One of my annual holiday traditions is creating our family Christmas card. In the last couple of days, I have drawn and copied, cut, folded and stacked all of the parts that will be ready to glue and assemble. With around 24 hours into this art project, I would guess that I am just about half way to finishing them. I am hoping to make 90 cards. I know. I am ridiculous.
This year’s card is another pop-up, meaning there will be folded paper inside that will have some dimension after opening. Last year, I added beads and half of the envelopes were returned before Christmas with postage due. Ugh. This year, I avoided any extra dingle dangles that would mess up the otherwise timely delivery.
Last year’s card. Those beads cost me!
Another pop-up from two years before.
I thought it would be fun to run a contest for those of you interested in receiving one of my homemade cards. No matter what your faith or how you celebrate, this is a card made with lots of love for you!
All you have to do is guess what my family is doing in this year’s illustration.
In the past, I have drawn my family participating in all kinds of holiday and everyday activities. Click here to see more examples of my cards to give an idea of what we may be doing.
One guess per person. If you guess more than once, I will only take the first one. My husband Danny will draw from a hat if there are more than five winners.
I will announce the winners on Friday, December 14th. I will post a link to your blogs too!
I have to go back to work. Really!
Do you send holiday cards to your family and friends?
I hope you will consider following my Wild Ride!
The contest is over, but you can see the finished result and the contest winners here!
Wow, your cards just blow me away! What talent! These are so amazing! I’m going to guess that your family is sitting around the dinner table, holding up glasses for a toast! What a great contest. I want to win one of your cards! Cheers!
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Thanks Lynn! That is so nice of you to say. 🙂 Thanks for guessing. We’ll see on Friday… 🙂
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Yes, I still send cards. This year, only a dozen to the closest members of my posse, but in years past I don’t think I ever sent out more then three dozen. I’d like to quit, but I have a reputation for sending “alternative” holiday cards, but this could be the last year I send. One year I sent one showing adult Jesus standing like a doofus inside an open door while it was snowing hard outside. Menopausal Mary screamed, “Jesus Christ, shut the door! Were you born in a barn?” That card was a big hit. Another popular one was a cartoon drawing of the Mental Christmas Choir singing, “Do You Hear What I Hear?” When W was president, I sent one showing him sitting in the front row before Pope John Paul II, wearing a red robe, lying in state in an open casket. W looked perplexed. The caption read, “What happened to Santa?” My boss’s favorite was a photo of a kid standing in the snow with his tongue stuck on a metal pole. Inside the caption announced, “Theethons Greetings”. I’m under pressure to outdo myself. It’s a challenge.
Hm, what could your pop-up card be? By process of elimination, I’d guess that the Lindaus and Roxy are not gathered together in the driveway shoveling snow as they dance and sing carols … or are they?
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Hahaha! Love these cards and can imagine the drawings. Hilarious.
I would think you could make up your own!
Thanks for participating. I was worried that maybe no one wanted one…. 🙂
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About 25 years ago, before I let my drawing skills completely whither and die, I did write and design one myself. That was a year when I did send out a shed-load because I was working freelance. I sent it out with cookies I baked (something else I don’t do anymore, too) in tins called “Santa’s Helper”. It did the trick and got me hired. I thought of one this year and my graphics designer friend wanted to do it, but it was too much hassle since, you know, the Manhattan Project is my priority these days …
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you are way too funny.. awesome cards
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Glad you appreciate!
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You’re very clever! Yes, I send cards. I bet it’s snow dancing!
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Thanks CC! And thanks for guessing!
Cards are such a great tradition. 🙂
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Okay, my guess is Forrest Rangers as in firefighters. It’s a wild guess but hey you’re on a wild ride! Didn’t you go camping or something? Am I supposed to be looking at a card above or just wildl guess , cuz the one pic looks like snowboarding.
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A wild guess! Why didn’t I think of that???
Yes you get to guess. I will show the card on Friday. The good news is I am 25% done putting them together. Yay!
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Wow, love your drawings! i’d love to see more of your art here 🙂
My guess is: the family in a snow fight…
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Thanks for coming by Camile! That is so nice of you to say. I am about halfway done. The assembling is going pretty fast. Yay! Thanks for entering!
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Susie you are quite the talented woman. Your pop up art is amazing. My daughter makes origami cards.. pretty cool.
I have cannot venture a guess.. just saying hello
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Thanks so much! I am surrounded by them right now and am hoping to finish tonight….Origami sounds very cool! You should guess anyway!
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Wow…finally! A contest that won’t lose me hundreds of millions of dollars and make me feel lousy for having flunked math…. (Sorry, I’m still stinging from that Powerball loss)
Okay, I’m gonna take a stab at it. In this year’s card, your family is gathered around the fireplace as Roxie comes down the chimney.
Hey, I might be wrong on the card? But when you go paydirt on Youtube . . . we can talk.
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It would be the first money made since I started blogging. Don’t worry, I am not planning on a viral YouTube video!
Thanks for playing along Cayman!
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If you decide on viral YT, teach Roxie the Gangnam Dance. After which you can send me a box of Cubans as thanks. And a humidor, since I’m not smoking again until the zombie apocalypse.
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Deal. Now that I think about it, our last dog did a dance like that. I am sure I can teach Roxie. “Here Roxy!”
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Here we go, Susie’s on it. And umm, did I happen to mention I want it to be a walk in humidor? With WI-FI? Wet bar? Bartender?…Named Vera Farmiga? Hot tub? And if you can’t get those Cubans, no biggie.
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Okay. Okay… slow down Cayman! I am writing this down…..
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I’ll go munch on some gold leaf potato chips while waiting….
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Better wash them down with platinum champagne….
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Aww, dammit! Just ran out of the stuff. That’s alright, I’m hungry anyways. Gonna run out for some spring rolls, wrapped in thousand dollar bills. Tell Roxie to send a black Amex card, stat.
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Roxie is on it….
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How about sledding? Wild guess, I know…
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No guess is too wild! Thanks for stopping by Heather!
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Your cards are treasures, Susie. I imagine that people look forward to opening them every year. So here’s my guess: Susie is out front in a dance party moment, busting a fabulous move, while Danny, Roxie and the kids are dancing back up….
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Thanks so much for the kinds words and for coming by and joining in! I wasn’t sure if anyone even wanted one of them… 🙂
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I love the illustrations on your cards! You have such amazing talents! 🙂
I think I shall guess… Christmas caroling… at a senior center or assisted living facility?
🙂
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Great guess! Thanks so much Veronica! I used to be an illustrator, but now I just do a Christmas Card every year… 🙂
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How about baking? And yes, I do send cards, although not for Christmas but for New Year’s. Not handmade though, but custom ordered via tiny prints.
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I think that is great! I really look forward to receiving them every year!
Thanks for stopping by to join in the fun!
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Dancing? I always get a kick out of your dance videos! 🙂 Awesome cards, btw!
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Thanks Coleen and thanks for stopping by to guess!
I am thinking about taping a take off of a commercial I just saw. There isn’t a lot of dancing but lots of mugging for the camera. I thought it would be a hoot! I will see if I can pull it off….
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Whoa! You DRAW those pictures? Dang girl, you are talented! I love handmade cards and usually make my own (I haven’t tried pop ups, maybe next year!), but this year I sent out store bought and it nearly killed me. They were pretty, but they weren’t mine. You probably get what I mean.
Let’s see… what do I think you’re doing this year?
You’re all slack-lining over the tops of Aspen with Roxy hovering above you from a helicopter while filming you with a camera. 🙂
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That is a great guess Tameri!
So you are an artist too. I had no idea! They do take a ton of time, but in the end it is worth it.
Thanks so much!
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You are way too cool! Absolutely fabulous greetings, Susie. Wow. I’ll guess that you’re all flying high over a beach-y ocean setting, hopefully landing smack dab in Los Angeles. 😉
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Hahaha! Thanks so much August and for guessing!
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Good grief! You are insanely creative! 😉
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Thanks Denise! I am a frustrated artist and this is my outlet once a year. Thanks for stopping by!
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Susie, you never cease to amaze! Your fantastic artwork makes those cards extra-special. I was going to guess snow dancing but see it’s been a very popular thought. Might we find all of you in the kitchen whipping up some festive culinary creation?
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You are so nice to stop by Patricia! Thanks so much. I was an illustrator back in the day and my card is about the only artwork I do these days!
Thanks for entering! That means a lot to me!
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I LOVE the pop up idea.. I Hope I remember it for next year. My Guess is you will be doing that Lindau’s do every year.. SOMETHING DIFFERENT. ( cheep guess, huh?)
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Hahaha! Good guess!
This year’s card is a modified version of the pop up. I will blog about it tomorrow along with the winners. Thanks for coming by ACU!
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Hmm…I’m gonna go with snowshoeing. Have a happy holiday, Susie!
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Thanks for entering Darla! Happy Holidays to you and your family too!
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Something technical… everyone with a smartphone?
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Thanks for coming by and guessing!
You will find out tomorrow when I post how I made this year’s card!
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Yep we all love giveaways…but home made Christmas cards takes the cake… I do hand made gifts each year. I wish I tool photo’s along the way. Now I have to tell my sister to get all of her years gifts to take photo’s so everyone can see what I made. Great idea, great blog.
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I love your homeade Christmas cards Susie. I rememeber seeing your post last year and thinking ‘what a creative person you are!’ My guess–and I’m sure I’m right, LOL–is that your family is DANCING in your Christmas card this year! 🙂
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Thanks so much Sophie! So many guessed dancing. I think there is a theme on my blog. 🙂 Hahaha! I am so glad you stopped by to guess!
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Dude so glad you had another post on your greeting cards I remember telling you how cool it was that I ran into your other Xmas card post and loved your creative idea. I have absolutely no drawing skills, so I send the regular photo one, but that’s become the same old same old so I might have to learn how to draw because this is an AWESOME idea. Just thought I would tell you again!
I’d like to say that the Lindau clan is snowboarding and skiing off a major Rocky Mountain and decided to stop in mid air to do one of your Wild Ride Flash Dance Mobs in mid-air … you got the moves 🙂
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Thank you so much!
Too bad you didn’t guess sooner Guat!
You should make your own. These days with home printers it is so much easier.
I used to go to a printer and drop off my drawings!
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