I’ve gotten several albums completed in the last couple weeks and thought I’d share.  In this age of all things digital, there is something special about being able to hold a physical product.  Albums like these are what will be passed down to children and grandchildren, not a disc of images or a Facebook photo album.  I do the album design and then Renaissance Albums does an incredible job of creating the finished product.  It’s always like Christmas morning opening one of these!

Patricia and Michael’s wedding album:

Ryk’s first year album:

Lindsey + Tyler’s wedding album

Since I was on a roll with yesterday’s post about Christmas cards, I figured I might as well make mention of birth announcements as well!  The details for birth announcements are the same as Christmas cards:  Cards come in 3 different sizes: 5×7, 5×5 and 4×5.5 and are available folded, tri-folded or flat.  They are sold in packages of 24 and include envelopes.  The photos below show in order: the front of the card, the inside (if applicable) and the back.  I do use some templates but try to make each card different so I like to get your input for wording, favorite photos, etc.

These are 5×5 tri-fold cards.  These are probably my most favorite size because they are so different and impressive.  The front is a 5×5 square and when you open it up, there is another 5×5 flap followed by a 5×15 inside spread.  This is a great way to use a lot of photos in a collage as well as have one standout photo in the middle.  As a side note, all square cards require extra postage.

These next 2 designs are 5×5 tri-fold cards as well and then we included an additional 5×5 flat blank card with similar design elements as an insert for a handwritten thank you note.

Here are the individuals shots of the card so you can see them in better detail…The front:

Inside flap:

Inside Spread:

Back:

The thank you insert:

And a 4×5.5 folded card:

And a 5×7 flat card:

And another 5×7 flat card:

A post about Christmas cards in January?  Yep!  I get a lot of questions about Christmas cards in November and December, right when I am busy MAKING the cards and don’t have time to EXPLAIN them!  Hence the Christmas card post in January.  Feel free to file this away for 11 months from now.  🙂

The details:  Cards come in 3 different sizes: 5×7, 5×5 and 4×5.5 and are available folded, tri-folded or flat.  They are sold in packages of 24 and include envelopes.  The photos below show in order: the front of the card, the inside (if applicable) and the back.  I do use some templates but try to make each card different so I like to get your input for wording, favorite photos, etc.  Please feel free to check out my facebook page to view more samples and to see them larger.

First up, the horizontal 5×7 folded card.  When closed, this card measures 5×7.  The inside spread measures 5×14 which makes for a pretty impressive panoramic photo.

Next is the vertical 5×7 folded card.  The dimensions of this one are the same as the horizontal one, it’s just folded differently and again the inside panoramic spread is what really makes this card!

This is also a vertical 5×7 folded card.  They included their Christmas letter as an 5×7 flat card insert inside.  This was a great way to keep the design consistent throughout the card and the letter.

These next three are 5×7 flat cards.  This family chose to do a word collage to summarize the year on the back in lieu of a Christmas letter.

Another flat 5×7 with photos on both the front and back.

And again, another flat 5×7 with photos on both the front and back.

These next four designs are 5×5 tri-fold cards.  These are probably my most favorite size because they are so different and impressive.  The front is a 5×5 square and when you open it up, there is another 5×5 flap followed by a 5×15 inside spread.  This is a great way to use a lot of photos in a collage as well as have one standout photo in the middle.  As a side note, all square cards require extra postage.   

And yep!  It’s our own card from 2010!

These are horizontal 5×5 folded cards.  I love the square size and though it’s not quite as intricate as the 5×5 tri-fold, it’s still a great size.  The front is 5×5 and the inside spread is 5×10.

And our card from 2010!

My FAVORITE card of all time.  On the front, it says “Our photographer moved to Maine” and on the inside it says “But we hope you have a Merry Christmas anyway” followed up with the crying child on the back.  I’ve never been so honored…  🙂

And this is our card from this year!

This is the vertical 5×5 folded card.  Again, the dimensions of this one are the same as the horizontal one, it’s just folded differently.

And the 4×5.5 folded card.

And the 4×5.5 flat card.

Yes indeed, canvases are on sale this week!  Order by Sunday, May 22 and receive 30% off canvases 20×24 and larger! Enter the promo code “CANVAS” upon checkout.  Limit 3 per customer.  For more info, click here!

Alrighty, it’s my favorite time…yep, time to pawn my blogging off on someone else!  If you’ve been following the blog for awhile, chances are you’ll recognize Teri and her family (OK, mostly Kai!) from several shoots.  You might also notice that Kai has had newborn, 3, 6, 9, and soon to be 12 month photos taken.  This photo session schedule is part of my Newborn-First Year Collection which includes 5 photos sessions during the first year as well as a coffeetable book with images from each session.  But that’s not the point of this post….REDIRECTING!  Teri is a self proclaimed “Crazy Canvas Lady” and has the walls to prove it!

Here’s Teri (and Kai!)  Take it away!

I used to THINK I liked photos more than most.  I had photos in frames on my dresser, collages of photos on my walls, home made picture calendars for each year, photo albums, and I carried more pictures in my wallet than most put up in their house.

Now I KNOW I like photos more than most.  I still have frames on my dresser and on the shelves in my home, have currently 568 photos on my iphone, and I should purchase a terabyte hard drive for Emily to store all of the photos she’s taken of my family in the last 5 years!

Not only has she taken photos of my most treasured moment’s, (here and here and here) but she’s encouraged me to try new ways of displaying them.  Thus, bringing me to my canvas addiction…

We started with a few canvases of Moxy!

A 10 x 20 and three 6 x 6 cubes:

Then with a little nudge…. “are you sure it won’t be too big?!?”

…a 20 x 24 of my favorite engagement session photo with Mike:

Then I went a little bigger with a 30×40 of our favorite wedding photo.   A canvas of Kai at his 3 month photo shoot was added as a complement.  Both are taken on the same couch at the Rochester Art Center.

Then…. I needed something as breath taking as the photo taken on Fort Myers Beach for Kai’s 6 month shoot.  Well….this 40 x 60 canvas takes your breath away that’s for sure!

And then the latest 24 x 36 canvas to document Kai’s obsession with showers at his 9 month shoot.

I admit, I’m a canvas crazy…..the bigger the better!  I guarantee you’ll fall in love if you try one at your house!  What better way to decorate your home than with art you can call your very own!  I only hope I don’t run out of walls!

Hey party people,

I’m like dust.  No matter how hard you work to be rid of me, I just keep floating back into your life.  So, take 5 seconds out of your day and keep reading, okay?

I just wanted to take this important opportunity, while you all are gathered eagerly around me, and say…

B    O    O    Y    A    H.

My Christmas cards are done.  And they are cool and lovely and slammin’ and all that plus a bag of chips.  See?

Front:

Inside Spread:

Inside Flap:

Back:

Ready to be mailed:

Mailed!

If you are steaming with jealousy, I totally understand.  Because even I’m a wee bit jealous of the Organized Christmas Candace.  She is not someone I have met before.  And I have a feeling she’ll be skipping town shortly.

Don’t fret, the Christmas Card runway is getting shorter but you’ve still got some road to work with.  Let Emily guide you in to a safe landing.  I’ll leave you with that weird analogy and hope that we don’t run into each other at JCPenny and you ask me about it.

Love and candy canes,

Candace