Not-Your-Average Holiday Cards

How can you make your holiday card stand out from the rest? At TSG, we think the secret is having a personal interaction with the designer doing your card – someone who will make sure that your card represents your style and fits your personality. Which is precisely what Erika Jack, our design director who has an amazing stationery company as well, has done for founders Christy and Susie. Above, a collage of some of Christy’s cards from years past. Which one is your favorite? We’re partial to the one that features Superman . . .

Erika’s cards have a distinct flair: the pictures are always fun and artistic, and often humorous as well. She puts type right on the photograph for a truly bespoke look. Above, Susie’s family is represented in whole, which means, of course, that their pets and animals are included!

Christy Ford’s cards are a great example of humor and style coming together. The photographs she goes with are usually silly, and the message is short and sweet. Some personal favorites: “Love & Laughter” and “Merry, Merry”. It’s through Erika’s interaction with the client that she’s able to push them in a direction that will give them a distinctly unique card.

“Let the image speak for itself. It’s about the family and it’s about the kids. don’t clutter it up with design and typography that takes away from this.” – Erika Jack

A great example is above left, the card of TSG Designer Jan Roden (Christy’s mom), who went with this picture that features her grandson in tears sitting on her lap, which is of course so cute and so real. When do these photography sessions ever go according to plan when kids are involved?

If you’re not able to get your card out on time, there is always the option to send a New Year card.

A few tips from Erika:

– When setting up your photograph, remember to allow visual space for text.

– Let the image speak for itself. It’s about the family and it’s about the kids. Don’t clutter it up with design and typography that takes away from this.

Then, of course, there are the cards that don’t have pictures at all. Which is refreshing, and a nice break from a perfectly posed card. Because, after all, not every year is a picture year (we just wish our parents had gotten this message around years 13 – 15. . .). Oftentimes people will take a year off from pictures, or realize that sending one just doesn’t suit. Above are some selections from The Dandelion Patch, which has a highly curated collection of paper lines.

Sugar Paper does the short, sweet and shiny look oh-so-well. Atlanta’s Paces Papers carries the line as well.

Of course, there is the “clever” genre that is always tempting. And no one does clever better than Charleston’s Sideshow press. Above, a selection of the holiday themed cards on offer this year. They make custom designs as well, having just fashioned this drool-worthy calendar for Garden and Gun.