Catching Up: 2009 Christmas Card FAIL, Part 1

Glancing through the photos on my iPhone reminded me of all of the things that I haven't blogged about in the last 10 months...like last year's Christmas cards.

I've had several Regretsies over the last two years, but I've never blogged about them for the following reasons:

• I know that I have to credit the artist if I include an image, which means that they may stumble upon it through Google Alerts.
• Most Etsy stuff is someone's art and passion, so criticisms might sting a bit.

The Etsy fails that I've had are absolutely hilarious. I so, so, so wish that I could show you the pumpkin cake topper for which someone wanted to charge me $75.00. I knew that my coworker had opened the photo of it when I heard her incredibly audible gasp from two cubes away. (I recently checked the shop and the monstrosity sold. I'd hate to see that wedding.)

Our 2009 Christmas cards were an etsy saga and a half. I submitted an Alchemy request for an illustration of us in Christmas finery toasting with Moose mugs. Oh my. Let's just say that my friends waited eagerly anticipated my daily updates as I fought with not one, but TWO Etsy artists. But this post is getting long, so I'll let the images do the talking.

I can't think of any politically correct intros to this first batch.

So, at this point, Artist #1 was fired. Sadly for me, with pay. I didn't have the Christmas balls to ask for my money back and she didn't offer it back.

Artist #2 was one of the Etsy Alchemy respondents that I had rejected. She gladly stepped up to the plate with only a few days to go. But I think that she was still ticked at me for rejecting her.

First, we were the Ghosts of Christmas Movies Past:

Then we were Precious Moments:

 

Then I aged 30 years in punishment:

 

And then she basically told me to go scratch by sending this image and wishing me a "Happy Holiday."

At this point, I had spent my entire Christmas card budget, so I had to use it. My biggest regret is not sending out an accordion fold card containing all of these images. To refresh your memory, this is what we look like:

 

{Source: Sarah Alair}

Photos of the final Christmas card product to follow. (I need to find them!)