Ordering page for Christmas cards with Welsh watercolour landscapes

The watercolour painting of Cwmstradllyn, Snowdonia is by Peter Kitchin. Your card will be handmade and personalised by either Peter or Rebecca.
 

write and design your own personalised xmas card with Welsh landscape - still only £2.85

Totally personalise the cover and the inside by typing your messages in the white panels below (maximum 10 words each panel). If you wish to write in Welsh, the translation for "Merry Christmas" is "Nadolig Llawen" Specify words for cover Specify words for inside   If you require additional help when ordering the 'drop down page' below may help you. To return to the last page click here or view all your purchases to date click the "VIEW BASKET" below. The development of the Christmas card The design and giving of Christmas cards originated in England over 150 years ago. By the late 1800's there was such a demand for Christmas cards that many famous artists and writers were employed in what was a  growing and important industry. Writers like Kate Greenaway, and the Victorian illustrators Frances Brundage and Ellen H. Clapsaddle, were favourites at that time. Many cards became extremely elaborate and finished with fringe, silk and satin. Others were sculpted liked fans and crescents, and others cut into images of Christmas like bells, birds, candles and even plum puddings. Other Christmas cards were 'pop-up', puzzles and some made amusing noises when opened. For some strange reason this Christmas industry did not spread to America immediately but they had to import English Christmas cards for more than 30 years. Fortunately Louis Prang, a German immigrant, set up a lithographic shop and produced the first series of American Christmas cards in 1875. Soon he was printing more than five million Christmas cards each year with traditional Christmas images like snow scenes, fir trees, glowing fireplaces and children playing with toys. They were so beautifully produced his cards are collectors' items today. In the UK, John Calcott printed the first Christmas card and set it to his friend Sir Henry Cole, a wealthy industrialist, who it is claimed, came up with the concept in the first place. Many of the first images were of charity scenes with rich people giving to poor people - perhaps a reflection of guilt in an age were few were wealthy and many were poor! As with the present day, nativity scenes were always popular and illustrated by painters of the time. With the growth in electronic technology consumers developed the desire to use the Internet to send the electronic greeting card or E-card in the late 1990s. Unfortunately this lazy trend is still gaining momentum. Do talk to Peter or Rebecca if you need a specially designed and illustrated personalised birthday card, they enjoy the challenge, just click enquiry@celtic-1.co.uk PLEASE NOTE HOLIDAY SCHEDULE: Peter and Rebecca do not have any holidays scheduled for the near future. ORDERING CARDS TO ADDRESSES OUTSIDE THE UK For orders outside the UK please order a minimum of 6 cards (you can mix designs if you wish). GOOD NEWS FOR WELSH LEARNERS If you want to write your own Welsh message we have now added more pages to help you here. If you want to investigate the Welsh language further and perhaps learn a few phrases we have added a totally new section here. Don't forget - you can write ANY message on ANY card with ANY image - just enjoy yourself ! IMPORTANT DATES FOR 2010 / PWYSIG DYDDIADAU I 2010 New Year's Day: January 1st Dydd Santes Dwynwen* (Saint Dwynwen Day): January 25th Saint Valentine's Day: February 14th Saint David's Day (Patron saint of Wales): March 1st St Piran's Day (Patron saint of Cornwall): March 5th Mother's Day: March 14th Saint Patrick's Day (Patron saint of Scotland): March 17th Good Friday: April 2nd Easter Sunday: April 4th Easter Monday: April 5th Saint George's Day (Patron saint of England): April 23rd Early May Bank Holiday: May 3rd Spring Bank Holiday: May 31st Father's Day: June 20th Summer Bank Holiday: August 30th Saint Andrew's Day (Patron Saint of Scotland): November 30th Christmas Eve: December 24th Christmas Day: December 25th Boxing Day: December 26 Saint Stephen's Day: December 26th New Year's Eve: December 31st *Welsh equivalent of the English Saint Valentine's Day. Handmade personalised greeting cards from Wales, signed prints and originals. NODWCH GWYLIAU RHAGLEN (UWCH) ARCHEBU I ANNERCH Y TU ALLAN I'R DU Ar gyfer archebion tu allan i'r DU os gwelwch yn dda er o leiaf 6 cardiau (gallwch cymysgedd dyluniadau os ydych yn dymuno). NEWYDDION DA I DDYSGWYR CYMRAEG Os ydych chi eisiau ysgrifennu neges eich hun Cymru erbyn hyn rydym wedi ychwanegu tudalennau mwy i helpu chi yma. Os ydych am i ymchwilio i'r iaith Cymraeg ymhellach ac efallai ddysgu ychydig o ymadroddion rydym wedi ychwanegu adran hollol newydd yma. Peidiwch ag anghofio - gallwch ysgrifennu neges ar y cerdyn UNRHYW UNRHYW gyda delwedd UNRHYW - dim ond mwynhau eich hun!