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| 'A Happy Summer Day' 18x24 pastel ©Karen Margulis available here $450 |
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| 5x7 photo greeting card featuring my work $5 in my etsy shop |
I like to keep it simple. I look for ideas that are low cost and low tech. When I decided to make greeting cards of my paintings I didn't want to spend a lot of money or time making them. I tried printing them on my own printer but my printer goes through color ink like water and eats more paper than it prints. (yes I need a new printer) Printing my own cards didn't work for me.
I considered using a third party printer such as Zazzle , Fine Art America and Cafe Press. But I wanted to have the cards on hand and not worry about placing orders for cards.
I decided to make my own cards using photos of my paintings. I love the way they turned out!
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| a card rack I found at a thrift store |
Each card cost less than 15 cents including the photo, card, envelope and clear bag. Here is what I do:
- I order glossy 4x6 prints of my favorite paintings. I take photos of my paintings using a point and shoot camera and crop it in iPhoto. I have had very good luck with Walgreens. I upload my photos to them online and pick them up at my convenience. I always wait for a sale on prints.
- I use Strathmore blank greeting cards. I have used both the blank cards with deckled edge and the photo mount cards which comes with the adhesive. I use a glue stick for the regular cards. You can get a box of 100 cards with envelopes on sale at Jerrys Artarama for about $25. here is a link
- I sign each card under the photo for a personal touch.
- I slip the card and envelope into a clearbag for protection. I get my bags at www.clearbags.com
- The only drawback of not printing your card is that you don't have contact information on the back of each card. I will sometimes hand write my email and website or I include a business card in the bag.
I have a few of my cards available in my Etsy shop. Next week I will be adding my annual snow people cards to the store so stay tuned.
6 comments:
I had a stamp of my web address made and stamp the back of my cards. It works well. I also write the name of the painting under the photo on the left and sign on the right.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing Margretta!
This is a great suggestion, Karen! I really appreciate you sharing your tips and ideas with your artist friends. I think I might do the same thing now that I see how wonderful your cards look! Just a question, where did you get the blank cards that have the raised design around the edges? I couldn't find them at Jerry's or Dick Blick and looked online. Thanks!
Thanks! I got them at Jerrys but last year so maybe they don't carry them?? Try looking under blank photo cards.
I think these tips are great, but I think you've got your math a bit wrong. If blank cards are $25 for 100, that's at least 25 cents right there. Clear bags another $7-ish? Prints maybe 10 cents on a good day? Add in cost of glue and at best it's 50 cents per card, and probably rather more if you can't get a bargain at the right time. Still think its a really good way to do it, especially if (like me) everything has to be done on a tight budget.
Thanks, Karen. I made the cards. Before I glued on the photos, I printed my logo and website on the back. I also printed the return label on the envelopes and will address them by hand. I bought cheaper cards since I won't be selling them and it will cost me more to mail them than I paid for them. I really appreciate all your help, advice and friendship.
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