I agree with you, Oak. I did..do..love the cards that contain a letter with some photos to see like you mentioned. But I have always loved cards, silly cards or pretty cards. And just knowing someone took the time to pick out the card and write a few lines always has meant a lot to me. The cards with the name imprinted on them, and the photo cards seem to say "we're too busy for this". In fact, both my DD and my DDIL do the photo cards because they ARE extremely busy. I do understand that being the case these days. I just don't have to like it. LOL. Like Bleigh said, sometimes its physically hard to sit and do a stack of cards properly. Or at least the way I want to do them, with a short personal note and not just a signature. I'm embarrassed to say I didn't even do my cards this year. I'd bought a box of them several weeks ago, and then with the decorating taking 3 wks and now Dad this week, the box just didn't even get opened. I sent a special one to my MIL in FL as we always do, and one to my very best friend in the world in OK. But looks like no one else is even getting a real card from me this year. I feel terrible about that. hugs, Karen I think a lot of folks have stopped sending them, maybe the economy? I've only gotten a few this year myself.

If you don't mind paying postage to mail your cards, you can send them to St. Jude's Ranch for Children. Google them and read about the ranch. They take all kinds of cards (only the fronts with no writing on it) that can be recycled and made to fit a 5x7 card. The kids do all the work and the cards are sold by the box, profits for the ranch/kids. I went thru years and years of cards saved by my mom and this is what I did with hers and my own cards. Some I kept and have recycled myself but the majority went to the Ranch. Just a thought. Carmen

Great cards! I can so relate to how many shots you need to take to get "the one" for your Christmas/holiday card. Before DD started college last year, every year I tried to shoot DD with the dogs. At one point I was shooting 3 dogs with DD. That was fun. Trying to get just one picture that makes the most of all subjects is a tall order. I would shoot about 20 pictures and then view them on the computer. Shoot more, repeat, until DD pronounced "enough already mom". Trying to shoot more would not result in anything better, as DD was sick of posing and the dogs can only eat so many treats in one sitting. LOL This year it will be just the dogs. Glad you started this thread, I need start working on our holiday photo this coming week.

Like the idea of crackling with glue!! Came out nice. Like the canning lid ideas also! Cherry, go over on Holidays & check out the "Beach tree" The ornaments are beautiful so I took some tonight & painted them with metallic paint & then with "Twinkles glitter paint" I used a flat fan shell &Folkart metallic antique copper #666 (Can't believe they used that number???)While wet I painted over it with DecoArt red twinkles glitter paint. Another 1 FolkArt #660 Metallic pure gold it was thinner so let it dry awhile & then added DecoArt Twinkles Crystal- that glitter is wonderful, it gives blue, gold, pinkish etc look to your project & works so much better than another glitter paint or glue I have, it doesn't give much glitter effect at all. This is a very fine glitter, more of a shimmer effect I think & I love it & you don't need much either. Do wash out your brush very well tho or it will get hard & be ruined.I noticed i got the crystal on a little too thick so used clean brush to take some off. On this you can't tell how nice it will be until the next day when it is dry. it is slow drying so need plenty of drying time to get the full shimmer. Hoping I can send some to my DIL who is nuts about the Pacific Ocean!! Thought she might like a shimmer on their tree too!! No,you can't make a hole in a shell by heating a turkey screwer & trying to push it through,LOL so will use Weldbond to glue gold cord to back of shell. I only painted the fronts of shells so they can tell they are real shells. Jan