There are some who think greeting cards make terrible Christmas gifts, just because they aren’t flashy or expensive. Those who would give greeting cards are sometimes derided as cheapskates who wouldn’t want to spend a little more to share their holiday cheer.

In reality, though, greeting cards do have a significant impact, and there are some things that no amount of flashy gadgets or expensive gifts can ever replace. Here are five reasons to love greeting cards this Christmas:

1. Greeting cards have a sincere, human touch. This is especially true if you take time to write a message to your recipient, and not just content yourself with the generic, pre-printed “happy holidays” inside.

2. It’s easy to personalize a greeting card. In the past, you could only buy whatever designs were sold. Now with greeting card software programs, you can design your own cards. For Christmas, especially, you could personalize your card with a picture of your family and send it to your loved ones.

3. Greeting cards bring people together. Apart from an actual phone call (which can be rather expensive if you’re calling long distance), writing letters is the next best thing. Of course, emails and text messages exist now, but there’s something very impersonal about these options. Technology is great and there’s no denying that, but there’s always the appeal of and the promise of love across borders when you receive a greeting card.

4. Keepsakes and posterity. Greeting cards, especially the pretty personalized ones, can serve as souvenirs. In fact, greeting cards can be kept as reminders of someone who cares. There’s a reason why people often have a box in the attic, filled with letters and cards that mean so much to them. It’s a memory you can read and re-read.

5. With personalize electronic greeting cards, there’s no need to even go to the post office. If handwritten isn’t your thing, you can always send an electronic version. Just make sure you create a personalized design that sets your electronic greeting card apart.

Five Things to Love about Christmas Greeting Cards is a post from: Ecard Wizard

Happy Halloween is a post from: Ecard Wizard

Of course, there are people who do find this annoying. This is particularly true of old time musical greeting cards. Sometimes the music sounds weird, like it’s coming from inside a tin can. In some cases, the volume is too loud and the recipient is embarrassed instead of elated. Finally, there are musical greeting cards that simply sound tacky.

The good thing is that with modern technology, even musical greeting cards have gotten a boost. New electronic greeting cards are able to make the most of recent multimedia improvements. Pictures are clearer and brighter, design options are endless, and you can now add music to your greeting card.

Electronic greeting cards are a lot more personalized. You can add specific songs that are meaningful to you and the recipient. This kind of customization was not available in earlier musical greeting cards, so it’s definitely a nice and sincere touch.

Adding music to your e-card is much easier when using a greeting card software program like Ecard Wizard.

To create a musical electronic greeting card, start with the basics. First, select the template you wish to use. This template is completely up to you. the software program will show you samples of these templates to help you choose more easily.

Second, insert the images you want to use. Ecard Wizard has its own extensive database, but of course you’re also free to use your own photos if you wish.

Third, add a message and complete all the designs you want on your card. After you’ve completed all other details, you can now work on your music. To do so:

1. Click on the “Sounds” tab
2. The “Add Sound” popup window will now appear
3. Choose any song you wish to add. You can choose songs from Ecard Wizard’s database, or use one from your own collection
4. This will now be the music of your ecard

That is all. Now you can send your ecard with music to family and friends! To get started on your musical ecard, get Ecard Wizard by clicking on the following button:

How to Make an Ecard with Music is a post from: Ecard Wizard

The greeting card of old represented everything that people loathed about the “generic” gift. There’s no thought, no personality, no actual effort behind getting a greeting card and giving it to the recipient. In fact, some ingenious (or lazy, probably) people buy greeting cards by the bulk and just write a quick message inside before they dispatch it to the recipient.

These days, however, greeting cards don’t have to be tacky, cliché, or lazy. In fact, there’s a resurgence of interest in hand-written notes, especially with this nostalgic view of personalized messages.

It helps that you can now make greeting cards as personalized as you want. Yes – there’s no need to simply choose from the already available designs. Greeting card software allow you to create a greeting card that speaks to your personality and, more importantly, tells the receiver that you actually put a lot of effort and thought into this little gift.

Greeting card software comes with a variety of customizable templates. This means you can choose different sizes and formats depending on the design you want. You can also choose from thousands of images, borders, and fonts to truly create a message that is perfectly unique.

The importance of adding a personal touch to your message may be lost on some people. After all, this is an era of wanting everything quick, efficient, and painless. A personal touch, however, definitely ups the ante and makes even a simple greeting card much more meaningful and memorable.

Here are a few quick tips to make your greeting card even more memorable:

1. Think about the images you use. Since greeting card software gives you a lot of choices, make sure you pick the images that mean something to you and your recipient. Don’t just pick everything that catches your fancy. Pick an image that will bring a smile to your recipient’s face. Think of an inside joke, or try to incorporate your recipient’s favorite things. It may seem trivial, but it’s actually a good way to let your recipient know that you remember their quirks and traits.

2. Be sincere. Don’t just create a generic greeting card that you’ll send out to everyone in your mailing list. That defeats the purpose! Do make an effort to make your greeting cards as personal as possible. People can sense insincerity; so don’t even dare think about it.

3. Write a heartfelt message. This is the most important part of all. Your greeting card software can help you create a fun template with lovely images, but it’s your message that truly seals the deal. Write something that actually means something, to you and your recipient. It’s not enough to write “merry Christmas” and send it off with the proverbial kiss. Write a personal, heartfelt, sincere message. This will mean a lot more to your recipient than just another greeting card, and in some cases may trump even expensive gifts.

Use Ecard Wizard to start creating your very own Personalized Greeting Cards today!

Add a Personal Touch to Your Greeting Cards is a post from: Ecard Wizard

It is much easier to become a father than to be one. ~Kent Nerburn

When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years. ~Mark Twain

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me. ~Jim Valvano

What a father says to his children is not heard by the world, but it will be heard for posterity. ~ Jean Paul Richter

If the new American father feels bewildered and even defeated, let him take comfort from the fact that whatever he does in any fathering situation has a fifty percent chance of being right. ~Bill Cosby

I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection. ~Sigmund Freud

A man’s worth is measured by how he parents his children. What he gives them, what he keeps away from them, the lessons he teaches and the lessons he allows them to learn on their own. ~Lisa Rogers

It is easy for a father to have children than for children to have a real father. ~Pope John XXIII

By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong. ~Charles Wadsworth

Every dad, if he takes time out of his busy life to reflect upon his fatherhood, can learn ways to become an even better dad. ~Jack Baker

The father of a daughter is nothing but a high-class hostage. A father turns a stony face to his sons, berates them, shakes his antlers, paws the ground, snorts, runs them off into the underbrush, but when his daughter puts her arm over his shoulder and says, ‘Daddy, I need to ask you something,’ he is a pat of butter in a hot frying pan. ~Garrison Keillor

Dad taught me everything I know. Unfortunately, he didn’t teach me everything he knows. ~Al Unser, Jr.

I’ve had a hard life, but my hardships are nothing against the hardships that my father went through in order to get me to where I started. ~ Bartrand Hubbard

You know, fathers just have a way of putting everything together. ~ Erika Cosby

Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young, who loved thee so fondly as he? He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue, and joined in thy innocent glee. ~ Margaret Courtney

While these quotes are not going to tell you everything about being a father they do show you how important a father is to a child because they expand on the relationship that every child wants to have with their fathers. The one thing that you need to remember as a father is that not only do you show your children the way through life, but you also learn and grow from the things that your children show you.

Use Ecard Wizard to start creating your very own Father’s Day Greeting Cards today!

20 Of The Best Quotes About Fathers is a post from: Ecard Wizard

Easter is as much about giving, as re-birth, and it is for this reason that many choose to hand-craft popular symbolic gifts such as Easter eggs and hamper baskets. Handmade cards have also become a time-honored tradition during the month of giving; however, have greatly evolved from the religious types once exchanged. Easter now represents a time of fun – for both children and adults, and as such, personalized card creation has also become an important part of the bonding and unity that Easter is about.

Creating Easter Greeting Cards with the Kids

The fun of Easter is as much in the creation of cards and gifts, as in the giving. The traditional cut and glue method of card creation was often the best way of teaching children the values of Easter, and it’s deeper meaning. With greeting card software, you can kiss the hassles of mess and crayon arguments goodbye; all the materials your children could ever need, are in one place.

Better still, if you own a camera or scanner, you can integrate the capabilities of more than one child to create an Easter card. Each can be designated with particular duties, such as sourcing photos, finding patterns from books/ material, or coloring in particular designs. This way, each will have a fulfilling role in the creation of a card that can be reproduced for several family members/ friends.

The integrated clip-art gallery within your greeting card maker can also prove to be a useful tool in keeping your children entertained, and a part of the creative process. Each may select several outlined images, such as Easter eggs, bunnies or chicks, which can then be printed off to color in. These images can later be scanned back onto the card template by each child, and arranged to suit their preference.

Religious Reflection

Easter is predominantly a spiritual time of reflection and remembrance for many Christians, but is also a time synonymous with forgiveness and regression – learning from the past and looking to the future. A custom made Easter greetings card can be the ultimate way to convey your apology, appreciation or acceptance to someone, building bridges that were perhaps burned in the past.

Greeting card software is a haven of Easter themes and wallpapers, many of which stay true to the religious spirit of Easter. White doves and lilies provide a neutral background for the inclusion of clip-arts, such as the Cross, or an angel. A dove bearing an olive branch is indicative of offering peace, and could be an ideal, simple card design which conveys what words cannot.

If you wish to incorporate several religious elements within your card, consider creating a montage of words and transparent images, overlaid with customized clip-arts. This is one of the simplest, yet most beautiful custom card designs which can be created with a greeting card maker, and can also be further stylized with scanned images of lace, angels and Jesus, sourced from elsewhere.

Chicks and Cherubs

If there is one thing that makes fun, themed Easter cards stand out, it is the inclusion of color and texture. Most consumers will freely admit they bypass simple white cards, because they look too solemn and don’t convey the festive spirit of Easter. Spring lambs, rabbits and chicks are all representative of new life, and a great inclusion for any Easter theme, and with greeting card software, you can alter the color and characteristics of such clip-art to suit your design.

Greeting card software can be utilized for the adaptation of handmade cards into stunning pop up creations. Granted, it may take a little longer than the creation of a normal card; however, it is still quicker than browsing the shelves of your local card store. How creative you become with pop-up cards depends upon how much time you have at hand, but can realize a fun hobby for all manner of other projects.

Put A Spring In The Step Of Loved Ones With Home-Made Easter Greeting Cards is a post from: Ecard Wizard

Business greeting cards have been a popular method of maintaining a personal rapport with customers since the late 19th Century. While retailers were significantly smaller in size than those of today, they never forgot that their livelihoods were dependent upon the continued loyalty of their customers. Business greeting cards became the ideal way in which to convey thanks and wishes around the Christmas/ New Year period, and reminded customers they were not forgotten. This marketing method also enabled some companies to promote services and products via festive imagery and clever wording within the cards. Now, it is easier than ever to create unique cards for any occasion, and whatever your industry, with greeting card software.

Quite simply, business greeting cards assist in building and maintaining solid business relationships. A customer is far more likely to remember you for remembering them. Use spontaneity and individuality to truly convey the message that you care about your customers. They are far more likely to maintain loyalty in return.

Rules of Etiquette

Quality:
A card that conveys true sentiment has to be relevant to both your business and the recipient. Imagery should be relevant, yet neutral. Combine traditional Christmas scenes with photographs of the defining points from your companies trading year. Don’t scrimp on paper quality, or finish.

Correct Recipient Details:
There is no worse offense than a sender who hasn’t taken the time to check the correct details for their intended recipients. All too often, companies spend a fortune on a greeting card marketing drive, without checking their customers are still at the same addresses. Worse still, poor administration shows when you don’t even get a recipient’s name right.

Use a Real Signature:
The primary reason you send a business greeting card is to reach customers on a personal level. Ensure you adhere to the personal etiquette of greeting cards by signing your name physically rather than having it printed. While it may be time-consuming, it shows you have taken the time to consider the value of the recipient to your business.

Choose a Generic Greeting:
It can be very costly to produce a variety of business greeting cards when your customer base is so diverse. Your customers may span multiple cultures, countries and religions, therefore it is important you consider this in the “titling” of your cards. Stick to “safe” methods of conveying your greeting such as “Best Wishes for the Season” or “Seasons Greetings”.

Hand-Write the Envelope:
Adding that personal touch extends to the addressing of the envelope. It conveys the personal sentiment intended by the card, as well as the time you took personally, to send it. A handwritten envelope is the polish that adds to the sentiment of a card.

Make Business Personal

Delegating the creation of your seasonal cards to a professional institution may seem like the ideal way of saving yourself from a time-consuming process. It can also prove more costly. With the abundance of greeting card software programs now available, it is easier and cheaper to create and publish your cards in-house. Ecard Wizard is an affordable program, with all the features you could ever need to create professional looking greeting cards, at a fraction of the outsourcing cost. With photo manipulation software such as Picasa, you can also experiment with photo re-sizing, layering and color optimization to create a truly polished finish.

Reach Your Customers Via Any Medium

While the traditional business greeting card format is a great way of conveying a company’s appreciation on a one-to-one basis; advances in communication have now realized a new way of reaching people. Not all companies choose to retain the postal addresses of customers on a long term basis. Customers themselves are also more reluctant to impart such personal information for fear of encouraging “junk mail”.

The answer comes in the form of the e-card, an electronic greetings card which can be sent out via email to anyone in your customer database. Save on postage and printing costs by creating electronic cards featuring a short presentation, animation or speech. Combine music, a jingle or similar media to personalize further. You can “bring a smile to anyone” by choosing to use the Ecard Wizard greeting card maker to create something truly unique, without infringing on the privacy preferences of your customers.

Bridge the Corporate and Customer Divide with Business Greeting Cards is a post from: Ecard Wizard

St. Patrick’s Day was assigned in respect of an Anglo-Roman citizen, who upon fleeing the clutches of pirate slavery in Ireland, returned there some years later on the “order of God”. He believed his experiences had led to God picking him to spread the word of Christianity, within a country that was corrupt and chaotic. Patricius made his return to Ireland as a Bishop, with the blessing of the Pope and a warm welcome from the Gaelic Pagans he would later convert. St. Patrick is attributed with the widespread conversion of Irish people to Christianity, and has since become a celebrated patron saint, for his role in shaping a more civilized and devout country. St. Patrick’s Day has since become a national day of patriotic homage and celebration of all things Irish; from the humble Shamrock adopted by Irish people in commemoration of the “Saint’s Feast”, to the lively leprechaun – a reminder of the pagan spiritual beliefs upheld prior to Christianity.

Greeting cards have become a popular way of celebrating such passionate commemoration, and in recent years have become more humorous and fun, than the traditional religious greeting cards once sent. A greeting card maker can realize some brilliant new humor concepts, for all aspects of your card creation. With an abundance of clip-arts featuring everything from Shamrocks to pots of leprechaun gold; there is no end to the sourcing of relevant imagery and embellishments, for all your St. Patrick’s Day requirements.

The Luck of The Irish

Shamrocks have long been associated with luck, however, the mythical leprechaun is also alleged to bring fortune if ever caught. Such ancient beliefs have transcended into modern society, and are regularly adopted within greeting cards as a pictorial method of wishing others luck for the future. These Irish charms are ideal for incorporating within your own card themes, however, if you do not wish to go “overboard” you could use re-sized images of Shamrock for a decorative border.

Alternatively, you may wish to go all out with traditional themes for a humorous St. Patrick’s Day greeting card – in which case you will find an endless supply of customary clip-art to meet your needs. From cartoons to sketched images, there is a diverse range of quality images available, all within your greeting card software.

Send a Blessing

A St. Patrick’s Day greeting card not only serves to commemorate a patron saint – it also serves as a heart-felt missive for wishing others well for the future. St. Patrick’s Day falls on March 16th, just a few days before official springtime; a time of new life, new birth and fresh prospects. If you’re stuck for words writing a tailored greeting you could opt from a number of traditional blessings, such as:

May luck be our companion
May friends stand by our side
May history remind us all
Of Ireland’s faith and pride.
May God bless us with happiness
May love and faith abide.

May you always have walls for the winds,
a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire,
laughter to cheer you, those you love near you,
and all your heart might desire.

May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you wherever you go.

Gaelic Greetings

The Irish are infamously proud of their historic and mythical heritage, intent on keeping the “real Ireland” alive with the use of traditional Gaelic language and proverbs. For a truly “Irish” card this St. Patrick’s Day, why not opt for a short Gaelic greeting such as:

• Erin Go Bragh – used to demonstrate allegiance and patriotism, this translates to “Ireland Forever”.
• Beannacht Lá Fhéile Pádraig – Happy St. Patrick’s Day
• Go mbeannaí Dia duit – May God bless you.

Use Ecard Wizard to start creating your very own St. Patrick’s Day Greeting Cards today!

Go The Whole Yard, With a St. Patrick’s Day Greeting Card! is a post from: Ecard Wizard

Since the commercialization of Valentines cards in the mid-19th Century, poetry has continued to be a romantic, expressive element. Modern commercial cards tend to consist of very basic prose, unlike their counterparts from a few decades ago, which often quoted the famous works of Lord Byron, William Shakespeare and John Keats.

With Ecard Wizard greeting card software, the magic begins as soon as you start developing your Valentines creation. Inspiration comes in the form of multifarious love-themed backgrounds and art, coupled with some truly elegant, calligraphy style fonts to give your card that contemporary look. Better still, you can include a printed message on either the cover, or center-pages of your card, whilst in the design stage.

Devising a Valentines message can be tricky. Dependent upon the length of time you have been with your spouse, it can be difficult to convey true emotions, particularly if you aren’t great with words. Similarly, if your card is intended for someone who does not know you have romantic inclinations toward them, the inclusion of words can be doubly difficult.

Intention

When designing a Valentines card with a greeting card maker, you will be far more attentive to the details of content you choose to use. Designing a Valentines card becomes a bit of a perfectionist process, because you really want to get it just right. Your theme will be reflective of how “cutesy” your card is going to be. If intended for someone who is blissfully unaware of your romantic feelings, you will no doubt be hesitant to go the “whole hog” with hearts, arrows and cupids. This same attitude should apply to the wording of your card. You do not want to appear too over-amorous, yet at the same time, you want that person to know this card is serving the purpose of conveying your feelings for them.

When you are unable to devise the right Valentines card sentiments, simplicity is always the safe bet. Consider using just two short lines to convey your intent, such as:

You make me smile, You brighten my day,
Will you be mine, this Valentines Day?

Of course, your wording doesn’t have to rhyme. If you prefer to keep things simple, consider thanking your intended for his/ her continued friendship, or tailor the words to subtly hint you would like something more.

We’ve been friends for such a long time, I can’t think of anyone else I would rather share this day with. Will you be my Valentine?

Poetry

Those aiming to truly the capture the heart of their beloved will no doubt want to experiment with a poetic insertion. Coming up with a short poem that truly sums up how you feel is easier said than done, and may require a little research and time to perfect.

Before you consider the personal poetry route, it’s useful to know that you can actually utilize the famous works of prolific writers, both past and present. You will not infringe copyright, providing your reproduction of the work is purely for personal use, and on a singular basis.

A custom poem is one of the most personal ways to convey your feelings to someone, and is synonymous with the romantic gestures made by lovers, throughout the generations. Personal poetry doesn’t have to mean adhering to the basal rules of literature; nor does it have to rhyme. It can simply consist of a short compilation of feelings, metaphors or analogies, which when combined, can portray the sentiment you wish to communicate.

Whether you choose poetry, quotations, or a heartfelt message within your custom Valentines card, be sure to select the right font that fits with the overall theme. Ecard Wizard has a stunning array of fonts which emulate calligraphy, and can be customized in terms of color, boldness and slant, to suit you. Do away with the pen and paper this Valentine’s Day, and design a custom card with a printed message, for a truly professional and personalized token of your love.

Use Ecard Wizard to start creating your very own Valentine Greeting Cards today!

Romantic Sense With Valentine Card Sentiments is a post from: Ecard Wizard

You can also view more samples of our Valentine’s Day greeting cards in our Greeting Cards Gallery.

Register your version of Ecard Wizard now to gain access to the entire Valentine’s Day card set and the rest of our premium cards!

New Valentine’s Day Greeting Cards is a post from: Ecard Wizard