published in Beauty, Christmas, Greeting Cards, Inspiration, PGP Promotions, Small Business by Maryanne | November 21, 2018 | No Comment
Come Visit Us at the Calgary Christmas Market!
“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.”
– George Bernard Shaw
Howdy! I hope you are doing well and have managed to stay clear of the cold & flu bugs this time of year. I have been sick for more than 3 weeks now with some sort of nasty cough. Ugh!
On a happier note, I will have a Pink Gazelle Cards & Creations table at the Calgary Farmers’ Christmas Market this year from Nov 29th to Dec 2nd.
So if you live in the Calgary area, come on by and say hi!
At the market (510 – 77 Ave SE, Calgary, AB) you’ll find the very best from the regular market vendors, plus seasonal vendors – all offering Yuletide gifts, food, jewelry, décor and more. And be sure to stay for a snack…yum! There will be plenty of special events going on – from Santa, cookie decorating and live ice carving to viewing Santa’s Reindeer and more.
And there is no admission fee and free parking!
The Christmas market runs Thursdays to Sundays through till Dec 23rd. But I will be there just the one weekend (Thur Nov 29th to Sun Dec 2nd, 9 am to 5 pm).
Here’s a sampling of what we’ll have for sale at Pink Gazelle Cards & Creations:
Hand-painted sand dollar decorations ($5, $7 & $9):
A variety of inspirational quote cards sets ($8 for set of 30 cards):
Re-purposed Christmas Cards ($1 each) & Christmas gift tags (5 for $1):
Photo Greeting Cards ($4 each or 3 for $10):
Wax & Tissue Prints by Melanie Pope ($8 each):
For details on Melanie’s Wax & Tissue Prints, here is the link.
A Widow’s Awakening Novel by Maryanne Pope ($20 each, all proceeds to the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund):
For further information on the book, please click here.
Most of these products are also available through the PGP on-line store.
But if you see something you may like to order (such as the sand dollars or wax & tissue prints) that isn’t in the store, just send us an e-mail!
“Everything is raw material. Everything is relevant. Everything is usable. Everything feeds into my creativity. But without proper preparation, I cannot see it, retain it, and use it.”
– Twyla Tharp
Pink Gazelle Productions Inc
Authentic Lives; Authentic Works
Visit us at pinkgazelle.com
published in Animals, Beauty, Dogs, Greeting Cards, Inspiration, Pets, Photos by Maryanne | February 12, 2017 | No Comment
For the Love of Dogs – Photo Greeting Cards Capture Canine Spirit
Dog card #1: Soda in the bushes
“Dogs do speak but only to those who know how to listen.”
– Orhan Pamuk, My Name is Red
Do you know a dog-lover?
Then you might find our delightful dog photo greeting cards of interest! They make a perfect card to send to someone who loves dogs 🙂
Created by Maryanne Pope of Pink Gazelle Productions, these 5 photo greeting cards beautifully capture the canine spirit of Maryanne’s beloved dogs (past and present): Sable, Soda & Sadie.
Here are the 4 remaining cards in the 5-pack of dog cards:
Dog card #2: Sable & Soda in snow
Dog Card #3: Smiling blind Sable
Dog card #4: Sad Sadie with dog bowl
Happy Sadie on shell beach
To order the cards…
The 5-pack of dog cards are $19.95.
To purchase the cards, please visit the PGP on-line store.
“I don’t really understand that process called reincarnation but if there is such a thing I’d like to come back as my daughter’s dog.”
– Leonard Cohen
Related blogs by Maryanne
Tough Love and the Cone of Cuteness
Remembering Sassy Super-Model Sable Pope
When Caring for a Sick Pet Calls for Sleeping in the Driveway
Sadie’s Story – the Path of a Pet
Parenting Pets – Why We Fuss Over Our Furry Friends
Maryanne Pope is the author of A Widow’s Awakening, the playwright of Saviour and the screenwriter of God’s Country. Maryanne is the CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions and Chair of the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund. If you would like to receive her regular weekly blog, please sign up here.
published in Beauty, Giving, Gratitude, Greeting Cards, Inspiration by Maryanne | December 12, 2016 | 2 Comments
Thank You or Thinking of You – Does Sending a Card in the Mail Still Matter?
“In a world where so much communication is merely utilitarian, the simple acts of investment, remembrance, gratitude and appreciation can show the people who matter to your life and business that they are important to you.”
Ahhh…the rapidly disappearing act of sending greeting cards in the mail. Other than for Christmas and perhaps a few Birthdays, who sends cards in the mail anymore? Even Christmas and Birthday cards seem to be fewer and fewer. And don’t even get me started on thank you cards 🙁
When I actually do receive a thank you card in the mail, I kiss the damn thing – in surprise and gratitude. I am SO thankful to receive a thank you card because it tells me that whatever I did, said or gave was actually appreciated…and perhaps even enjoyed.
Now, I certainly don’t always send people thank you cards (or ‘thinking of you’ or ‘Happy Birthday’ or ‘congratulations’ or whatever) but I really do try. Based on personal experience (both of having received thank you cards and not so much), I think it does matter.
Thinking of someone or being grateful for something is one thing; actually taking the time to send a card that expresses that is quite another.
Perhaps this why – despite the fact that most people don’t seem to mail many cards anymore and therefore don’t buy them in the first place – I still decided to create my own line of photo greeting cards (alongside the recycled Christmas cards) this past year.
I guess it was just something I wanted to do, regardless of the outcome.
For inspiration, I turned to the some beautiful photos of my beloved dogs (Sable, Soda and Sadie) as well snapshots from some of my recent travels and experiences. Even though I knew selling the cards might be a challenge, I loved making them 🙂
“I am going to spend as much time as I can creating delightful things out of my existence, because that’s what brings me awake and that’s what brings me alive.”
– Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic
I know I’m not the only one receiving less cards in the mail these days. Last summer, I sent a friend a birthday card on her birthday – and she e-mailed me immediately, thanking me and letting me know how much it meant to her because mine was the only birthday card she’d received. In other words, it was special…it meant something.
“Life moves too fast. You may be thinking of a friend or family member you haven’t seen in a while, but before you know it a day, a week, maybe even a month passes before you do anything about it. I challenge you to change that! Stop for just a moment and send a card in the mail to that loved one….it will likely be something they keep, either on their fridge, in their nightstand, or somewhere else safe, so that they can look at it again and again and feel your love.”
– Sherry Ballantyne, Eclectic Soapbox
Yes, it’s easier, faster and free to simply post “Happy Birthday!” on someone’s Facebook page or fire off a quick e-mail or text but I don’t think the impact on the recipient is quite the same as a good old-fashioned card.
“Technology has turned the way we communicate upside down. Sometimes emails become more of a bane than blessing. Receiving emails and texts are fun, but nothing replaces reaching into your mailbox and discovering a handwritten card that reminds you how much you’re adored.”
Personally, the fun of receiving e-mails ended a long time ago. With more than a thousand unread e-mails sitting in my inbox at any given time (despite my best attempts at trying to keep up), it isn’t excitement or anticipation I feel when I open my e-mail – it’s dread.
Sure, I receive lots of wonderful e-mails with good news and valuable information but the sheer volume of incoming e-mails is overwhelming.
But when I open my real mail box and actually see a greeting-card sized envelope with my name and address handwritten on the front, now that is fun! Unfortunately, it happens less and less often – and usually just around my birthday or at Christmas.
From an environmental, waste-reduction perspective, I’m happy to see the shift away from sending greeting cards in the mail. But from a human-relationship perspective, I’m not so sure.
Here are a few more samples of our new photo greeting cards:
Visit Our On-Line Store to See Full Selection
Please visit the Pink Gazelle on-line store to view the complete selection of our themed packs of photo greeting cards. The cards are available in packs of 5 ($19.95 and free shipping).
Special End of Season Offer
From now until Jan 31st, 2017, with the purchase of a 5-pack of cards from the Pink Gazelle on-line store, we’ll give you a second 5-pack (your choice) for free (so that’s 10 cards for $19.95 and free shipping)!
Once you have ordered your first 5-pack, we will e-mail you to find out which second 5-pack you would like 🙂
I’d love to hear YOUR thoughts on sending cards in the mail
Are you sending out Christmas cards this year? Do you send thank you cards? Do you teach your children to send thank you cards? Do you mail birthday cards?
Related Blogs by Maryanne
Using Creativity to Bring More Joy & Beauty to the World
Cute Christmas Cards Capture Re-purposing Chic
Browsers, Buyers & Banning Husbands – Post-Game Analysis of Craft Show
Maryanne Pope is the author of A Widow’s Awakening, the playwright of Saviour and the screenwriter of God’s Country. Maryanne is the CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions and the Chair of the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund. If you would like to receive her weekly blog, please sign up here.
Still on the lookout for Christmas Gifts?
Our Wise Owl Wisdom Inspirational Quote Cards make a great stocking stuffer…for the quote-lover on your list!
$7.95 for 1 set (30 cards per set) or $14.95 for 2 sets
Please click here for details.
Here is the link to purchase through our on-line store.