Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Retro Christmas Cards Galore!

Disclaimer: I know I just wrote about skipping Thanksgiving BUT these awesome cards sell out and I don't want you to miss your chance to get them!
*********************************************************************************



I have always said that I was born in the wrong time. My love of all things MCM proves it!  I am lucky to have met  Diane Dempsey, an artist out of Tampa, Florida who has a love for MCM that goes way deeper than mine and that is saying a LOT! Each year my family and friends are treated to the newest cards from The Retro Christmas Card Company. This year is no different and Diane has once again created amazing Christmas cards in the MCM style.

What is more MCM than a silver Christmas tree??

This year I am hosting my first ever Ugly Christmas Sweater Party and you can guess where I am getting my invitations from!

Do you have a thing for coordinating all your mailing products? If so, take a look at their stamps, labels and envelopes to be so coordinated you will make June Cleaver green with envy!

Looking for a bargain? Don't mind last year's designs? Check out the 50% off section! They are just as awesome as the new designs!

Want to know how to order? Glad you asked! Check out the store!

************************************************

I am so excited! Diane was kind enough to give me an interview to share with my awesome readers so enjoy getting to know her!

How long have you been doing what you do?
I have been a graphic designer and illustrator since 1982 - I am a graduate of the Ringling College of Art + Design

Do you consider yourself an artist or a graphic designer? I am a professional commercial artist. 
Let me expand on the term “Commercial Artist”:  Granted, this is an old term. Just using this term actually refers to my long career and multiple abilities in graphics, advertising design and illustration. The Retro Christmas Card Company is a seasonal side business my husband and I created from our love of vintage Christmas and my illustrations, photography and designs.

Do you work alone or do you have help? 
I would be lost without the help of my husband. He is the fulfillment department and the reason that the customers get their cards in the most affordable manner possible and at lightning fast speed!

When did you fall in love with the MCM style? 
I grew up in the 1960s - so I have always loved images, decor, fabrics, fashions, wall papers, kitchen appliances...that took me back to a very happy childhood. My Mom was super swanky in her dress, decorated the house in the up-to-the-moment style - the moment being, say 1966. I fell back in love with it 3 years ago when we bought our 1968 ranch house time capsule. We have been restoring her to the glory days perhaps a bit earlier than her age. We would have liked a more atomic style, but fell for a colonial ranch with great bones.

How long have you been making cards? 
We begin our Christmas Card Company in 2006 - back then we were calling it "WhatsBuzzin". I Knoooow... crazy name. At the time we were heavily into swing dancing and listened to a lot of Cab Calloway - he had a song from the 1930s called "What's Buzzin' Cousin?" We thought it was cute, it was all about saying hello in many ways. Whatsbuzzin started out life as an all year greeting card and wrapping paper business. The most successful of the product prototypes proved to be the Christmas cards.

How do you create your cards? Do you draw them on paper or do you use a computer? 
We start by selecting the best ideas from a list of inspirations that we collect throughout each holiday season. Then the artwork and copy come together in a long process of illustrations, photographs, and collages of memorabilia and ephemera. We select the perfect ecologically responsible paper stock and matching envelopes. We work with a local printer just around the block from our studio in Clearwater, Florida. We stand by the printing press carefully balancing the colors and registration, and making everything is just right for the new seasons’ retro Christmas Card Selections. For a more detailed blog entry take a look here!

Your cards are amazing and sometimes quirky, what is the inspiration for them? 
I get inspired by old Christmas songs, classic Christmas movies, vintage holiday decorations, and I also look out for trends that are being followed by the vintage lifestyle community. Right now everyone seems to be mad for mid-century!
 

Be sure to LIKE them on Facebook and Pinterest






Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Skipping Thanksgiving


Sad to say but many people seem to use Thanksgiving as nothing more than a vault to get from Halloween to Christmas. It makes me sad because some of my happiest memories are of sitting around a table that was sagging under the weight of delicious food. Around that table we talked and laughed. Stories were told and retold. We remembered those who were no longer with us and anticipated those who would be joining us either by marriage or birth.

I scoured the internet and dug into some of my own ideas to get you thinking about how to share this special time with your loved ones. Here are a few great ideas that you can use to bring your family together at this special time of the year! : )

Turkey Tickets to get you to the table....
I found this gem on Let's Get Together. It is a turkey ticket that you must have to get to the table. The idea is cute and can be used with everyone in the family. Those who are not yet able to write can still participate by drawing what they are thankful for! I made turkey tickets for my family. You can download them here and print them on colorful paper.

Printable Family Gratitude Devotions for the Month of November
I found these on Frugal Fun for Boys.  The lovely devotions can be done together and even the littlest ones can participate! Do them just before dinner or just before bed. It is a way to spark discussion or quietly wind down the day.

Thankful cards to make you think...
These cards can be printed out and placed at each setting. Be sure to include a colorful pen or pencil for writing. If the kids are too little to write give them a little bundle of crayons to draw what they are thankful for. No one is too small to be thankful! You can print these two sided cards here.

A thankful box for each person or for the family...
This is a cute idea and a great way to recycle those tissue boxes! Use the instructions found on I heart Crafty Things  to make your thankful boxes. Leave a stack of papers, pencils, pens, markers or crayons for people to write or draw what they are thankful for. When you sit down for Thanksgiving dinner open the box and read them. You can download a copy of one of two thankful sheets here and here.

These are just a few ideas. Look on Pinterest for ideas that speak to you and your particular family or situation. Remember, everyone has something to be grateful for!