-Purpose School Glue Stickscraft glue

While you are on the site, be sure to check out "Card Making and Craft Budget Tips" by writer/crafter "paperfacets". If you are at all interested in making greeting cards, this page will be helpful, indeed.

I have read that it is best to use a glue that will not "wrinkle" the card stock when making a card. Does anyone have a good suggestion for me to try? I am thinking that a glue stick might work. What about glue dots? Has anyone used them? I really like to know about a product before I invest my hard earned cash.







Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


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