Friday, October 28, 2011

Christmas Photocard-MDS Blog Hop Week 13

This week challenge was my selection and what to do what to do? I wanted to get a start on Christmas cards this year and actually HAVE them printed and ON TIME. Last year I waited til December and printing them thru SU was too late. So I vowed to get them done and early!
Also an incentive was Stampin Up MDS bulk printing prices! See here: Bulk_Pricing_US.pdf
But when I counted the special people in our lives like family and friends and reminding myself that I miss last year, I had like 60 cards that I would need to buy! OY! So then I started looking at the bulk pricing AND trying to watch my budget as well, I decided that I needed to look at an inexpensive option for us.
I came up with the idea to create a Christmas photo tag that my family and friends could use as an ornament on their tree. (I added the shaded parts so that you could see how the tag would be created in MDS)  I knew I wanted to use this family picture from our recent vacation at the beach.  I used the 2 1/2" x 4 1/4" basic tag. I used the Merry and Bright Stamp Brush image #123139 in Lucky Limeade (I love my green!).  The blue in the punch circles and line were matched to my husband's shirt in the picture. Such a great option to have! The red is Cherry Cobbler.  Added the other title and year in Whisper White to play off what us girls were wearing in the picture. I love the confetti look and it just looks cheerful.
Before I sent them to print thru SU, I made a version on my printer at home just to be sure I liked them and how play with how I would finish them off.  I added the Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon and Cherry Cobbler Baker' Twine so that it could hang on a tree branch.  This was printed on matte photo paper as the test. I just cut and glued them together. SU printed tags will be on heavy weight cardstock and top rate quality! I can not wait to get them! I JUST ordered them! 
With the bulk pricing on 60 tags, they would be just 60 cents each! DEAL!  That is half the price of smaller printed MDS card in bulk! Then I can buy the Small Open-End Envelopes # 107286 to mail them in since the tags do not come with envelopes.  I am hoping that I can run them thru my printer to add the addresses and maybe a stamped image too. With the cost of the envelopes added, each tag cost 98 cents!
Still the lesser price option! DOUBLE DEAL!
But the most exciting part is that my family and friends will get something unusual in the mail and be able to use it for this year's holiday and for years to come!
Cindy
I also wanted to show you all a picture from the Halloween Birthday party yesterday!
She was totally surprised and loved it all!
Wait til you see all the other designer's Christmas photocards today!  It will get you thinking....I NEED My Digital Studio NOW so I can too get my Christmas cards done FAST!
ME - YOU ARE HERE! : )

2 comments:

Mandy Grant said...

What a fun bright design :)
I love the idea of the the swatchbook tags! I'm also looking for the cheapest option and totally missed that one.

Holly VanDyne said...

WOW What a great idea to make your card an ornament too! And they are so cute - awesome ideas Cindy! :)