My New Cards — and A Food Gal Giveaway
When you’re your own start-up (ahem, yes that would be me), it pays to have some snazzy business cards — ones that are eye-catching, stand out from the pack, and show off a little of your own personality.
Now, I do — thanks to Moo.com.
Don’t get me wrong. My old cards were fine. But these? Even my husband says I can only give these out to people who are “worthy.” Is that a high compliment or what?
Founded in 2004 by Brit Richard Moross, Moo allows you to design your own custom business cards, mini cards, greeting cards, stickers, stickers and labels — using your own photos or logos.
Recently, the company gave me the opportunity to try out their services for free to see what I thought about them. I decided to create both business cards and greeting cards, using both my Food Gal logo and photos I’d taken that have appeared on this blog.
The results were amazing. First, the quality of the paper is top-notch. These are business cards with heft. The weight of them is substantial, so much so that anyone you hand one to is definitely going to notice. Second, the card can be designed with color images on both the front and back. Third, you can mix up the design in your order, too, choosing a couple of them instead of just being stuck with one. Third, the paper is sourced from sustainable forests. Fourth, for an even more environmentally correct option, you can choose to have your cards printed on recycled paper that’s been manufactured using wind power.
For my business cards, I chose to stick with just one image — one of my all-time favorites that I photographed, the modern German chocolate cake created by Pastry Chef Bill Corbett of Absinthe Brasserie in San Francisco. Anyone who knows me, knows my sweet tooth, so it was only fitting.
For the greeting cards, I chose an assortment of food images I’d taken over the years — from my late Mom’s chicken and rice dish to the simple beauty of fresh, ripe figs. The images reproduced beautifully on the cards, which again were quite sturdy and had a nice satin coating.
The cards are not necessarily inexpensive: 100 business cards are $39.98; and 25 greeting cards with envelopes are $39.99.
But the Moo team prides itself on quality design and it definitely shows.
Contest: Three lucky Food Gal readers will win a chance to design their own set of 50 Moo business cards for free. One of those three also will get a bonus prize — a chance to design 25 Moo holiday cards for free in addition to their business cards.
Entries, open to anyone since Moo ships worldwide, will be accepted through midnight PST Sept. 29. Winners will be announced Oct. 1.
How to win?
You’ve already seen what images I chose to put on my cards. Tell me what images or designs you would put on your cards — and why. Best answer wins the business cards and holiday cards. Two runner-up answers will win the business cards.
Winner of Last Week’s Contest: In the previous Food Gal contest, I asked you to tell me your favorite thing about fall. Best answer will win a free pair of tickets to San Francisco Magazine’s FallFest extravaganza on Oct. 13 at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco.
Congrats to:
Emily L., who wrote, “Autumn means wrapping an apron over bulky sweaters. It means waning afternoon light that arouses a hearty appetite for braised meats, roasted cruciferous, spice-laden stews, and charismatic red wines. Fall means pushing aside pencils and brushing off eraser dust from the table before setting it for dinner. This season brings reflection on a summer past, thanksgiving for the present, and optimism about the winter ahead.”
Carolyn, what a fun idea to take your beautiful images and make them into drool-worthy greeting cards.
I can see why that shot of the german chocolate cake is your favorite – wow!
xo
E
Those are some gorgeous images! The chocolate cake looks so good I want to lick the card.
I would, like you use some of my own images.
Oh these look gorgeous! I totally agree, they need to go to “worthy” people only!
These are right up my alley as I have my own little start up as well (a bakery!). I sell my baked goods on an online etsy store front at etsy.com/shop/buttercupbaking and also on a new local sf bay area site called Zaarly at zaarly.com/buttercupbaking.
I would use images of all my own personal handmade desserts to really show diversity and to make my clients mouth water the second they look at the card. I truly think that it could significantly increase business as I would much rather buy a delicious cake from a business card like yours above, rather than mine now. which have a clip art – ish looking cupcake and my info :-/. (And I thought they were really cute before I saw these!!!)
I would also use some holiday themed dessert pictures for the greeting cards to send with any holiday orders! So many great ways to get creative!
They would be a big hit… these are awesome!
Pretty cards! Yeah, I’ve been using Moo.com for years. Even though they’re in London, there’s no problem with the speed of service and delivery.
Love that picture of the chocolate cake-it looks great on a card! I’m going to have to have some chocolate now 😛
I’m not entering this contest. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE MOO’s business cards. I just got mine and want your readers to have more chance to win. These are definitely gorgeous cards and I love your decadent cake you chose on your cards. 🙂
i would choose pictures of things for which i’m becoming known to my friends in the blog world–some of my own filled and frosted cupcakes and cinnamon sticks. 🙂
Those cards you made are lovely! Well, first I’d need to learn to take a decent picture 🙂 Ok, maybe I’d get someone who can do that well to do that part for me. Mine would have a favorite quilt and something I’d cooked. Perhaps I’d use the quilt as a tablecloth or backdrop to highlight the tomato jam I made this week.
I would use landscape & architectural pictures from my travels for my holiday cards. This is a great way to share with my friends and family some of the pretty places I have been fortunate enough to see.
Your cards are luscious. I haven’t thought of Moo in a long while. I remember getting one of their mini-cards from someone I met at SF Chefs a couple years back. Thanks for reminding me (and luring me to spend a chunk of time at their website).
I’m torn between two sets of photos I could use. We travel a lot and I have thousands of photographs from everywhere from the US to Xinjiang Province (China) to Thailand to Madagascar to the Hunza Valley in Pakistan and more. I’d love to choose six or eight of my favorite photos for cards, which would encourage me to =write= to people more often than I do.
The other alternative would be photos I take of our view, looking east toward TI, Yerba Buena, the Bay Bridge and the East Bay. I have thousands (literally) of photos looking east in the fog, in the sunshine, when the sailboats are out dancing in the weekend sun, sunrise, even sunset, which we can’t see, obvi, but which decks the clouds over Berkeley in pinks and purples. I’d love to have a collection of cards with a variety of views. Again, to encourage snail mail correspondence with friends. Some like these, maybe. (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4080360201576.2163897.1059673677) Can you click that link? Hope so.
Very beautiful!