the 2010 christmas cards are here!

it's official.   the paper shop's designs are complete, the gallery is loaded, and i'm geared up for another whirlwind season of orders.  yep, i'm done with the 2010 christmas card line, and i'm more excited than ever to share them with you!

i'm feeling particularly jolly this year (thanks to my new TSO CD that i started listening to when it was still 90 degrees outside), so i'm doing one of my favorites -- a GIVEAWAY!  i'm going to do a contest this week in which the winner will receive a free set of 25 custom-designed christmas cards.  whoo-hoo!  each person will have three opportunities to win: comment, like, and tweet.  

• you can leave a comment on this post letting me know which card you would like to win (the names are printed under each card in this gallery).
• you can like allison lewis photography on facebook (then leave a separate comment here letting me know you did so).
• and you can tweet about this giveaway so all your friends can play, too!  (you need a separate comment here to let me know you did this as well).

in one week (on tuesday, october 12th), i'm going to use random.org to choose one of the comments and whoever wrote that particular comment will be the winner.  I LOVE GIVEAWAYS!!! 

now to answer some of the FAQ about the paper shop and my christmas cards:
1.  what is the paper shop exactly? 
the paper shop is just a sub-business of allison lewis photography.  i started it a couple of years ago to design and fulfill orders for custom announcements, notecards, invitations...and christmas cards. 

2.  we don't have a recent session with you...can i submit my own photo to be printed on the cards?
absolutely!  and not only that, but once i receive your photo, i'll do a little photoshop magic on it to get it looking as spectacular as possible.  (but as a little perk for my clients, your whole order receives a 10% discount if we've worked together before.)

3.  do you do your own printing?  and what kind of paper do you use? 
i outsource all of my printing to a company who does this all day, every day.  they have machines bigger than my bedroom, and they have never let me down.  they consistently produce high quality - and quick - results.  in terms of what i have my cards printed on, you have a choice of three types of paper:  linen, watercolor, or photo paper.  cards printed on linen and watercolor have a matching design printed on the back.  (how precious are my little people??)  ;-)

 
4.  do you ship orders?
i sure do.  actually, about half of my orders last year came from outside the birmingham area, so the post office staff and i end up being really tight come mid-december.  (priority mail shipping is $5.)

5.  how long does the proofing and ordering process take?
i do all proofs by email so we can usually finalize your design within a few days at most.  once i submit your order, i'll have it to you within 2 weeks tops.  i'm shooting a wedding the week before christmas, so for the sake of the bride (and my own sanity), i'm going to stop taking card orders on monday, december 13th. 

6.  will my card look like 400 other people's cards?
nope.  i do every single design in-house from scratch.  i don't use templates at all, and i'm happy to change colors, wording, font, etc. to get your card exactly like you want it.

7.  can you tell me a little about the pricing?
for photo paper:

• 4x5 cards are $6 per set of 5 cards (minimum 25 cards)
• 5x7 cards are $7 per set of 5 cards (minimum 25 cards)

for linen or watercolor paper:

• 4x5.5 cards are $38 per set of 25 cards
• 5x7 cards are $44 per set of 25 cards

you can go HERE to see all of this year's designs -- and don't forget to enter the giveaway by commenting on this post.  please write with any other questions (allison@allisonlewisphotography.com).  i'd love to hear from you!