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Let me start out by saying that I love making cards. Sure, I love the "ooh's" and "ahhh's" I get from some recipients, but that is not why I make them.
I gave out over 50 Christmas cards this year. Only a few people actually took the time to acknowledge and/or say "thank you" for the card. Most of the recipients didn't say anything about even getting a card.
Do you ladies find that people just don't acknkowlege your cards or that they don't say "thank you" for your cards? I guess it just kind of hurt my feelings. :(
Please don't take this wrong, I but I haven't thought that it was necessary to acknowledge receipt of a Christmas card (or even a birthday card for that matter) hand stamped or otherwise. For me, I get probably 50-60 cards each year and I simply do not have the time, or energy, to acknoweldge receipt of each card. Likewise, I would not expect a "thank you" or anyother type of acknowledgment for the 80+ Christmas cards I mail each season. Sorry
I can't say I've ever received a thank you for a Christmas card I mailed. Usually the recipient will reciprocate and send ME a card. But I never get a thank-you for the card sent.
Now, birthday cards or RAKs I sometimes get thank-yous for. But not always.
This is an old problem I think we all have with BRAK's and RAK's -- very few acknowledge receipt. I, too, don't expect oohs and aahs but I would like to know the P O delivered it. I don't expect a thank you for Christmas cards because most people I send to will reciprocate; but for BRAK's, is it too much trouble to click on the computer (you're probably on SCS anyway :>) and give a quick "got your card" statement??? [[[[[sigh]]]]] guess it is. Have a very Merry Christmas stampers.
I belong to WISHRAK birthdays and mail these out every month to the ladies here and very rarely do I ever see an acknowldegement. I dont ever say thanks for a card but normally if I have not already sent them a card, I do send them one.
blessings.
Just like I never expect a thank for a store bought card, I never expect one for a handmade one either. I just take every thank you and comment like "you're so talented" or "I can't wait to open your card because they're always so beautiful" as an added blessing. I'm also shocked by who says something like that.
I'm not in it for the praise or thanks. Just made 30 handmade cards for my selected "special" family and friends. Consider each one as a gift - and don't expect anything in return.
As I was giving cards to the support staff at my school (as well as the principals) I noticed at least 30 cards on all of their desks... Now, not all of them are handmade, but that's a lot of cards!!! I didn't expect a special thank-you because my card, was in itself, a thank-you!!
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I know what you mean, I know when I make hand made cards at least some mention of it would be nice, I always make a point in mentioning it to my friends that do take the time and effort to make them. As long as I have one of them for my samples album I feel like I am set, that way when someone wants to see my stuff or I want to look over stuff I have made I can get that ego boost that I didn't get earlier.!
hmmm...interesting points. How I look at it is that my card making is my hobby/crafting gift and my sanity. It is my stress reliever. Some of my family and friends acknowledge receipt of a card, most do not and that is ok. I do it for me and to share my love with others. I also don't always thank my friends for the hugs they give me, the smiles, the glass of wine or bottle of grey goose we share. I guess I'm saying that for me, card making and sharing the creations is my gift of love...no strings attached...not even a thank you is necessary.
__________________ ...I'm just meandering through life; trying to have some fun along the way!!!
I'd say thank you by PM for cards I receive from friends here, but for most of the Christmas cards I get in the post, I wouldn't expect to say thanks. And I am a firm believer in saying thank-you for any sort of gift.
i have had people email to say thank you for remembering my birthday or loved your thanksgiving/christmas card but very few do that.
regarding christmas cards, i keep track of who i send to and who i receive from. after 3 years of not receiving a christmas card from someone i have sent christmas cards to, they are off my list (unless they are immediate family or very elderly). i figure if you can't reciprocate, you aren't interested in receiving either. JMO.
thanks, ladies for your comments. Guess I will just suck it up and get over it. For those who DO acknowledge their cards, I guess they just guaranteed themselves to keep getting cards from me. I guess my feelings were just hurt because I hand delivered many of my cards and didn't get much response.
I too would never expect a thank you for a Christmas card or a birthday card ... I do have a few people who DO thank me when I send them one, which is very nice, but I dont expect it from people.
I love sending RAK's, but honestly stopped because of two reasons. (1) people have not updated their address if they have moved, and had received several cards back, and two for your exact reason, no hardly anyone said hey thanks... thanks for thinking of me! Thanks for taking the time to spend your time and money and pick me to send a beautiful hand made card.
Just a simple, hey.. I got your card, thanks, would suffice.
Ladies....I think we have to remember that what we make and send are cards and just/only that.....cards. They are paper that we have embellished with other items.
I don't acknowledge cards I receive nor would I expect for someone to acknowledge the card I sent them.
I make and send cards because I like to and want to send a personal greeting to particular people. That's my thing and they can take the card in anyway they want.
I enjoy the process of making cards and get enjoyment out of that. I don't expect anything in return.
If I sent someone a gift, that I might feel they would make mention of if/when I see them.
If I'm looking for recognition for a card I sent, then in my opinion, I'm making and sending cards for the wrong reason.
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OP said:
Quote:
Let me start out by saying that I love making cards. Sure, I love the "ooh's" and "ahhh's" I get from some recipients, but that is not why I make them.
I gave out over 50 Christmas cards this year. Only a few people actually took the time to acknowledge and/or say "thank you" for the card. Most of the recipients didn't say anything about even getting a card.
Do you ladies find that people just don't acknkowlege your cards or that they don't say "thank you" for your cards? I guess it just kind of hurt my feelings.
I can see that you are just feeling a bit let-down because of lack of appreciation from the recipients. Although cards are physically only bits of paper/cardstock, etc., they are often emotionally an expression of ourselves that we give to others. Therefore, when they are not acknowledged very often, we feel a bit let down or rejected. I can empathize with this feeling.
I guess that acknowledging your feelings here also helps you to regain your perspective on why you actually give the cards. It may also give you an opportunity to re-evaluate the amount of your heart and your time that you like to give away to others. Nothing wrong with either continung or deciding to cut back on the amount you give. Anyway, I wanted to send you a virtual hug.
I don't make many Christmas cards as so many of our family/friends don't appreciate any type of handmade card.
I always make a point of emailing the giver of handmade cards to me, I think they deserve that recognition and most of the recipients of my hand made cards do thank me for them and say how much they enjoy them. So I empathise entirely with the OP especially as she hand delivered the cards too.
Maybe your cards look so great and so professional that the people who received them didn't even realize they were handmade?
I borrowed the entire Twilight series from a gal who barely knew me. As a thank you, when I returned the books I gave her a half dozen of my cards tied with a piece of retired ribbon. She went on and on about how pretty the ribbon was and how clever of me to put them together that way, but nothing about the cards. I felt a little hurt that she didn't comment on the cards but I put it out of my mind.
Fast forward to a couple of months later. I got a wonderful and very apologetic e-mail from her. She hadn't realized that the cards were hand made until she gave one for a child's birthday and the child's mother called to ask her who made the card because I had only signed my initials. She wanted to see if she could buy some. When this gal insisted that the cards weren't handmade the child's mother set her straight. She recognized the SU copyright stamp and knew what they were. Because she wasn't a crafty person she had absolutely no concept of stamping and papercrafts.
So, if you're feeling down about it just realize that maybe most people had absolutely no idea that you put all that time and effort into your cards. Maybe they looked at it and thought, "That woman spends WAAAAAY too much on cards. Bet Hallmark loves her!"
I've started the A-B-C lists (of course, no one knows which list they are on).
The A's get the REALLY NICE HAND-MADE CARDS-----they appreciated the time you've put in.
The B's? Oh---if the card has a few "flaws"---no big deal. They wouldn't notice anyway. You spent less time on these card then the time you spent on the A's.
The C's.........they get whatever is left over. Even cards I would have tossed in a Goodwill box. They won't notice. Won't care. Neither do I.
I can see that you are just feeling a bit let-down because of lack of appreciation from the recipients. Although cards are physically only bits of paper/cardstock, etc., they are often emotionally an expression of ourselves that we give to others. Therefore, when they are not acknowledged very often, we feel a bit let down or rejected. I can empathize with this feeling.
I guess that acknowledging your feelings here also helps you to regain your perspective on why you actually give the cards. It may also give you an opportunity to re-evaluate the amount of your heart and your time that you like to give away to others. Nothing wrong with either continung or deciding to cut back on the amount you give. Anyway, I wanted to send you a virtual hug.
Thank you...you hit the nail on the head. I guess I never thought of cards as just paper. With each card (except for the Christmas cards), I make each card for the individual recipient. I choose colors and stamps I think they might enjoy. So, for me it is a very personal thing to give a card to someone. Again...the Christmas cards were all alike, but with colors and stamps I enjoy and enjoyed giving.
I didn't expect all kinds of gushing or phone calls or anything of the like. I guess I just thought that if I handed people cards, I would get a thank you or something. All of the people I make cards for know they are hand made.
This is an old problem I think we all have with BRAK's and RAK's -- very few acknowledge receipt. I, too, don't expect oohs and aahs but I would like to know the P O delivered it. I don't expect a thank you for Christmas cards because most people I send to will reciprocate; but for BRAK's, is it too much trouble to click on the computer (you're probably on SCS anyway :>) and give a quick "got your card" statement??? [[[[[sigh]]]]] guess it is. Have a very Merry Christmas stampers.
I have to say that the cards I handmake are not just paper. Guess I am slower than most but a lot of my time goes into each card that I make. I have watched people slap cards together so I know it happens but thats not the way I make a card. People always thank me for my cards and I feel that each one is a small gift. I spend as much or more time in planning and making them than I would in picking up a gift sometimes. However I was amazed that so many of the BRAK cards I send are not acknowledged. I guess I thought if you made cards and mailed them out you would appreciate the thoughtfullness of fellow cardmakers. Just my opinon.
Everyone is different. When you put yourself out there, you can't really have expectations. I make about 20+ cards a month and send care packages out for a non-profit organization and I just enjoy doing it. Personally, I always write a thank you in this forum whenever I receive any kind of card. However, I understand that not everyone is like that or is able to do that. Once I send out a card, that's it. If I get a thank you, it just makes it that much sweeter. I hope knowing that you're not the only one and that the understanding of the situation in this thread helps you feel a bit better.
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I also wanted to add, that even if you don't get a verbal thanks or feel appreciated - you never know...I was at my SIL's house in September and she still had the card I sent her last year on display. She'd never said anything, but I guess that meant she liked it. And I saw another of my cards from last year still out in someone else's house in October. Same thing - they never said thanks, but obviously both liked and appreciated the card.
Just think of it this way, for every 'thank you' received you probably have 10 people who thought 'wow - that's awesome' but did not directly tell you.
I wouldn't expect folks to reach out just to say thanks, but they might mention it in a future conversation.
Add me to the list of people who always post a thank you for a card I get through this forum, but I'm a crafter (obv!) and appreciate the time and thought put in to hand made cards. Not everyone does - and like many other posters on this thread, over time I have made "adjustments" to my Christmas list accordingly.
If you want to feel warm and fuzzy about your card making, why not send it to one of the many organizations who send cards to our troops? I support Operation Write Home, but I know there are others. The feedback from our heroes and their loved ones are the best thank you I could ever have!
I don't think there is anything wrong with feeling disappointed when you don't get an acknowledgment for a card you've sent. Clearly not everyone feels this way, but some do, including me. It's not that big a deal to me, but I am often a little bothered, especially when I've included a money gift or gift card with a birthday card, and don't receive a thank you. It may be just paper and glue, but everything is "just" something - money is "just" paper, jewelry is "just" metal, etc. No matter the materials, it has value to the giver - in terms of cost in purchasing materials and time in putting it together. I just think it's nice to acknowledge a card, handmade or not.
I bet if you stopped sending a handmade card you might hear from some people....I think some folks come to expect getting a handmade creation and only when they don't receive it do they acknowledge it. And I agree with the person who said that some people don't realize that they are getting a one of a kind, I-actually-took-time-and-made-this card...I've had that happen to me. Someone once said to me, "you always FIND the cutest cards"...she about flipped when I told her I make them.
Unfortunately we live in a time where everyone feels "entitled". We are all so pampered and spoiled that we no longer have a sense of thankfulness for ANYTHING. This is the basis of all the greed and coruption that is now threatening the very foundation our country was built upon. When you lose your sense of thankfulness you miss entirely the true meaning of Christmas, Christ! The ultimate in giving!
I don't expect a thank you for each and every card I send out, but I have learned to give without expecting anything in return. Take whatever compliments come your way and don't expect it. I'm sorry you were hurt by all of this, and I hope you have a Merry Chritmas!
Maybe your cards look so great and so professional that the people who received them didn't even realize they were handmade?
I borrowed the entire Twilight series from a gal who barely knew me. As a thank you, when I returned the books I gave her a half dozen of my cards tied with a piece of retired ribbon. She went on and on about how pretty the ribbon was and how clever of me to put them together that way, but nothing about the cards. I felt a little hurt that she didn't comment on the cards but I put it out of my mind.
Fast forward to a couple of months later. I got a wonderful and very apologetic e-mail from her. She hadn't realized that the cards were hand made until she gave one for a child's birthday and the child's mother called to ask her who made the card because I had only signed my initials. She wanted to see if she could buy some. When this gal insisted that the cards weren't handmade the child's mother set her straight. She recognized the SU copyright stamp and knew what they were. Because she wasn't a crafty person she had absolutely no concept of stamping and papercrafts.
So, if you're feeling down about it just realize that maybe most people had absolutely no idea that you put all that time and effort into your cards. Maybe they looked at it and thought, "That woman spends WAAAAAY too much on cards. Bet Hallmark loves her!"
Christine
How fantastic! I think that is such an excellent example.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cook22
I also wanted to add, that even if you don't get a verbal thanks or feel appreciated - you never know...I was at my SIL's house in September and she still had the card I sent her last year on display. She'd never said anything, but I guess that meant she liked it. And I saw another of my cards from last year still out in someone else's house in October. Same thing - they never said thanks, but obviously both liked and appreciated the card.
Again an excellent example. This has happened to me as well
Quote:
Originally Posted by peeps321
I bet if you stopped sending a handmade card you might hear from some people....I think some folks come to expect getting a handmade creation and only when they don't receive it do they acknowledge it. And I agree with the person who said that some people don't realize that they are getting a one of a kind, I-actually-took-time-and-made-this card...I've had that happen to me. Someone once said to me, "you always FIND the cutest cards"...she about flipped when I told her I make them.
Exactly.
I have my own story to share. We have an "Aunt and Uncle" that though wealthy enough have decided to stop sending birthday cards to us as we moved overseas and told my MIL this. Funny thing is they still send a Christmas card and though I have never heard I'm pretty positive it is because they don't want to be left off of our card list! :mrgreen:
And truthfully - the first couple of years I painstakingly made cards for each individuals tastes and interests for Christmas x100+. Now only my immediate family get those and everyone else gets one of the masses (well except for my card group where I try to do something similar but different). I enjoy putting it all together and I don't regret my decision. I can do individual for birthdays and individually important occasions.
AND shock! horror! I print at least the back and inside of my Christmas card with my printer and this year even the front greeting for continuity. I send out nearly 100 cards these days and I find it is the perfect blend of handmade and computer aid.
I'd not fret too much over this and you should not take it personally IMO. I'm just excited when I actually receive a Christmas card back from those I've sent them to - it seems this too is becoming a lost art! My Grandma and Mom & Dad acknowledge my cards; but generally not anyone else. Through the year though some of my friends and relatives to share they enjoy receiving cards from me from the occasions for which I send cards.
I make and send about 120 Christmas cards each season and generally most are unique as I get bored with the same design in multiples.
__________________ Donna Love my puppies! Thor 5 years; Maddee 5 years
I don't think there is anything wrong with feeling disappointed when you don't get an acknowledgment for a card you've sent. Clearly not everyone feels this way, but some do, including me. It's not that big a deal to me, but I am often a little bothered, especially when I've included a money gift or gift card with a birthday card, and don't receive a thank you. It may be just paper and glue, but everything is "just" something - money is "just" paper, jewelry is "just" metal, etc. No matter the materials, it has value to the giver - in terms of cost in purchasing materials and time in putting it together. I just think it's nice to acknowledge a card, handmade or not.
I'll add to my recent post that I do agree that little gifts or monetary gitfts are meritorious of a "thank you" in my book and failure to acknowledge those is in poor taste.
__________________ Donna Love my puppies! Thor 5 years; Maddee 5 years
I've started the A-B-C lists (of course, no one knows which list they are on).
The A's get the REALLY NICE HAND-MADE CARDS-----they appreciated the time you've put in.
The B's? Oh---if the card has a few "flaws"---no big deal. They wouldn't notice anyway. You spent less time on these card then the time you spent on the A's.
The C's.........they get whatever is left over. Even cards I would have tossed in a Goodwill box. They won't notice. Won't care. Neither do I.
It works terrific! Try it!!
Might I add a letter D: Those who don't get a handmade card. They get whatever oddball/premade card I might have on hand. These are generally people who have said "you have too much time on your hands" or belittled your crafting abilities.
I don't think there is anything wrong with feeling disappointed when you don't get an acknowledgment for a card you've sent. Clearly not everyone feels this way, but some do, including me. It's not that big a deal to me, but I am often a little bothered, especially when I've included a money gift or gift card with a birthday card, and don't receive a thank you. It may be just paper and glue, but everything is "just" something - money is "just" paper, jewelry is "just" metal, etc. No matter the materials, it has value to the giver - in terms of cost in purchasing materials and time in putting it together. I just think it's nice to acknowledge a card, handmade or not.
Definitely once there is a gift, in my book it needs a thanks.
It amuses me that when I send my nephew in the States money, he's usually pretty prompt to say thanks, or at least my half-sister lets me know it's arrived. But when I send any other sort of gift in the post - well, I'm lucky if I even hear it's arrived, unless I ask outright.
I've started the A-B-C lists (of course, no one knows which list they are on).
The A's get the REALLY NICE HAND-MADE CARDS-----they appreciated the time you've put in.
The B's? Oh---if the card has a few "flaws"---no big deal. They wouldn't notice anyway. You spent less time on these card then the time you spent on the A's.
The C's.........they get whatever is left over. Even cards I would have tossed in a Goodwill box. They won't notice. Won't care. Neither do I.
It works terrific! Try it!!
How funny! I love this method!
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i gave a college classmate a birthday card I had made.... no one realized I made it (I had the entire class, 20 people sign it LOL).... finally the Professor saw it and said it was beautiful, where did I buy it? when i said i made it, the class was shocked..... ok, a week later, i give her the birthday card and she just days 'thanks', like no big deal, thanks for the card, but she was really pleased the entire class had signed (it showed the time involved)...
a week after that, she comes up to me and apologizes profusely, she never realized I made the card (incidently, I later made a birthday card for her preacher and earned $5 for it LOL)
I thought it was pretty obvious I had made it, because the back said 'Hand-Stamped By' and then I wrote my name under that LOL.... but I guess if a card is so good the recipient thinks I bought it, I'm pretty happy.
-laura s
Might I add a letter D: Those who don't get a handmade card. They get whatever oddball/premade card I might have on hand. These are generally people who have said "you have too much time on your hands" or belittled your crafting abilities.
================
oh yes, you are absolutely right. I find boxed greeting cards at thrift stores for 10 cents a piece for the D list.
I have enjoyed reading people's posts on here. For me, the same people will call or write to let me know they received the card, and they'll comment and compare it to other cards I have made them. I enjoy this but I don't expect it. What I do keep an eye on is who sends a card back. Our list has grown to about 100 people because of my husband's unreal ability to network and make friends, but the list started long. I started sending cards after we got married and I feel like we hardly see a lot of these people anymore. So I have promised myself that next year I will try to cut the list down.
50+ cards, and only a few "thank you's"
