Johnny Simmons: The Paper Mama 2010 Holiday Card Challenge

*Just a note: I'm so sorry I don't have a Wordless link up this week, it will be back next week. This week is all about the Holiday Card Challenge! Please enjoy!*

It's time for the 2010 Holiday Card Challenge! Yay! I can't even tell you how excited I am for this! Ok, I'll tell you: I'm VERY excited! I get on average about 80 people a week entering my photo challenges. All of you are SO talented and creative, I know I can expect to see some wonderful creations from this challenge!

Before I get into all the details and rules... I want to share some inspiration with all of you!

For the card below I just used the Paint program that comes with every PC! So simple.This was before I knew how to do too much in Photoshop.

{Our card from 2007}

{Our card from 2008}

{Our card from 2009}

And, our card for this year:

{This year's card!}

You don't have to be a photography pro, or a photoshop pro to create your own sweet Holiday Card. Get creative! My first personalized card I sent out (in 2004) was of my cat, Princess, and I. I put a Santa hat on her head and snapped a photo. I printed the pictures out on my own printer (in black and white) and colored in her hat with a red marker (I was a very poor college student :D). I even made gift tags out of that photo.

More inspiration:

{Have a Fairy Merry Christmas}

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I'd also encourage you all to check out this website: Ho Hum Cards. Karen, of Ho Hum Cards, has a book: Merry Christmas From... (on Amazon). I found this book in 2008 at a local bookstore... I had no idea there were other ~~crazy~~ creative people out there, like me, that weren't satisfied with the generic store bought Christmas cards (not to say that I don't love them, cause I do).

{Merry Christmas From... on Amazon}

I love making my own cards. It's so much more fun than just buying them from a store. Hopefully the recipients enjoy them more too. :D

So, onto the details...

Rules:

The card must include a photo (it does not have to be taken by you, but you need to have permission to use it). It can be edited to your hearts desire... but, there MUST be a photo.
BUT, the photo does not have to be a card. You can just enter a holiday photo if you'd like.
You need to be the creator! I'm sorry: you can't have someone else create it for you. Your design.
This card can be digitally made, or handcrafted. Whichever. Don't forget to include a photo in your creation!
A blog post (with a photo of your holiday card) will need to be linked to the linky when it's up to be entered into the challenge.
One entry per person.
PG please.
I do have the right to delete or disqualify any entrant if I feel it doesn't follow the rules.
Again, don't forget it must have a photo!
You can link up your photo through December 3rd, 2010 11:59 PM Pacific Time.
Top 20 winners will be chosen by a panel of judges, and then voted on by all of you.
All blog post entries should link back to this Holiday Card post. You can grab a button below. Thanks!

We (Ruari and I) have some prizes to share with you too! I'll go into more details about what the top 3 winners will get, but for now I'll just let you know the sponsors we have as of today:

SeamsMod
Pink Lemonade
Navy Blue Notes
Eclectic Whatnot
Circles Are Forever
Pear Tree Greetings
Big Heart Baby
Mama with Love

If you'd like your Etsy shop or business to be featured on my blog through December, drop me an email! I'd love to have you! (By the way, if you want to donate a prize AND still enter, go ahead!).

Ok, that's it! I'll have a wee bit more for you later in the week. I just wanted to get this up and running so all of you can get started! Yay! I can't wait to see what you all create!