Happy Birthday to Come Together Cards

Today is the 6th birthday of  Come Together Cards. I started dabbling in invitations because I loved cute paper so much, and 6 years later, I am having a ball getting to make creations for other people who love cute paper!

To celebrate, allow me to share my very awkward first creation.

My first card is really an eyesore, but I was so excited when I made it. Now I have it framed in my office to remind me of how I started and how far God has brought me.

Thanks for taking this journey with me. Thank you for taking time out of your life to read my blog and share part of your life with me, and allow me to share part of my life with you. I truly love it and am blessed beyond measure.

I am in the process of moving, so stay tuned for some FUN birthday giveaways! I will keep you posted!!

If you want to make a girl nervous...

Come Together Cards Wedding Shower Invitation on Minted.com

.....then ask her to sign up for a contest to compete against some of the most talented designers in the nation.
Gulp.

Minted is an UH-MAZ-ING invitation site that I have admired for a long time, and it is made up of invitations designed and sold from folks like little ole' you and me. They have contests and sell the winners on their site....and....eeek....I submitted some designs.
Its an honor just to be nominated.
Okay, well, that didn't really fit there, but what I mean is that I am glad to just be a part...I don't have high expectations for my first national contest. I am not trying to talk myself down, or anything. Um, have I mentioned that I tend to ramble when I am nervous? I'm....so....nervous......
ahhhhhhhhhh.

The theme was Wedding and Baby Showers, so I designed each.

All that to say, if you would be SO kind as to vote a "5" for my designs, then I would love you forever.

Just click the link below.

Right here. Click here.

Vote for my design on minted.™ see more from Courtney Warren Come Together Cards vote for me! Check out my competition in Christmas cards and birth announcements at Minted.

Here's the invitations I designed...

Wedding Shower...

Baby Showers...

Wedding Shower...

Go here to see all my designs on minted.com

Which one is your favorite?



Valentine Card Swap

What a great idea. Crow and Canary is hosting a Valentine's Day Card swap! You send 4 cards, and you get 4 original, handmade cards back! I just signed up and want to share the info with you.

Here is the scoop...

• The idea of the swap is to connect with people, so please be sure to write a little 'hello', favorite quote/recipe, or whatever else strikes your fancy. The intention is not to send blank cards for later use, but for recipients to enjoy now.

If you'd like to participate, please leave a comment and email carina(at)crowandcanary(dot)com, by Friday, January 21th at midnight PST:


Please include the following information -

- name
- mailing address
- email address
- blog/website (not required)
- willing to swap with international partners?

+ You'll be notified of your swap partners on Monday, February 1st via email - depending on the turnout, you may have as many as four partners.

+ Cards should be mailed no later than Monday, February 7th.

And of course, I LOVE this detail she shares..
I would love to see a focus on sending handmade paper goods, but don't want to exclude any non-crafty types. I'll simply say, I'm in the business of supporting and spreading the word about amazing indie designers. So, if you have the choice between a Hallmark card or a card from your local letterpress printer I humbly encourage you to choose the latter! AHEM.



What a great way to reach out to other cards lovers, and hopefully make the world a little smaller!

Visit the site for more details... anybody gonna sign up?!?

In the newspaper...how I felt like "The Jerk"

Navin Johnson: "The new phone book is here! The new phone book is here!"

Harry Hartounian: "Boy, I wish I could get that excited about nothing."

Navin Johnson:  "Nothing? Are you kidding? Page 73 - Johnson, Navin R.! I’m somebody now! Millions of people look at this book everyday! This is the kind of spontaneous publicity - your name in print - that makes people. I’m in print! Things are going to start happening to me now."
Steve Martin, The Jerk

So, while we are talking about the "media week" from this month, here is another link. The Dallas Morning News profiles area people in a section called "Our Town", and featured me! It was so crazy and fun to see how they took my words and ideas and made them seem...well, interesting! :) A staff photographer came out to my house in November and took some photos, too. What a ball!

Follow the link to read the article...
Dallas Morning News- Come Together Cards

Seeing my name in print reminds me a lot of this scene from a movie I love, The Jerk...
Things are gonna start happening now! :) Hilarious!
(and how much do I love Steve Martin? He is on twitter now and is oh-so-funny!! http://twitter.com/#!/SteveMartinToGo)


 Here is the clip...I wish I could edit it but its straight off YouTube so please advise
that the end has a PG-13 swear word :)

Videos Posted of Come Together Cards on TV!

It was such a ball to have the opportunity to be on some TV shows this December to talk about displaying Christmas Cards! If you didn't get to see both, here are the videos! Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought!!

Fox Good Day Dallas

Displaying Holiday Cards: MyFoxDFW.com

Good Morning Texas

Thanks for watching! :)

Creative Christmas Card Displays

We spend a lot of effort on Christmas cards in December,

only to have them sit in a basket on the counter top.

I have complied some ideas to help get our adorable loved ones faces OUT of the basket and into our houses in STYLE!

I am sharing these ideas in photos today, and will go into depth with how-tos and more photos in the coming days. Everything I did here was super EASY and CHEAP-- that's the kind of girl I AM! Oh wait, not cheap and easy....maybe that didn't come out right. What I mean is, I don't have time to do something if it takes a lot of effort, money or brain power!

 I can't wait to share my ideas with you! Stay tuned for tutorials for how to display your Christmas cards in an fun and trendy way. And if you are new here, thanks for stopping by!

Come Together Cards is hitting the road..

The 2010 Christmas Card season has been a ball so far, and this week I am taking Come Together Cards on the road!

 A common conundrum is WHAT to do with those Christmas Cards. Most people resort to piling them in a basket on the counter top, but surely there is an easy and creative way to showcase them!

I will be showing some examples of some of the BEST ways to display Christmas cards this Monday (tomorrow) and Thursday! I am blown away at how easy and adorable some of the ideas are. Now I just want to figure out which ones I want to implement in my house...

Please join me to talk about Beyond the Mantle: Creative Ways to Display Christmas Cards on the following shows...

~Monday, 12/13 Good Morning Texas (9-10 am WFAA)
~Thursday, 12/16 Fox Good Day Dallas (Set to air around 8:20-8:35)

And if that doesn't make you sick of me yet, I will also be featured in the Dallas Morning News "Around Town" section this Monday (12/13)!

I am going to compile the display ideas here so check back!

And for real time updates, follow me on twitter (@cutecardqueen) or facebook (Courtney Warren).

Back to School Teacher Gifts

There's a new Come Together Newsletter, and if you are on the list there is a coupon for a free set of notecards! Not on the list? Email me here and I will be sure you get it too!

Here are some great ideas for Back to School Teacher Gifts and Note Cards...

If you like free photo books...

This is SUCH a good deal, as using online services to make bound photo albums can get quite pricey! So, here is a stinking great deal. I have never used Groupon but this is a great time to start...

Here is the post, thanks, Hip2save.com!

Picaboo, an online company that specializes in high quality and very unique Photo Books is still offering up a FREE 8.5 x 11 Hardcover Photo Book ($39.95 value) to new customers thru August! All you have to pay is $8.99 for shipping. To get started, head on over here, enter your email address and then you’ll be able to start creating your very own photo book! At checkout use coupon code FREEBK which will deduct the cost of the photo book and leave you to just pay shipping. I’ve heard rave reviews on these photo books, so I would highly recommend taking advantage of this awesome deal!

AND THIS IS THE PART I LOVVVVVVE....

AND even sweeter, today, 8/17, the Groupon Oklahoma City deal is valid for $100 worth of Photo Books at Picaboo.com for ONLY $25! The best part– the value of this Groupon CAN be used toward tax and shipping AND be combined with other offers (which I’m assuming means the offer above)!
Fine print: Expires in 1 year. Limit 1 per person. Limit 1 per order. May use across multiple orders. No cash value. Valid for tax & shipping. Valid other offers. Redeem starting 8/19.

Are you ready to get in on this deal?

*Go to Groupon.com
sign up if you haven’t already


*Under “Visit More Cities” (top of site) find Oklahoma City.

*Click on it (since this is an online offer, it doesn’t matter that you don’t live in the area)

*Click on “Buy” and complete your order

*Online Vouchers will show up in your account under “My Stuff” and then “My Groupons”

*Print your Voucher once your deal has been processed

*Note: you will have to wait until the minimum number of people sign up, then they’ll charge your card and send you a link to print your Groupon.

Good luck and let me know how it goes!

My favorite father's day picture...

Isn't it the truth that Moms are never in pictures? I am not sure about your family, but this is the case in mine. If you look at old pictures of our vacations, my mom is no where to be found. Why? Because she is behind the camera, of course! And now that I am grown, this is the case in my family, too! In my family, moms are the documented.
It is not necessarily a bad thing. Anytime we are having a moment, I run to get my camera. This might mean I am not in the photos, but it also means that I capture some sweet moments  between father and son.
Last Father's Day while I was looking through my photos to make a card, I realized I could make a whole book of the pictures I had taken of my two favorite boys. So I made a college!

I love some many of these sweet photos, and one of them is one of my very favorite photos. When my son was 18 months, I couldn't find my husband. I heard some noise coming from my son's room, and when I went in there and looked in the crib, this is what I found.

My husband wanted to be close to my son so he crawled in the crib with him! It wasn't an easy feat- those cribs are really HIGH off the ground!
It was such a sweet moment, so of course, I ran to get my camera!

I hope everyone is able to capture some sweet moments today- whether you are married to a dad or have a dad or want to be a dad- Happy Father's Day!


Other Posts on Fathers...
Father's Day Card
The Ultimate Dad
Favorite Father-y Quotes

New Mother's Day Cards

Here are some new creations just in time for Mother's Day! If you want to see more, go here.

Need a birthday card?

I have friends that go to pricey card stores to pick out greeting cards and spend 4.50 a pop! Here is alternative to the hassle, lack of originality, and the high price! This feature allows you to pick out 25 cards (choosing 5 designs from the collection) to be sent to you in one order-- and here's the best part--they are only $2 each (total $50). Keep them in a drawer or a closet, and you will be prepared to give an original birthday card any time!!

Other options for the Card Giver....

Birthday Card Grab Bag, $28

TEN Designs you handpick--an assortment of birthday, encouragement, baby, etc

Birthday Card Stash, $18

(

10 of one design)

TO ORDER:

1. Visit Greeting Cards here
2. Choose FIVE designs from any category- {Wedding, Birthday, Baby, Spiritual, Encouragement, Special Days, or Holidays}
3. Reply to this Email with the 5 designs of your choice and I will send you a Paypal invoice and then your cards!

Good Morning Texas Video is UP!

Did you miss the Good Morning Texas today featuring the Cute Card Queen? View it here!

Here I come to tv!

I am so excited to tell you that I will be a guest on Good Morning Texas this Friday, January 29! It comes on WFAA (Channel 8 in Dallas) and starts at 9 am. I am not sure what time during the show I will be on, so set your TIVO now!

If you want to see the "Behind the Scenes" of the last time I was on the show, go here!

Here is what the WFAA website has listed for the rest of the show on Friday:

• Comedian Sheryl Underwood
• Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
• Eyebrow Makeovers
• The Dallas Zoo
• Shay Sampson
• Equinox Fitness
• Cowtown Diner
• Dallas Bridal Show

Do you want to see the Valentine greeting cards, note cards and kids classroom sets? Go here!

Freezing in Times Square!

We are happy to be back home! More pictures soon!

2010...how to say it? what to expect?

I am thrilled to start a new year!

I had a great 2009, don't get me wrong, but I watched friends and family going through some difficult times. My hope for 2010 is that those situations will come to a fruitful solution.

In the meantime, there is ONE BIG THING I have been looking forward to for months, and it happens this year! Call me a NERD, but I am counting the days to February 2. When I really think about it, I almost can't stand the anticipation!

One thing about this year that confuses me, though, is the actual date.

2010.

Do you call it Twenty-ten, or do you say Two thousand and ten. I don't profess to be good at math, but the fact that twenty and two thousand are interchangeable REALLY confuses me. For instance, I don't teach my son to count and say, 17-18-19-2000. Is it like a nickname for 2oo0? Twenty-ten sounds like we are space cadets, like we live in the time of robots and fem bots and flying cars. But, I guess, we do...it really is 2010. Maybe I will just call it the "New Year" all year.

Happy New Year, however you say it!

TWO THOUSAND TEN :: BLOGGY STYLE

I have some fun new ideas planned for this upcoming year for the CoMe ToGeThEr CaRdS BlOg!
It is my hope to keep this fresh and fun, and a great cyber place to visit when you need some inspiration.

In that hope, I am introducing a FIRST OF THE MONTH CELEBRATION!
In college, I had a friend that was like me, and was looking for any excuse--however small-- to celebrate. We introduced a first of the month celebration and every 1st we had to do something to celebrate that month. In blog terms, I thought it would be fun to introduce creative gift ideas to celebrate that month. Christmas is over, but giving is not, as most of us are buying birthday, shower, and other gifts all year long! Hopefully, Come Together Cards is a creative and unique stationery stop for gift ideas, and I have compiled some other great options for one of a kind gift ideas! So, join me on the 1st of every month to join in this gift idea celebration!




Guests Posts:
I know there are readers out there with something interesting to share, a great giveaway to promote their business, or just a fun idea! I would love to open up the blog to you! I think every one of us has something great to bring to the table, and as much as I am sure you LOVE to hear me, I would love to hear from you! I love to hear new ideas and traditions- so please join me if you have anything to add to this bloggy conversation!

Party Pictures:
One of the most fun parts of working on invitations is getting to be a small part of a big celebration. No matter what the occasion, I love to hear stories about how the parties turned out that I was privileged to design an invitation for. I would love to share photos and ideas from a great party you had. The size doesn't matter-- if you have an idea that you think other moms/party planners could benefit from, please allow me to share it with our blog friends!

Join me for other fun new initiatives as the Come Together Cards Blog welcomes 2010 with a BANG!

Come Together Cards Chi-Omega Dallas Booth

Come see me this weekend at the Dallas Chi-Omega Christmas show. Dallas Convention Center! See you there!

Behind the scenes at Good Morning Texas!

Wow! This week has been a whirlwind! I got the call, well...really, email that I had been chosen to be on the "Mompreneur" segment on Good Morning Texas. First I was estatic, then I was really nervous!
I spend the time since getting my products ready for television. The only hint they gave me was the "more visual, the better" so I enlarged my designs and mounted them on foam board.
I will take you through my exciting morning!


At the entrance of the WFAA Channel 8 studios in Victory Park, downtown Dallas. Its surrounded by glass so you can see the newscasts as they happen!


Its sinking in that I will be on TV in just a few minutes...AHHHHH!!


Countdown is on...the show starts at 9:00!



Ready to air....

The segment starts. She asks me NONE of the questions I had prepared, and takes the interview a different way completely. This is totally okay, as I am totally professional. I only freak out on the inside. Right?

Wow. I don't think I have ever seen my name that big! I am glad its spelled right. Although, I really wouldn't care if it wasn't!

This is on the GIANT screen outside of Victory Park.

This one makes me laugh because whatever I am talking about must be really serious. Look at the intense card face.

Questions.....

More Questions....

And Volia! The website link! Yay!

And finally, the interview is over! It FLEW by! I pose for a photo with Paige. And she placed an order for Christmas cards! What a compliment!

My friend, Joanne, stood outside the glass window and brought a poster. You know, channeling the Today Show. The camera guy asked if she was a stalker! I just said she was my only friend and cheering section! They asked her to be on camera but she said she didn't want to "steal my spotlight". She probably thought they would ask her to co-anchor next time..she does have that star quality. :)

What an exciting day! Thanks for sharing it with me!

Next post- see how my design turned into CAKE! YUM!

Coming up- Fall Wedding Inviations!

Winner!!

The giveaway drawing has taken place, and random.org chose the number...


8!!


So, that means that TS Scrapper needs to contact me for her free note cards!!

Congratulations, and thank you EVERYONE that has become a follower! Please continue to sign up to follow the Come Together Cards blog, because I will be hosting another giveaway soon!

Thanks!

Giveaway Winner Annouced!

Well, whoo-hoo!! I checked back with the blog today and we surpassed the mark! So, free giveaway!!

And went to random.org and drew a number b/t 1-35, and the fabulous winner is:

Just Us Seven!!

If she has seven people in her family like it sounds, then by golly she deserves something free!!

I will continue the giveaway b/c this is FUN! Whenever the blog get to 50 friends, then I will draw another person that wins. As long as you are a follower to the blog, you will be included. So invite your friends, b/c they will have a chance to win, and you will too!!

Thanks, everyone, for participating!