Holiday Cards

To help this holiday, I’ve created a selection of Christmas and Holiday cards. They’re yours to use as you wish, free. All the cards are colour.

I’ve written instructions for each. In the file names, “two-up” means there are two cards on the sheet of paper, “three up” means three cards per page. If you intend to mail them, I’ve included their finished size, so you can get the right envelopes.

Christmas Scroll tree

To fold: first fold printed side out, in half, it should measure 8.5 x 5.5 inches at this point. The crease should be at the top of the card. Then fold in half again, art facing out. The crease will be the spine. It will be on the left-hand side. It might sound a little complicated, it isn’t.

This card stands better if printed on a heavier weight of paper (110 pound bond, great, or a very light card stock, better) but regular copy paper will do.

This can be very economical, especially if you do the folding.

This is one card per sheet of 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Finished size, folded: 4.25 x 5.5 inches.

Trees in motion holiday card

To fold: first fold printed side out, in half, it should measure 8.5 x 5.5 inches at this point. The crease should be at the top of the card. Then fold in half again, art facing out. The crease will be the spine. It will be on the left-hand side. It might sound a little complicated, it isn’t.

This card stands better if printed on a heavier weight of paper (110 pound bond, great, or a very light card stock, better) but regular copy paper will do.

This can be very economical, especially if you do the folding.

This is one card per sheet of 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Finished size, folded: 4.25 x 5.5 inches.

Merry Christmas Happy New Year Stripes

To fold: first fold printed side out, in half, it should measure 8.5 x 5.5 inches at this point. The crease should be at the top of the card. Then fold in half again, art facing out. The crease will be the spine. It will be on the left-hand side. It might sound a little complicated, it isn’t.

This card stands better if printed on a heavier weight of paper (110 pound bond, great, or a very light card stock, better) but regular copy paper will do.

This can be very economical, especially if you do the folding.

This is one card per sheet of 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Finished size, folded: 4.25 x 5.5 inches.

You gotta be merry! card

This a 3 up card. You get 3 cards per sheet of paper, so very economical! You have to trim it to finished size of 10 x 2 inches. I’ve included pink lines for to follow, and if possible, leave some of the pink line in. Nothing says alt holiday card like pink!

Behold! I Bring You Tidings of Great Joy!

To fold: first fold printed side out, long in half, it should measure 8.5 x 5.5 inches at this point. The crease should be at the top of the card. Then fold in half again, angel facing out, the crease will be the spine. It will be on the left-hand side. It might sound a little complicated, it isn’t.

This card stands better if printed on a heavier weight of paper (110 pound bond, great, or a very light card stock, better) but regular copy paper will do.

This can be very economical, especially if you do the folding.

This is one card per sheet of 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Finished size, folded: 4.25 x 5.5 inches.

Home for the Holidays

If you’re comfortable using a steel ruler and razor/ box cutter then you can cut this, otherwise ask your printer to fold it and cut in half.

If you cut this yourself, I’d recommend cutting first, then folding. If you cut after folding, the paper always wobbles, and you won’t get a nice 90 degree cut. It takes a little extra time, but you’re getting double your card for your money, so cut, then fold!

This card stands better if printed on a heavier weight of paper. 110 pound bond, great, or a very light card stock, better, slightly heavier card stock, even better.

This is a nice card as there is no copy on the front. You express your holiday wishes your way on the inside.

This is two cards per sheet of 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Finished size, folded: 4.25 x 5.5 inches.

Joy & Peace on Earth

This one I recommend having the printer cut and fold. It’s a bit of work otherwise, as you have to trim all the sides for a bleed, as well as a center cut to make the two cards.

If you cut this yourself, I’d recommend not cutting the outside strips off entirely, at first. You want those marks until the end. To do so, you’re cutting the first three sides of a rectangle. Once you’ve done that, it’s time to cut out your cards. Join up the two straight black lines at the bottom with a nice cut. Now join the middle two lines with a good cut. The first and second cards are now free. One suggestion: cover the art with your steel ruler to protect the art.

The background pattern used in this card is based on an 18 century English wallpaper.

This is two cards per sheet of 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Finished size, folded: 4.25 x 5.5 inches.

Word & Puzzle Lover

This card is as titled: word lover; it’s also for puzzle lovers. It’s a word lover’s puzzle!

It’s also very large. It prints on a 11 x 17 inch piece of paper or card. When I sent it out, I folded it in half and put it in a 9 x 12 inch envelope. So, not the most economic option, but it makes impact upon arrival 😉

Your choice of weight of paper, heavy is better.

BTW, my choice of words. I keep a file of favourite words. This is by no means complete, there are so many great words! I keep finding new ones every day. I’ve been waiting a long time to work the word ‘chatoyant’ into a sentence, so there you are!

Finished size, folded: 8.5 x 11 inches.

Writing:

gravity mocks me

with flying pies in the face
rakes meant for Sideshow Bob
new frost on concrete stairs
ladders not properly secured

everything is a lie, what is love?

everything is a lie; what is a lie?
what can be excused; what must be forgotten?
when the blood is on your hands
the moment you say you’re innocent

poetry is more than a hole

1
you can go to bed and plan
to get up in the morning and dig a hole
and by noon, you can be done
this is not a good recipe for writing a poem

Confession, for Michael Dennis

I’m reading Raymond Carver and thinking of my friend Michael –
not because he recommended Carver, but because
when he’s in his stride, Michael writes like Carver. I call it ‘me
poetry’. I wrote lots of it. Until I got tired of seeing “me” all the time.
Nonetheless, there’s something in the delicacy of Carver’s/ Michael’s ruminations,

two ways to make friends

there are two ways to make friends
you sing together or
you dance together
the only exception are
children

they do both at once