The makings of our Chrismukkah holiday card:
Before
After
The Photoshop laundry list: extend the background on top, clean up the lights, remove the props holding up the tree and the menorah, mess with the colors, and take Buddy’s face and cape from another photo. Also, angle his hands so his candle is touching the star. Oh and touch up both of their feet so his don’t look like his legs are resting on the ground as much and so Bean doesn’t look like she has the feet of a Hobbit.
Here are a couple of outtakes (we took close to 300 photos — thank God for digital cameras):
Waiting patiently for us to set up the shot
They wanted to try some on their scooters too
The only things I bought were some navy blue felt and a menorah. C’est tout!
The type/fonts are carried over from past holiday cards. Here is our 2004 (and first) card. Bean and Buddy are about five months old here:
Bean had a habit of sticking her tongue out so using this shot was a no-brainer. The snowflake and the message (No two snowflakes are ever identical) were G’s idea and I loved it. And Buddy’s face just cracks me up here. That kid was one giggly baby.
We skipped 2005 because we couldn’t get our shit together. So onto our 2006 card:
This was after a year (or two? Maybe that’s why we couldn’t get our shit together the previous year) of listening to these two fight over EVERY. SINGLE. THING. Around this age was when I frequently told them to, “Work it out,” because I had no more energy to referee. I would hear one of them in the next room counting to ten, waiting for the other one to drop the toy they wanted. Remarkably, that worked… For a little while at least. G came up with this message too (World peace can’t be too far behind), and it was so à propos. Good, isn’t he?
Blah blah blah… is this interesting to anyone? I feel like I’m boasting or providing info that people could care less about. Well, I like to get ideas from others so maybe it’ll spark some creative juices in someone out there. I really wouldn’t be able to do this without Photoshop though, so Adobe, I thank you.
Next up: bragging about the very cool and crafty gifts my cool and crafty SIL makes for her nieces and nephews.
8 Comments
Okay… that is soooo cool that G participates in all your card endeavors!
Yes, this is interesting - I especially love the scooter photo!
Lovin’ all the inspiration… and hoping to have more time (hah!) to do something half this creative for 2008! Keep the ideas coming, mama!
the cape is so schweet. that g does come up with some good slogans. you and adobe make a great team. here’s a sneak peak at our card for this year (i really do think that far ahead, scary isn’t it?): thrive 2008. you know, ‘cuz the hubs works for kaiser. aren’t holiday card so much fun?
i love these cards! they’re so adorable! makes me look forward to doing these with my kids in the future (in the FAR, FAR future… )..
btw, what’s g’s full name?
you still haven’t shared the story of where bean & buddy came from! i’m curious!
Wow - I don’t know how to photoshop at all, so I seriously thought that you just suspended them in mid-air and piecing together different photo elements using the software. I didn’t know you took a picture of them lying down! That’s really clever. Your holiday card really looks like they are flying in midair!
I am the decidedly UNCRAFTY SIL, but I did buy the twins’ their scooters, so I feel I have contributed in some small way. Your creativity is inspiring. You’ve got a gift, HM.
i friggin love it. and i maintain that buddy looks just like you!! (especially that first card pic with the grin!!). xxo
wow. I love them all. especially the hobbit feet and buddy’s outtake photo when he’s flat on his back. I’m inspired to do something that is not lame for next year.