Doesn't your heart just skip a beat when you find a handmade card in your mailbox?  I know MINE sure does!

But this year I'm noticing a greater and greater percentage of holiday cards seem to have been made via computer……. most via online services that apparently offer templates into which you place your family photos and call it done.  And it appears that some of those services even mail your cards for you, so you don't even have to write a personal comment, or sign or address them – or probably even SEE them!

Now of course I LOVE the personal computer and the software and services that are being developed every day to make our lives easier.  We have SO many more capabilities than we could ever have even dreamed just a few years ago!  Our computers certainly have their place in today's world; in fact I'm in front of mine probably half of my waking hours, as part of my work. 

But with regard to creating a Christmas card and marrying the convenience of computer-assisted design with something at least a little bit personal, my mind, of course, goes to My Digital Studio.  With the My Digital Studio software by Stampin' Up!®, you can enjoy the quicker design and development process (as compared to handcrafting a card from scratch), but there's still plenty of room for individuality and creativity. And because you'll actually touch your cards once they're printed, you can even add some glitter or another quick embellishment to customize them even further (we call that a "hybrid" design – part handmade, part computer-designed). But so far the software does not sign, address or mail your cards for you; you still have to do that yourself, lol. 

So while I'm still suffering a bit of a challenge accepting the all-too-rapid evolution (dare I even think "devolution"?) of the tradition of sending Christmas cards, those cards that I *am* receiving this year that have been made and signed by hand are becoming even THAT much more special to me – and I want to share them for your enjoyment.

Here's one I received from Kathy A:

Thank you, Kathy!