Christmas e-cards by artists, art galleries and museums

In the end I didn't travel north due to "the snow" and warnings against travelling unless absolutely necessary. However there's no 'who's made a mark this week?' as instead I've been getting ready for Christmas and end of year blog posts!

Today I've included a set of links to a selection of e-cards which you can find online at various art galleries and museums....because I just know not all of you will have got your cards done on time! Plus a few comments about e-cards and artists.

Free e-cards available from
the Victoria & Albert Museum website

There are lots of FREE Christmas e-cards available - and some of the best are on museum sites!

• Victoria and Albert Museum - Christmas e-cards - these are all sent on 25th December
  
• National Museums Liverpool All proceeds support National Museums Liverpool. Includes specific microsites for : Vintage Christmas and New Year e-cards and the Stewart Bale collection (black and white photos of Christmas stores from the 40s and 50s)
• National Museum of Wales - Christmas e-cards
  
• Tate Museums - Tate Kids e-cards
  
• British Library - Christmas e-cards
• Geffrye Museum - Christmas e-cards

Interestingly, I could find very little evidence of the development of a slick and simple e-card operation on the websites of the American Art Museums. The Met has nothing to speak of and the MFA in Boston (which can be goood) is sooooooooooo very slow at the moment that it just gets plain frustrating. I tried a few others with the same results as for the Met. If you want to try for yourself just stick 'e-card' into the search facility and it should throw up and facility within the website

Use of e-cards is increasing

More than 2 billion paper cards are bought annually. However did you know that the sale of Christmas cards has dropped significantly? Maybe because many young people don't know to handwrite a letter (sad but true)? Maybe because more people are conscious of the need to be green (me!) and/or are making use of e-cards (me again!)?

40 per cent of 16 to 35-year-olds are now happy to abandon traditional cards in favour of eCards.
The Telegraph online - The eCard vs the traditional Christmas card

From a commercial perspective, cards are always an opportunity for artists to get their work in front of people who might not otherwise see it.

What struck me is that e-cards are a way of using your art without the expense of getting cards printed.

It's also a good way to be associated with a good cause. Certain artists are now supporting the charities they support by making an e-card available. So, for example, Kurt Jackson fans can find two of his paintings available as a Christmas e-card on the Friends of the Earth website.

Sending your own e-cards

I like e-cards - and find it very difficult to justify the trees which need to be cut down to generate all the paper cards. However I always wish I could make my own e-cards - but forgot to investigate this early enough this year - again!

So two questions for you:

• Have any of you made your own e-card this year?
• Have any of you tried any of the online websites which explain how to make an e-card? If so, are there are you would like to recommend (or any timewasters you'd like to warn against?)
  

A cautionary note

Be wary of what you click on and only send e-cards from reputable sites. Don't respond to links asking for details of your credit cards. Make sure your security software is up to date. Last year, McAfee uncovered a virus masked as a Christmas e-card from Hallmark.