Hellobee Boards

No... we get flat cards with photos with a greeting printed on them and just stuff and send em. We have over 75 each year to send (as well as our parents taking several to give out to their friends) so even signing our names would take way too long. I like to take pics in front of our Christmas tree, which doesn't go up til after Thanksgiving, so the entire process from photo shoot, card design, ordering, stuffing, and sending has to happen in a week or so.

we do a flat photo card for christmas and don't write on them. we send out fifty or so a year. i hand write the env for both addresses tho?

We do a flat card, so no. Plus we have 75 to send out.

I always write a few lines even if we do flat, photo cards and am a bit insulted when people don't even take the time to sign it.

huh, I am surprised at all the responses of no writing. It irks me when I don't even get one thing handwritten on a holiday card.

I would rather not be on that list, in all honesty.

Normally I date the card, write the recipient's name, then sign. This year I'm just dating and their name because we bought 75. 50 for family and family friends, the rest for hub's work and my bee friends

We write out the names of the recipients and then sign our names. Including the dogs - our little dog has a fancy signature and our puppy has very messy handwriting

Always. I send about 50 or so photo cards to friends and family and I always handwrite their name, a short (personal) message, and sign our names. I specifically order them without our salutation printed on them so that I can handwrite them.

It's something that's important to me. I want the people receiving them to know they are not just a name on a list and that I am actually thinking of them. Nothing against people that don't hand write things, that's just MY opinion I still like receiving cards from people even if they don't write on them!

I couldn't imagine not writing at least a little something, especially because we don't send holiday cards every year.

@sandy: I receive all kinds (store bought non-photo cards, photo cards with no writing, full-on newsletters with paragraphs of updates) and I don't take offense to any of them. Except maybe the newsletters because they make me feel guilty for not staying in better touch with people

@bpcmarj: I keep all of them too! last year I got an empty scrapbook and started putting them in a book. I just can't bear to throw them away and it's cute to see all of our friends and family's kids growing each year.

This is why I'm not a fan of photo cards, I feel like it's so impersonal. I like the photo don't get me wrong but why bother with a generic typed message? I don't mean to offend I just thought the reason cards were sent was to show we were thinking of the recipient...not to have a photo shoot.

We send out hand written cards (I have a box of different Christmas cards) with a personal message. We added a family photo last year and this year a pic of just J. I'm almost done (63 cards) and they should be mailed this weekend.

We sign our names and a short greeting on our cards regardless of whether it is a photo card or not. We probably send out 30-40 cards. I feel very strongly about hand writing something to make it more personal!!

For our company Christmas cards, we ALL (we are a small family business) sign our own names, so that means at least 5 people are signing 300+ Christmas cards....that's dedication! And I think we are the only people who do it, all the cards we receive have the company name printed and that is all.

@Mrsjets: @petunia354: you know it never even crossed my mind that people feel this strongly about handwritten cards. My husband feels similarly about handwritten thank you cards - text or email doesn't cut it and we handwrite thank you cards for ourselves and LO. So you have convinced me that I need to write a short message to everyone - even of it's just "thinking of you this Christmas!"

@petunia354: we have sent out between 75-100 cards every year for the past 5 years so I'm intimidated at the thought of writing something to everyone. Maybe just handwrite a message to those we only see once or twice a year since they're most likely to feel slighted by a printed message. My friends and family that I see on a weekly basis probably won't care since I see they all the time.

Yes. I've actually never had photo cards, but rather a regular card and a hand written note. It takes longer, but I like to write something individual to each person to make it personalized.

we generally write something, but sometimes it means that certain cards don't get sent because we don't get around to actually writing them. so this year we ordered a photocard with a printed greeting--i'm still going to handwrite a little phrase, but this way if time runs out we'll be able to send some, even sans a handwritten note.

I do Calligraphy by hand for the address on the envelope because I love to do it and think it makes it special.
I write some sort of closing (like Happy Holidays, or thinking of you this holiday season, or if I know their religion, Hope you have a Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah) and sign our names. We send out 60-ish cards. If I know something big happened I write an extra note, like "can't wait to see the new baby".
I love letters and mail, so I go all out.

I think maybe I'll write something and sign the back of our photo cards?

My daughter (age 3 3/4) and I made our Christmas cards together (it was like an art project), and I wrote a little note in every one with her telling me what to write. We only sent out 9, though. To the grandparents, uncles/aunts, 3 of her preschool friends, her own father who lives in the same house. It was more of HER sending them instead of from the family. It was a cute little project and she got to put the stamps on, stuff the envelopes and lick the envelopes.

To answer the original question though -- I always write something in the card. But, I always only had a handful to write (haha, I don't know that many people). I like to make it personal.