Notable Greetings: Hand Made Cards, Fine Art Prints and Sentiments

A hand-written message carries more weight than any e-mail can. When one takes the time to put pen to paper, it brings communication to a whole new level. The message has permanence and is treasured.

Many people find letter-writing a difficult, laborious process. It can be simple. It can be enjoyable. Here's how:

If you are afraid to start writing your message on your card because you might make a mistake or lose your thought, try doing a rough draft on another piece of paper. Put any anxiety you have about doing it perfectly out of your mind.

Just start writing. Say hello:
Dear Friend,

Tell you friend that you were thinking of them and why. You know why you wanted to write. Make it your first sentence:
I was thinking of you today as I passed the bakery on Walnut Street. There were loaves of whole wheat bread in the window that looked just like the ones we were served at the restaurant in April. We had such a great lunch that day.

If you have a question to ask, go ahead:
Have you heard from your mother lately? You said she was going on a trip and I wondered how it went.

Add an invitation:
Hoping to hear from you soon.

And finish up:
Yours sincerely, Me

Whether it is just a quick note, a thank you, a congratulations, or a message of caring, love or sympathy, the process is simple: relax, get started, be yourself.

Remember that all you need to do is show that you care and that you are interested in communicating. The rest is easy.

Many flowers have special emotive associations. Choose a Notable Greetings card collection to suit your feelings. Roses and tulips have both been associated with love, but the red rose is most passionate. Lilies are seen as symbols of purity or majesty, while daisies are all about innocence. Daffodils are tokens of regard or affection, but its close cousin the narcissus is associated with vanity and egotism.

Even colors have known symbolic attributes, but the language of color is a very culture-specific one. Here are a few color associations you may agree with: light blue for sincerity or dark blue for melancholy; gold for power; purple for decadent passions; yellow for glory like springtime; pink for tenderness; red for love or courage.

We're working on adding much more to our "Art of Letter Writing" page: varieties of salutation and when to use them, a calendar of important dates, lots of trivia about letter-writing and more. Let us know what you'd like to see: Send us an email | Read the Notable Greetings Blog.