Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Heartfelt Blog Hop! Holiday Greetings

This fun November Blog Hop is by Heartfelt Design Team Alumni....and one lucky visitor who leaves a comment will win a 25.00 Gift Certificate!! Make sure you leave a way to be contacted!

Make sure to visit all the designers and see their creations!


Today I am sharing a Christmas Card....but did you ever wonder.....

Santa
Did you ever wonder who sent the first Christmas Card?
A relatively recent phenomenon, the sending of commercially printed Christmas cards originated in London in 1843.

Previously, people had exchanged handwritten holiday greetings. First in person. Then via post. By 1822, homemade Christmas cards had become the bane of the U.S. postal system. That year, the Superintendent of Mails in Washington, D.C., complained of the need to hire sixteen extra mailmen. Fearful of future bottlenecks, he petitioned Congress to limit the exchange of cards by post, concluding, "I don’t know what we’ll do if it keeps on."

Not only did it keep on, but with the marketing of attractive commercial cards the postal burden worsened. The first Christmas card designed for sale was by London artist John Calcott Horsley.
Who sent the first
Christmas card?
A respected illustrator of the day, Horsley was commissioned by Sir Henry Cole, a wealthy British businessman, who wanted a card he could proudly send to friends and professional acquaintances to wish them a "merry Christmas." Sir Henry Cole was a prominent innovator in the 1800s. He modernized the British postal system, managed construction of the Albert Hall, arranged for the Great Exhibition in 1851, and oversaw the inauguration of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Most of all, Cole sought to "beautify life," and in his spare time he ran an art shop on Bond Street, specializing in decorative objects for the home. In the summer of 1843, he commissioned Horsley to design an impressive card for that year’s Christmas.
Horsley produced a triptych. Each of the two side panels depicted a good deed-clothing the naked and feeding the hungry. The centerpiece featured a party of adults and children, with plentiful food and drink (there was severe criticism from the British Temperance Movement).
The first Christmas card’s inscription read: "merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you." "Merry" was then a spiritual word meaning "blessed," as in "merry old England." Of the original one thousand cards printed for Henry Cole, twelve exist today in private collections.
Printed cards soon became the rage in England; then in Germany. But it required an additional thirty years for Americans to take to the idea. In 1875, Boston lithographer Louis Prang, a native of Germany, began publishing cards, and earned the title "father of the American Christmas card."
Prang’s high-quality cards were costly, and they initially featured not such images as the Madonna and Child, a decorated tree, or even Santa Claus, but colored floral arrangements of roses, daisies, gardenias, geraniums, and apple blossoms. Americans took to Christmas cards, but not to Prang’s; he was forced out of business in 1890. It was cheap penny Christmas postcards imported from Germany that remained the vogue until World War 1. By war’s end, America’s modern greeting card industry had been born.
Today more than two billion Christmas cards are exchanged annually, just within the United States. Christmas is the number one card-selling holiday of the year.


Holiday Card:

Patterned Paper: My Minds Eye: Holly Jolly and Lost and Found
Cardstock: White 
Stamp: Heartfelt Creations: Innoscents Flowers 2 Pre Cut Set Product ID: HCPC 2242, Innoscents Flowers 1 Pre Cut Set Product ID: HCPC 2241, Golden Rule Supply: GRS 150
Die Cut Machine and Dies: Spellbinders Paper Arts: Grand Calibur™.  Product #GC-001, Blossom Two Product #S4-232, Big Scalloped Border Grand Product #S7-018
Score Board: Scor- it-all
Ink: Clearsnap: Archival Dye Full Size Inkpad Wicked black, ColorBox Fluid Chalk Inkpad Chestnut Roan and Dark Moss
Ribbon: Offray
Adhesive: Helmar 450 Quick Dry
Misc. Vintage buttons thread and Pin Back

To make the
Card:
  1. Make card from card stock and ink edges
  2. Cut printed panel slightly smaller than card, ink edges and attach to card
  3. Cut grand scalloped border from paper using Grand Calibur and cut to fit edges of patterned paper ink and adhere.
  4. Cut strip of paper and score it ever line. Ink and adhere to edge of grand scalloped cut die
  5. Stamp the three middle size flowers out of red patterned paper and stamp one of the largest out of notebook print paper.
  6. Using scissors cut out back petals
  7. Ink large notebook paper flower Dark Green and all the red flowers with Chestnut Roan.
  8. Place large red on top of green and adhere with Beacon Zip Dry alternating as you adhere largest to smallest.
  9. Tie Vintage button with thread and adhere to flower center with Zip Dry.
  10. Adhere ribbon behind flower and attach to card.
  11. Stamp sentiment on cardstock and cut out. Adhere stamped sentiment to patterned paper, cut out and attach to side of flower as shown.

Thank you so much for join us today. Please leave a comment for your chance to win and PLEASE leave a way to contact you! Don't want you to miss out! Hop Ends  Friday Dec 2nd at Midnight Eastern
I would love for you to follow me here and Please let be friends!

Have a fantastic day and until next time......be creative!


Karen Taylor


44 comments:

scrappingnana said...

I can't view your card. It sounds lovely.

The Other Patti Sue said...

I'm sure it's gorgeous... but your card is a no show!

Oma said...

I can't view the card either! I'm sure it's beautiful. Interesting article about Christmas cards.

Caroline D. said...

I didnt have any luck seeing your card either. But the info on how Christmas cards came about was interesting.

connie said...

I can' see the card either! But thanks sharing the article on the first card.

Cindy Lou said...

Would love to see your card, but alas, won't show on my computer. Let us know if you manage to figure out the issue, Would really like to see :) especially after that cool article on Christmas cards! Blessings

Brenda Evans said...

Card doesn't show up but I'm sure it's quite lovely.

Unknown said...

I too would have loved to see your wonderful card, and thanks for that terrific read and bit of trivia on the Christmas card.
Hugs
Donna

Memaw said...

Can't view but sound like I need to try and see it again later. Everything you do is so adorable.

craftieodmae said...

I know it's so gorgoeus it's breath taking!!!!

Drifty Wright said...

Gosh--I'm afraid that your card got lost in the 'email'! Really enjoyed the article about Christmas Cards. I am sure your card is lovely too.

shellybob said...

Can't view it either, bet it was lovely

TesaB said...

YAY! It's sooo beautiful! Love the big scallops and the flower is absolutly FAB!

Caroline D. said...

I checked back to see if your card had been added... and it had!! It WAS worth the wait... it's stunning!!! Love the big flower!

Drifty Wright said...

It was definitely worth waiting for!! Beautiful card--so glad it finally came through! Thanks for sharing!

newfiecrafter(Marilyn) said...

Love your card thanks for the interesting article on Christmas cards and also for the step by step tutorial on how you made your card .
Would love if you visited my blog
Marilyn

Nan G said...

It is beautiful! Love the muted Christmas colors .

marsha said...

Absolutely gorgeous! Well worth the wait, love that fabulous poinsettia and what a great Christmas article!
Hugs,
Marsha

Newbie said...

Beaitiful card, Karen! Love the flower and the red ribbon shows it off very nicely!!

Carla S. said...

Beautiful card, Karen! So glad we can see it now! Wonderful design! Thanks for the story about Christmas cards, too!

Unknown said...

Beautiful card Karen, I knew I should come back to see your card once you fixed it. And I am glad I did, lovely flower and love the PP you picked, all works so well together!! Love it.
Thanks for sharing
hugs
Donna

craftymom205 said...

Love your card.

craftymom205 at yahoo dot com

Becky said...

Just beautiful....the colors are wonderful!

Deb said...

Gorgeous card, thanks for the history on Xmas Cards!

Karen A. said...

Love the card - and the background on the first Christmas card.

creativearts said...

Your card is lovely! Also I went to some older posts and saw that gorgeous wreath! You have some amazing projects!

Bonnie Pruett said...

I love the layout on your card and I enjoyed the article.

Pat said...

Thanks for sharing your designs. Love the card.

Marg said...

The poinsettias are terrific. Lovely card.

Chris said...

Thanks for you great example on how to use the heartfelt stamps and dies! Love the card!

lisa808 said...

Thanks for the card history!

Valley said...

Lovely card!!

ecclesp said...

Thank you so much for not only providing a lovely project, but especially for showing photos of the supplies you use and the wonderful step by step instructions. Now if I could get your to hold my hands, maybe I could make something at least a little as lovely as yours!!

Payne Holler Cards said...

just lovely!!! really like how you placed your ribbon and that background is wonderful (-:

Linda SS said...

The Christmas card is beautiful. Thanks for the first Christmas card story.

Vicki Dutcher said...

Nice rich red you used! Very nice card~

Judi said...

Very lovely card. TFS.

Rufus said...

Very pretty card. Thanks for the story of the first commercial Christmas card. Learn something new everyday.
R/

Clare Curcio said...

Beautiful card! I love the upside-down bow!

Nasir said...

The card is beautiful especially due to the flower.
Print vip cards
Transparent business cards

Marian B. said...

Cute card!Thanks for the info on the first Christmas card.

Sue D said...

Love the flower on your beautiful card!
slrdowney at hotmail dot com

Rose said...

Lovely card.

Angelica Turner said...

What a beauty of a card.