I have been a big fan of Photo Cards for years.  When my friends started having children, I would receive the ubiquitous holiday card with a photo of their kids (and/or pets) in a best-dressed, posed shot. I looked forward to seeing the photo cards and how different they would seem from year to year.  When we had our trial child (our dog) in 2001, I thought, “Now, I can send out Photo Cards!”  Giddy?  Yes, very much so.  But the giddiness waned, as I searched for a place that had interesting designs AND printed on cardstock.  Paper-lovers want quality and I could not find it.  So, I created a quality photo card myself and that is how my business was born.

I think most of us conjure the typical image of a thin, photo paper holiday greeting with a posed photo where the kids usually look uncomfortable or angry when we hear the phrase “photo card.”  Thankfully, this is not your only option in 2009.  With constant improvements in technology, digital imaging and printing, the photo card options are rich in quality and design.  You can also use candid shots in many designs for a more natural look.  Here are a few of my favorites…

Before I began making all my personal cards myself, I was a huge fan of Cardstore.com (above image).  I could personalize a card easily and they would send it to my recipient for the cost of a stamp.  Now, they have many more well-known and well-loved designers for you to choose from, such as Delphine and Tam Tam Design.  I found this fun baby announcement created by Alison and Jessie from Sweet Street Gals.  Cardstore.com prints on high-quality, 130lb. matte recycled cardstock.

For the preppy that lives inside you, Whitney English (above image) has many background designs to set off your photos.  Each card design is printed on 80 – 100lb. cardstock, giving that quality feel.  My favorite is the Pink Gretchen design.  You can see her other designs at whitneyenglish.com.

One more option to consider is a digital photo card.  The place I would recommend to find yours?  Etsy.  There are many designers that will create a custom photo card for you and send it to you as a digital file.  From there, you can take it to your favorite printing place or have a go at printing the card yourself.  Most files are high resolution and will print beautifully.  A favorite is Paper Mango (above image) and its Bubbly Christmas design.

As you can tell, I have a passion for Photo Cards.  I think it comes down to that thrill of sharing great photos with the people you care about.  And when these great photos are married with fabulous design, it’s a very special creation.  Thanks PJ for the opportunity to be a “guest blogger.”  I enjoyed sharing my passion with all of you!

And thank YOU, Cyn, for being The Social Life of Paper’s first guest blogger!

(top image source)